CRAs collect and hold secure information about your credit history, which is bound by the Data Protection Act.
Here, we look at:
Why should you check your credit report?
What does your credit report show?
Does checking your credit report affect your credit score?
How much does it cost to check your credit report?
Ways you can check your credit report
How to raise a dispute on your credit report
Checking your credit report can give you an insight into your borrowing history.
You’ll be able to see the information banks and other lenders use when deciding if they’ll lend to you or not.
It gives you the opportunity to improve your credit score before you apply for credit, which could increase your chances of being approved.
Your credit report includes:
Your credit report does not include:
You can check your credit report as often as you like, and it won’t affect your credit score.
It’s only impacted when lenders do a hard credit check, which generally happens when you apply for credit – not when you check your own credit report.
By law, all CRAs have to provide you with a copy of your credit report for free.
The 3 main credit reference agencies in the UK are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Each collect data in a different way, so your credit score can vary depending on which CRA you’re looking at.
You can make online requests directly from as many of the CRAs as you like:
You may need to create an account with each of the providers to be able to access your credit report.
If you’d prefer a paper copy of your credit report, you can contact the CRAs direct:
Written requests should include:
Checking your credit report regularly can help you make sure the information included is accurate. If it’s not, you can make that known.
To raise a dispute, you’ll need to contact the CRA directly. They’ll be able to let you know the next steps you need to take.
