Bad Credit Mortgage Calculator

What causes a ‘bad credit record’?

There are a variety of events that could leave black marks on your credit history. This can then ring alarm bells with lenders when they come to run credit checks and assess your profile.

This can range from something you might consider relatively minor, such as a few late or missed payments. Although, there are far more serious issues such as a County Court Judgment (CCJ) following a default notice, or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or even a bankruptcy.

The majority of high street or mainstream lenders use a computer-based scoring system to assess your mortgage application, often relying on scores from the three main UK credit reference agencies – Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Lower scores indicate to them that you are a higher risk to lend to, and this makes it more difficult to get accepted for a mortgage.

While a bad credit event on your file can lead to red flags raised by lenders, a few lenders may forgive one or two minor events, especially if they were a few years ago and you have kept a clean record since.

However, most high street lenders have very strict criteria and will refuse you outright. If you are lucky enough to be accepted, lenders will stipulate a much higher interest rate than is usual. They may also require you to provide a larger deposit to give them more security on the loan.

How does credit scoring work?

It can be very helpful to understand what activities agencies and lenders look at to compile your credit score or rating. There are five basic elements that play a key role:

Payment history
This is the raw data on your payments, for things such as credit card instalments, personal loans, and previous mortgages.

Current level of debt
This is collated from your credit card and personal loan data. It will reveal whether your cards are maxed out, any personal loans outstanding, and your overall financial exposure.

Length of credit history
The longer that you have been borrowing and making use of various credit facilities, the better. Especially if it shows a responsible approach to debt and repayments. Conversely, a little to no credit history may cause a problem. This is because lenders will not have enough data to indicate whether you are a high risk or not.

Types of credit previously used
This is simply an overview on the types of credit you have made use of previously. The only factor that may cause an issue will be the presence of any ‘payday loans’ on your records, as lenders generally see these as a desperate last resort source of finance and an indicator of poor money management.

Number of credit searches
Searches made by businesses extending lines of credit to you will affect your credit score. A high number could indicate that you have taken on more borrowing than you can manage.

If you’re looking to obtain a mortgage but you have worries about your credit, then get in touch. Our team of experts are on hand ready to help you find the most favourable deal.