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1.What is a credit report?

A credit report is a record of your credit activity and accounts you hold, using information supplied by banks, building societies, local authorities and courts. This may include your history of applying for credit products (eg, a credit card) and your history of managing payments. Your report is one of the things banks or lenders will use to decide whether to lend to you or let you open an account.

In the UK there are four agencies that compile this information:

  • Experian

  • Equifax

  • TransUnion

    They're known as Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs). Each CRA will have credit report for you although the information in each might be different. 

2.What information is in your credit report?

Your credit report typically holds the following information:

  • A list of your credit products. This includes bank and credit card accounts as well as other credit arrangements such as outstanding loan agreements, current accounts with overdrafts or utility company payment records. They'll show whether you've made repayments on time and in full. Items such as missed or late payments or defaults will stay on your credit report for up to six years.

  • Details of any people who are financially linked to you – for example, because you've taken out a joint loan with your partner.

  • Public record information such as County Court Judgments (called 'Decrees' in Scotland), bankruptcies, Debt Relief Orders and individual voluntary arrangements. These can stay on your report for up to six years or longer in some circumstances.

  • If you're on the electoral register. This helps to confirm your address so registering to vote is an easy way to improve your credit score.

  • Any financial connections to past addresses or other names you've used, including people you've shared finances with, like a joint mortgage.

  • If someone has stolen your identity and you are a victim of fraud, this may be included in your credit report under the Cifas section. Find out more about what a Cifas marker means in our guide How to improve your credit score.

  • Your personal details such as your name and date of birth.

Your credit report doesn't carry other personal information such as your salary, religion or any criminal record.

You can check your credit report as often as you like, and it won't affect your score.

It's worth getting a copy of your credit report from all CRAs if you haven't applied for it before or if you haven't checked it for some time. That's because they might have different information from different credit providers, although there is quite a lot of overlap between them.

You can get a copy of your statutory credit report online or order a paper copy by contacting the credit scoring agencies direct:

3.What's the difference between a credit report and a credit score?

Your credit report is just the file held by each CRA that contains all the information above.

Your credit score is a number that offers a general indication of how likely it is that organisations might offer credit to you, based on the information in your credit report. Having a high score doesn't guarantee any particular lender will actually offer you credit. This is because each firm uses its own criteria, which might vary depending on which credit product you're applying for.