Whenever you apply for a loan or other form of credit, the provider will check your personal credit score before they decide whether or not to lend you the money. Your credit record shows things like whether you've missed any payments in the past, where you live, how many types of credit you've applied for in the past and how many you were refused for. All these things and more can have a factor on how 'risky' a provider thinks you might be, but a general rule of thumb is that the more credit you apply for, the lower your credit score is likely to be.

But there's currently a problem...Stuart Glendinning, Moneysupermarket.com's managing director for our money channels suggests it's time for change...

Click here to read this article.

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Community

I absolutely agree with that...I have always thought it totally unfair that credit applications that are not taken up by the applicant should be removed in their entirety from the applicants record, also cases where a member applied just recently using a broker, where the broker then passed it to other loan providers against the applicants knowledge. Which further resulted in him having three or four footprints on his record and still no loan......or indeed less chance of a future loan...caused ...courtesy of the extra footprints left by this unfair treatment.

A change and overhaul of the credit record situation is long overdue.

Individuals should also be able to place a, "search freeze" on their credit record like is possible in the US if you do not want unauthorised searches or credit applications taking place without your authorisation, this helps stop unauthorised footprints and ID theft or unauthorised credit from being obtained, you can place and remove this quite easily when you need to apply for further credit.

Conman, there is a good reason why this system is in place (credit application footprints), it's to prevent stupid people from over borrowing and causing credit to be more expensive. Personally I am a save-up-if-you-want-it person, not a I-want-it-now-even-though-I-can't-afford-it-now person. But then I was brought up properly!

Well Skywalker --- I think you miss the point there, the fact is someone can get declined for credit without being over extended (borrowing too much) which still leaves a detrimental footprint on their CRA record for other completely different reasons, particularly when other, "piggy back" associated loan companies decide to join the free for all and seperately credit check without the permission of the applicant, leaving multiple unrequested footprints.

Your comment comes across with a, "The world revolves around Skywalker"... attitude, why on earth do you make any form of reference to your own personal spending or borrowing habits, or feel you have to compare them with others or assume you are qualified to stand in judgement of people.?

I can guarantee you there are lots of other people out there who were, "brought up properly" ( whatever that is. ? ) are brighter, more highly educated and more intelligent than yourself, who by tragic personal circumstances have got into financial difficulty and are by no means the "stupid people" that you so wrongfully tag them as....... just desperate normal people trying to get their life and that of their families back on track. !!!

Oops....looks like I touched a raw nerve! I do understand your point about 'piggy back' footprints. And the World does not revolve around Skywalkers life lol. But thank you for putting me back on track conman. Here's me thinking that there was life before the credit disease infected so many 'stupid' people. I don't stand in judgement, but I am allowed to make comment am I not? I don't remember you being elected.

The fact is that people got by without credit cards in the past, and it seems to me that credit has gotten so many thoughtless people into self inflicted trouble, that sometimes there has to be a voice of reason out there. I am not the only one who thinks this way, but I am not a lawyer, I am merely pointing out that no matter how 'tragic' and 'desperate' things can appear, over extending your financial worth is never the answer, and causes borrowing to get ever more expensive. Get the point?

Not too sure what Skywalker is talking about here? Conmankiller commented on the footprints, this doesn't necessarily mean with credit cards! In actual fact, CMK said "I have always thought it totally unfair that credit applications that are not taken up by the applicant should be removed in their entirety from the applicants record". Another example: if you get a quotation with Direct Line or Budget, you'll have your credit checked which will appear on file, which could reflect you in a negative light with a potential lender (ie. for Mortgage). As I'm sure you appreciate, Skywalker, a Mortgage is somewhat of a necessity for the majority of people who cannot afford to pay a cash sum to buy a property.

I'm not too sure how you can label people 'stupid' if they apply for car insurance or a mortgage and need to pay it monthly?! Get the point??

Refrain from replying with a hissy response. If you take a step back, you'll realise how silly your post reads when it could have been delivered a lot more sensibly with it making a somewhat 'more acceptable' impact.