Why a credit score is important

There’s a lot of talk around credit scores and why we should all work to get the best score possible. That's why we're going back to basics and explain precisely why it's worth regularly spending time on your credit score.

It paints a picture of your financial health: the three main credit reference agencies (CRAs) are fed information about your financial past, including how well you manage your money. The higher your score, the healthier you are financially.

It demonstrates how responsible you are with credit: people with higher credit scores typically have a history of sensible credit usage and paying bills on time.

A higher score makes it easier for you to borrow money: since a credit score is a measure of reliability, people with higher credit scores are more likely to be accepted for products like mortgages, loans and credit cards.

A higher score gives you access to better deals: those with higher credit ratings are likely to get the best interest rates on products like mortgages, credit cards and loans, saving them money in the long run.