Improving your credit rating - any hints and tips?

[HolidayArmadillo]

I currently have 11 accounts according to check my file, all up,to date although one was apparently late 3 times (account now closed, balance zero - electricity account after suppliers changed, over a year ago), some accounts have small amounts, between 500 and 800, have approx 10k in unsecured debt in total (affordable) plus a mortgage on a property we rent out, yet it seems I only have a fair credit rating with experian and a poor credit rating with equifax. Any suggestions for improving this in order to look at getting another mortgage this year?

11 accounts sounds like a lot - do you have a lot of "available" credit for example on credit cards with little to no balance outstanding? If so can you close any of these that you no longer require, they will be impacting on your credit file.

I'd also suggest trying to repay some of the unsecured debts, if you have a lot of unsecured debts you will find it harder to borrow more.

The 3 late payments will also be impacting, as multiple missed or late payments show a pattern. Was there a reason you missed them? If so you could try contacting the company and asking if they will remove them from your file, they don't have to but if it was (for example) a problem when transferring supplier they may be willing to do it.

Thank you, it says 11 accounts but a lot of them appear to have 'zero' balances, such as my phone account, it shows as being up to date and settled on time but zero balance, have small amount on one credit card (less than £700), my bank account also shows as an open account but with a zero balance (no overdraft). I have 3 accounts that add up to just under £2k that I could work at clearing but two of those are actually interest free so don't cost me anything, if they were closed then it would only actually leave two accounts running with balances on (aside from mortgage) one being a loan i took out to buy a car (due to finish in 18 months always up to date) and the other for double glazing in the house that we rent out.

The 3 late payments thing was a total screw up on my part, I didn't understand that I owed the company money following switching suppliers, anyway once it was clear I did owe the money I cleared the debt in full but not until there had been some toing and froing in order to establish the validity of the debt. Anyway they ended up owning me money after that and I received a partial refund some months later! I've contacted the company but they say the three late payments stand and can not be amended.

How much is your available credit - if you have a credit card with £700 outstanding but a £5000 balance then you could in theory spend the remaining £4300 at any time so this would make you more of a credit risk than if your available balance was only £1000.

Ooh limit is only £1000 so not a large amount of outstanding credit there.

Is it the same on the other credit cards?

Are you on the electoral role? Are you financially linked to anyone who could be impacting your score? How long ago were the late payments?

No other credit cards, I only have the one, am on the electoral roll, late payments were over a year ago (just) financially linked with DH who has just had a whole load of bad stuff drop off his credit rating from years ago, his rating still looks poor despite now having nothing other than an up to date mortgage account, an open bank account and a settled (Urgh) provident account with one late payment on it from over 5 years ago. Could that be the issue?