What is a credit report?

Your credit report began on the day you first opened a bank account, and records information such as every credit card you've applied for, every bill payment you’ve missed and every loan you're paying off.

The majority of the information on your credit report comes from the companies you have credit with, such as banks, retailers and utility companies. The file also contains publicly available information such as your address and any County Court Judgements (CCJs) against you.

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Why is my credit report important?

When you apply for a financial product – a bank account, credit card or loan for example – the lender you’ve applied to will usually contact a credit reference agency to check the information on your report. They then use this information to help them calculate the potential risk of accepting you as a customer.

How can I check my credit report?

You have the right to check your credit file and find what information is stored about you. We have teamed up with CheckMyFile to help you access your credit report. With CheckMyFile you can get a free credit score, or pay to receive your credit report showing who’s made checks on your files and what information is held about you.

What can I do if the information is wrong?

If you believe the information contained in your credit report is incorrect, you may file a statement explaining why. The Financial Services Authority can help you with this. Inaccurate information can be removed but accurate information cannot be removed from your record.

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