Thinking about renting a home, taking out car finance, applying for a mortgage or getting a credit card?
If so, be prepared for lenders to take a close look at your credit score.
This important score shows how well you’ve managed borrowing in the past, based on factors such as your payment history and how much credit you use. A strong credit score improves your chances of approval and can help you secure lower interest rates and better borrowing terms.
Craig Tebbutt, financial health expert at Equifax UK, says: “While everyone’s financial situation is different and patience will be your friend, there are steps to help kickstart credit score improvements more quickly over the short term. A low score doesn’t have to be permanent and good habits tend to pay off over time.”
So how does it work and how can you improve yours?
Many people assume they have just one credit score, but your score can differ between credit reference agencies (CRAs) and it will change over time.
In the UK, the main agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each uses its own data and scoring system, with lenders applying their own criteria too when you make a credit application.
Experian overhauled its credit scoring in November 2025, expanding its score range from 0–999 to 0–1,250.
The company said the new system reflects more “everyday financial behaviours” such as paying rent or reducing overdraft use. Elsewhere Equifax scores range from 0 to 1,000, and TransUnion from 0 to 710.
To improve your score, make sure you’re registered to vote. Being on the electoral roll at your current address is one of the most important and easiest ways to build your credit score, as it helps lenders confirm your identity – and it costs nothing to do.
Next, check your credit reports with all three CRAs and get any errors corrected. Mistakes might include wrong addresses, accounts that aren’t yours or missed payments incorrectly recorded.
You should also check what are called your financial associates. There is a common misconception that simply living with someone can permanently link your credit score to theirs – but this is not the case.
“A link is only created when you have shared financial products on record, such as a joint bank account, mortgage, loan or utility bill,” explains Vix Leyton, consumer expert at ThinkMoney, “Former partners or flatmates can remain visible as financial associates if those joint arrangements were never formally closed, even if the relationship ended years ago.”
To disassociate from someone, close all joint accounts and make sure shared bills are either settled or transferred fully into one person’s name. Once there are no active joint financial commitments, you can ask the CRAs to remove the association through a free financial disassociation request.