Your credit score

Your credit score tells lenders if you are worthy of more credit - learn how to improve it

How does it work?

A credit score is a three-digit score that plays an important role in deciding how eligible you are for a loan or a credit card. The higher your credit score, the easier it is for you to get a loan or credit card from a bank. And the more benefits you enjoy like faster processing, less paperwork, low interest rates, high loan amounts and credit limits.

The Al Etihad Credit Bureau

In the UAE, the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) generates credit reports which include your credit score. These reports are made by gathering credit information such as number of loans, number of credit cards, payment history, utilisation of credit limit, debit cards, bounced cheques etc., from various sources such as banks, finance and insurance companies, telecom operators and service providers.

What’s a good score?

A credit score can be anything between 300 and 900. Anything above 700 is a good score. Anything below 400 is not, and your applications for loans and credit cards will likely not be entertained by any bank. So before applying, make sure your credit score is good to avoid rejection. A low score can be improved.

Know your credit score

It’s important to know your credit score – being informed will help you better manage your finances.

Apply for your credit score online at https://aecb.gov.ae/creditscore. You can also get it on the AECB app. You can get your entire credit report or only your credit score. There is a cost for both, so get only your credit score which is good enough to keep tabs on your rating.

Improve your credit score

Checking your credit report can tell you what’s pulling your score down.

Things you can do to improve your credit score:

Making payments on or before the due date.
Avoiding cheque bounces.
Don’t apply for too much new credit. Reducing the number of active credit cards and loans you hold will improve your score.
Pay off debts and don’t utilise all your available credit limit.
Dispute inaccuracies. Inaccurate information on your report can drag your score down.

FAQs

Can I improve my credit score within a month?

For most people, this can’t happen. But paying your bills on time, paying off your debt and not using up all your credit limit will improve your credit score within a few months.

What hurts my credit score the most?

Missed payments, bounced cheques, having too many credit cards and loans, using your entire credit limit are all factors that will hurt your score.

How can I fix incorrect information appearing in my Credit Report?

The information in your Credit Report is provided to the AECB by banks, finance companies, telecom companies and other service providers. If you find any inaccuracies in your Credit Report, Al Etihad Credit Bureau can assist you to raise it with the respective information provider.

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