As the nights grow longer and shops start filling up with Christmas goods, people are naturally turning their minds to the holiday spending to come, and to managing their finances in preparation for the festive season.

It's perhaps no surprise that Google search trends in the UK show a rise in people thinking about credit building at this time of year, with Google searches for 'improve credit score' increasing by 72% in the UK in the past month¹. To find out which months Brits are most focused on improving their credit score, credit card provider Capital One UKopens in a new tab has analysed five years' worth of Google search data to shed light on seasonal trends and provide tips to help people boost their scores.

Revealed: The months Brits most want to improve their credit score

October sees a spike in searches

Capital One UK's analysis of five years' worth of Google search data shows that October is consistently one of the months Brits pay extra attention to their credit scores. With an average of just over 6,300 searches per week for 'improve credit score'², this is 91% higher than the month with the lowest average searches: December. With October marking the shift into autumn, it's a natural time to take stock of finances after summertime spending and in advance of big sales events like Black Friday and increased spending during the festive season.

Leading to January as the peak

The post-Christmas period sees another spike in searches for 'improve credit score'. The highest peak comes in January (over 7,300 average weekly searches and 121% higher than in December), followed by February (an average of 6,600 searches a week and 101% higher than in December). The start of the year is traditionally a time when people review their finances after the excesses of the festive season and set financial goals for the year ahead.

8 tips to help boost your credit score

For many, poor credit scores can feel like a huge barrier when it comes to unlocking credit options. That's why Capital One UKopens in a new tab has shared some simple steps to help boost your score:

1. Ensure you are on the electoral register - Whether you choose to vote or not, it's so important for your credit score to ensure you register on the electoral roll at your current address.
2. Make regular on-time payments - Aim to pay your balance on time and in full. This shows lenders you're reliable and capable of handling credit. A good way to make sure you pay on time is to schedule payments towards your credit account, for example, through direct debits, or put reminders on your phone to get notifications of when you need to pay.
3. Check for errors on your credit report - The smallest errors can impact your score and could be enough to make a lender refuse you credit. It could be as small as a typo in your address or a debt that has been paid off but still shows as outstanding. If you spot a mistake, it's important to ask the credit reference agency directly to change it - if it's a mistake, then it's their responsibility to correct it.
4. Add a notice of correction for special circumstances - If there is any negative information on your report that occurred during a special circumstance, for example, you lost your job or were hospitalised, you can reach out to the credit reference agency and request them to add a Notice of Correction to your report.
5. Account longevity - The longer you keep your current account and credit accounts open, the more likely a lender will see you as reliable, as it could indicate you're able to manage your finances correctly. Most credit scoring systems reward you for having long-standing accounts, so before you close an account after a couple of months, think about how this could have a long-term effect on your credit score.
6. Think about your credit utilisation - Your credit utilisation is effectively the percentage you actually use of your cumulative credit limit. If your card has a limit of £1,000, and you end up only using £500 of that, your credit utilisation score would be 50%. Not utilising 100% of your available credit can be viewed positively by lenders.
7. Avoid changing address frequently - Whilst this isn't always possible, if you are renting, try avoiding moving every couple of months. Lenders like stability, and the longer you are at an address, the less likely it is to influence lenders' decision to offer you credit.
8. Manage your overdraft well - Some bank accounts have 0% interest rates on their overdrafts, but it's important to see it as there for a rainy day only, not as part of your regular budget. An overdraft is a loan, and going over your arranged overdraft limit, or regularly using an unarranged overdraft, can negatively impact your credit score.

Ricky Attenborrow, Senior Manager at Capital One UK, added:

'While the data shows that people are more focused on improving their credit scores in October, January and February, it's a good idea to check your credit score at more regular intervals to help you stay in control of your financial health throughout the year.

'We have a free tool CreditWise that people can use to check their score and get alerts when something changes. Hard credit applications can negatively affect your score, so using eligibility checkers like QuickCheckopens in a new tab, which only carry out a soft search, will help you find out if you'll be accepted for a credit card without affecting your credit score.

'If you are looking to improve your score, a credit builder cardopens in a new tab can help. These often come with a low initial credit limit that may increase over time. Using it responsibly, making payments on time and staying within your limit can help boost your score, though it's important to note that activity such as missing payments, going over your credit limit, or applying regularly for credit could harm your score.'

Methodology

¹Google search data for 'improve credit score' is correct as of 29/09/2025. Collected using Google Trends and Glimpse.

²The historical data was taken from Google Trends and Glimpse, analysing the search term 'improve my credit score' in the UK from 2020-08-16 to 2025-08-17.

Month	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years
Month	January	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	7374
Month	February	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	6688
Month	March	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	5807
Month	April	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	6212
Month	May	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	3844
Month	June	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	5262
Month	July	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	5369
Month	August	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	5358
Month	September	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	5746
Month	October	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	6358
Month	November	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	4988
Month	December	Avg. Google Search Volume over Past 5 Years	3332