Personal Credit Rating Ireland & UK

pirateninja

Hi guys,

Does anybody know if your when applying for credit in the UK can they look at your Irish credit history or is it solely on your UK history?


I had a credit rating of "good" in Ireland and want to get a credit card/ possible loan in the UK. I've only been in the UK about 12 months though so don't have a great credit history built up yet.

Thanks in advance

exiledelbows

No, it's only what you've done since you came over here. We had awful trouble in our first 12 months, couldn't get a phone contract or anything. It got easier after we registered to vote. I suggest you do the same if you haven't already.

pirateninja

I am registered to vote. I think I'll just apply for a card with the bank I'm with and maybe see can I up my overdraft limit, just so I can build up some history over here!

Thanks a million for the quick reply

r3nu4l

We had the same issue.

If you've been here 12 months then you should have been paying council tax and utility bills (water, gas, electricity). These will all help you build your credit rating. Unless you haven't been paying your bills then your rating should be okay.

What we did was to register utilities in both our names. That way both people's ratings are increased with every bill paid

When I first got a credit card I explained to my bank that I wanted to build my credit rating and asked for a card with a small limit and they accommodated me by giving me a £400 limit.

Importantly, if you do have a credit card, it doesn't matter how much you spend on it so long as you pay every bill on time every month. I spent a few months buying a few small items online and paying my bills of £30-50 in full each month. That built my rating pretty quickly.

Jack B. Badd

I think there was someone on here a while back who mentioned using payday loans to increase their rating. However, I'd be wary of going down this route as recent reports indicate that lenders can avoid applicants who have had payday loans in the past under the assumption that they are financially unstable - e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/nov/17/payday-loans-credit-rating.

discus

I've had awful trouble, and I've been here for 2 years now.

I managed to get a SIM only phone plan, but as for loans, credit cards or car finance, nada. It's very frustrating, and really opened my eyes to how hard it is when people come from poorer nations as refugees, or for work. They must have an awful time.

questionmark?

Register to vote, ensure current account is registered to the same address, pay your bills by Direct Debit and ask your bank to provide you with a credit builder Credit Card. Personally the first card I got from Barcalys I spent a small amount each month and cleared it in full on the day the statement is issued and my credit rating built very quickly.

Just remember a missed payment that is registered against your credit file stays visible for 6 years.

BrokenArrows

They must have increased the security.

When I moved over at the end of 2010, I just walked into Barclays with proof of address and a passport and they gave me a current account, savings account and a credit card straight away.

My next stop was a mobile phone shop and got a 2 year contract without any issues.

Mynamehere

Ways of increasing your credit rating in the UK from nothing when arriving over first.

1: Register to vote
2: Get a land line phone number (most broadband connections will have one)
3: Get a cheap pay monthly(12 month contract) mobile phone (I use 3 and the plan is £15 a month)
4: Capital One will give anyone a credit card as long as your working. Interest is high but just pay your bill on time.
5: Move to a nice area. Someone in Wimbledon will have a higher credit rating than someone in Brixton. (even if circumstances are the exact same)
6: Dont move house or job often.

After a few months your rating should be ok.

Hope this helps.