Affordability is not just based on the difference between the incomings and outgoings of a person’s bank account. Lenders look at the ‘healthy’ nature of an account as a indication of an attitude to financial risk. Avoiding excessive spending and patterns of unnecessary costs, particularly gambling transactions, shows your accounts in a more favourable light. Your credit file is also very important. There are three major credit referencing agencies and your file can look different on each of these, using Check My File gives a picture across them all. Your credit file score can be affected by missed payments, regular applications for credit and your financial associations. Think carefully before opening joint accounts or making joint credit applications: a person’s credit score can affect yours. Buying is something we should build towards proudly by saving, keeping our financial activity calm and clear, being predictable - lenders want to find you on the electoral roll at your address - and, as best you can, painting a picture of financial reliability.