News release

Contact:
Andrea Budd
Communications Manager, Interactive
+44 (0) 203 042 4893 Tel
andrea.budd@uk.experian.com Email

From the credit crunch to the stomach crunch
CreditExpert teams up with GymBox to help Britons shape up physically and financially

Nottingham, UK, 13 November 2009 - Hairdressers get the chop as Britons turn to their personal trainers as their confidantes and sources of advice for all things love, life and finance related.

According to research commissioned by CreditExpert.co.uk, 42% of Britons who use personal trainers are more likely to share their concerns and request advice during their weekly personal training session than during their regular trip to the hairdresser - the traditional ‘therapist’ of choice.

Almost half (47%) say they respect their personal trainer’s opinion and admit that they speak to their trainer about a range of issues, including their personal finances. Two in five (41%) see their personal trainer not just as a source of fitness information, but also as a source of motivation for life in general.

To encourage people to get financially fit, CreditExpert is rolling out across the UK credit report education training for personal trainers.  GymBox is one of the first companies to sign up to the CreditExpert e-learning programme and its personal trainers will receive information to:

Help their clients understand how monitoring their credit report and having a healthy credit score will help them to be more in control of their finances; and
Explain how a healthy credit score makes them better placed to access the best deals for credit, while also protecting themselves from ID fraud.

Darryl Bowman, Director at CreditExpert said: “We want people to be less financially flabby and see this as a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. 

“Regular physical fitness and financial fitness should be part of our routine and this programme is one way to get people started. When people’s finances are as tight as their abs we’ll know our job is done!” 

Managing Director of GymBox, Richard Hilton, said: “People are now looking to their personal trainers to motivate and inform them in all areas of their lives. CreditExpert’s new scheme makes use of this fact and will hopefully mean Britons are as motivated about keeping their credit score in check as they are about their fitness.”

To help all Britons be financially fit, CreditExpert has also created a simple list of top tips to encourage everyone to maintain healthy personal finances. 

CreditExpert’s credit fitness five-a-day:
1/ Register to vote at your current address – lenders may check the electoral register to help confirm your address.
2/ Close unused accounts if you want to show you’re not likely to be overstretched by new borrowing.
3/ Protect your identity – report missing post, shred sensitive documents and don’t share personal information with strangers.
4/ Close joint accounts after splitting from a partner and let us know you’ve split or your credit status could suffer if an ex-partner has money trouble.
5/ Regularly check your credit report to stay on top of your finances, and before applying for new credit, to make sure it’s up to date and accurate – it could save you time and money.

People can check their credit report and credit score at www.creditexpert.co.uk  

ENDS…