It can help to understand why your application has been declined and what you can do to improve your prospects of borrowing money.
Here, we look at:
Lenders look at several factors when deciding if they want to approve your application for finance, such as:
Lenders will complete a detailed creditworthiness (using credit scoring PDF 165KB) and affordability assessment when an application is received.
These assessments use a range of information, including:
They may also consider your current financial situation and anyone who is financially linked to you.
There are several reasons why a lender may have declined your credit application:
You might receive some indication as to why your application has been declined. This can help you see if you need to make improvements or find a more suitable product.
Even small mistakes on your credit application can affect whether you’ll be approved or declined for lending. Always check your credit application carefully.
Getting declined and the reason why you’ve been declined for lending won’t be reported to the CRAs. However, a hard credit check will appear on your credit report – meaning other lenders will be able to see you applied for credit before.
A hard credit check can stay on your credit report for around 12 months. A lender will always ask for your agreement to continue before completing a hard credit check.
Multiple credit applications in a short time may signal to lenders that you’re in financial difficulty. This may affect your ability to be approved for credit.
Depending on the lender, you may be unable to make another lending application for the product for a set period.
Soft credit checks are recorded on your credit report but aren’t visible to prospective lenders. A soft credit check is a top-level view of your finances. It shows what you may be eligible for when it comes to lending.
The lender should be able to explain why your application was declined and advise you on what to do next. Here are a few things you can do if you are refused a loan:
It’s important to look at ways to improve your financial situation. You may want to clear any debts or think about how you can start saving money.
You can also book a financial health check with a member of the financial wellbeing team, who can offer support. You don’t have to be an HSBC customer to benefit from this service.
Checking your credit report can give you an insight into your borrowing history and allows you to see whether the information it holds is correct.
You can access your credit report through one (or all) of the CRAs.
There may be things you can do to improve your credit score. This can help increase the likelihood of being approved for credit in the future.
Be cautious when agreeing to a hard credit search. Multiple hard credit searches in a short space of time could be seen as a sign of financial difficulty to a prospective lender.
If you have been declined lending and are worried about money, you are not alone. If you bank with us and need support, please get in touch.
If you (or someone you know) is anxious about money or feel overwhelmed with debt – there’s help available. StepChange and National Debtline provide free advice and support to help you tackle your debt.
There are some lenders out there who are willing to lend money to those who have a low credit score. However, these options will typically have higher interest rates and may carry additional fees.
There are different types of loans, which can include lending via:
A credit union is a self-help co-operative whose members pool their savings to provide each other with credit at a low interest rate.
Community finance is a means of obtaining capital where communities and individuals help each other to find innovative financial solutions.
HSBC doesn’t offer credit union or community finance loans.
It’s important to always check if a lender is listed on the Financial Services register to avoid loan sharks who operate outside of the law and often target those in financial difficulty.
If you’ve been threatened by a loan shark or are at risk of harm, contact the police straight away.
