Give yourself some credit
Being turned down when you apply for credit is never a happy experience.
Often the problem lies in your credit report, which contains details of any credit accounts you have from loans and cards to utilities and mail order catalogues.
Lenders check this report when you apply to them; A trail of bad debts isn't likely to encourage them to trust you, while a history of making repayments on time and in full should count in your favour.
By taking steps to improve what lenders have to say about you, you will be in a stronger position to borrow in the future. Here's how to do it.
1. Understand how lenders work
Lenders want to see that you can repay what you borrow comfortably and on time, so they look at your application to guage if you earn enough and check your credit history to see what you've already borrowed and how you're coping.
You should check it too, to be sure it's up to date and accurate. It needn't cost you a penny - it's free to see your Experian credit report online when you take a trial of the credit monitoring service CreditExpert.
2. Ask why you were turned down
You may be able to do something about it or you may simply not fit the profile for that particular deal: you might not earn enough or be too young.
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