Credit Checks 'On The Up'

The increasing difficulty that many consumers are facing in securing loans has led to an upswing in the number of individual credit checks, data group Experian has suggested.

According to the firm, over the past year half a million Britons have subscribed to its own self-check Credit Expert service, a sign of the continuing effects of the credit crunch. This is because the crisis has led to many banks becoming much more careful about who they lend to - effectively shutting many "risky" customers out of the high street loans market.

Services such as credit report checks, offered by commercial firms such as Callcredit and Experian, allow customers to look into any previous "red flags" that might be used by banks to deny loans, such as missed payments and exceeding of overdraft limits. They can therefore find out whether or not the bank will see them as representing a risk before they apply for the credit.

Consumer concerns over ID theft were also cited by Experian as a reason for the service's popularity - with a recent report from the firm also finding that the fraud had increased in terms of case numbers by 66 percent over the past year.

Experian finance director Paul Brooks commented: "A surprising number are very keen [on the service]. When credit is difficult to come by, people want to see whether their rating is accurate.

"It also helps allay fears of identity theft."

Compare loans via money.co.uk