What Will My Experian Credit Report Tell Me?

Profile information

When you join CreditExpert, you give us basic information that lets us identify you and find our credit report when you ask for it. If any of your details change, you can let us know by editing your profile.

Is your profile up to date?

Useful addresses

This section lists all the organisations that have contributed information to your credit report. It’s a central source of contact details for you if you want to query anything or find out more.

Do you want to contact anyone?

How lenders use the electoral roll

Lenders check whether you are registered to vote at your current address as aprecaution against fraud. If they don’t find you or you’re registered at a different address, they may ask for further proof of identity or even turn you down.

Are you on the electoral roll at your current address?

Your other names

Many people change their names when they marry or divorce. Others simply don’t like the name they were born with or are given a title. This section lists your current and previous names here — your aliases — and allows you to find out who notified the name change.

Are all your names recorded correctly?

Financial associations

When you take out a joint credit account, such as a joint credit card, you create a financial link with the other applicant, who is then listed in your credit report as a financial associate. Lenders may check the credit report of financial associates when you apply, because their financial circumstances could affect your ability to repay.

Is the list of your financial associates up to date?

Public records

Your credit report contains information held on public records, such as court judgments for non-payment of debts, any bankruptcies or individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs).

Is the information taken from public records correct?

Bankruptcy, IVAs and court judgments

Records of court judgments and IVAs are held on your credit report for six years and bankruptcies are there for at least the same length of time. Debts repaid within a month of a court judgment can be marked as Satisfied.

Are details of court judgments, IVAs and bankruptcies up to date?

Account information

The term "credit" covers every account that gives you something of value — money, goods or services — that you can use today, on the understanding that you will repay the lender at a later date. That’s why you’ll find items such as utility and mobile phone accounts here, as well as credit cards, loans and mortgages.

Are all your accounts listed on your credit report?

Personal information

Every account in your name will affect your credit rating — even if a criminal is impersonating you to borrow money. If you find any accounts you don—t recognise, you could be a victim of ID fraud.

Did you set up all the accounts in your name?

Account type

From catalogue shopping to a loan for furniture, you probably have many different types of credit account.

Do you know how many credit accounts you've taken out?

Balance information

This entry shows the current balance of each account — the amount you have spent and not yet repaid. You’ll also find the date the account was opened.

Are your balances recorded correctly?

Defaulted payments

Lookout for an 8 when checking the account status. It means that a lender has terminated the account because you haven’t made payments and have failed to come up with a way of putting things right. A defaulted account stays on your credit report for six years and will lower your credit rating.

Have you defaulted on your repayments?

Status history

Are you making your repayments on time and in full? Your status history shows whether you do. You’ll find a key that explains the symbols at the end of this section.

Are your repayments up to date?

Previous searches

You agree to let lenders search your credit report when you apply to them. They may also check when they are preparing a quotation or make routine risk management checks on existing accounts. Other lenders will only see application for credit searches.

Who’s been looking at your credit report?

Excessive searches

Multiple applications for credit within a limited period can count against you with other lenders, as it could be a sign you are struggling with your finances. It’s important to be sure that nobody has mistaken a request for information for a full application or double-searched your credit report by mistake.

Has anyone searched your credit report unnecessarily?

Linked addresses

If you’ve moved in the last few years or have applied for credit from anaddress other than your usual one — for example, a holiday home — those addresses appear here.

Are your address details up to date?

Correct addresses

If even the post code on one of your addresses is wrong, it could affect your credit rating because lenders could worry that your are lying to them and don’t mean to honour your debt.

Are your addresses correct?

CIFAS registration

Being on the CIFAS register doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. It’s designed to protect you from fraudsters and warns lenders that a criminal has previously tried — perhaps successfully — to use your identity to borrow money.

Are you on the CIFAS register?