Credit scores are affected by many things
The obvious factors that come into consideration by credit scoring companies are: failing to pay your bills (or paying them late), not paying off your credit card every month or not meeting loan repayments.
The less obvious factors which can influence your credit score are: applying for too many loans or credit cards in a short space of time (even if you regularly pay them off on time), your name being on your partner’s loans if they default or evidence of you being a bad tenant.
What is considered a good or bad credit score?
Why else might I have a bad credit score?
Another factor which directly affects your credit score is your age. A credit score needs to be built up, so if young adults have a credit score, they don’t tend to be very high.
Or, if you haven’t applied for as much credit as the average Kiwi, you probably won’t have a very high score, simply because you’ve had fewer chances to prove you are a good payer. See our how to improve my credit score page to find out how getting more data under your name may improve your score.
