Who can see my credit report?

Your credit report holds important information about your money history. Many people worry about who can see this personal information.

This article explains exactly who can access your credit report and what they can see.

Who can see my credit report?

Only certain people and companies can look at your credit report, and they need a good reason to check it. If they do, they’ll conduct either a soft search, a hard search, or both.

Here's who can see your credit report:

• Lenders and banks can check your credit report when you apply for credit cards, loans, mortgages, or overdrafts. They use this information to decide if they want to lend you money.
• Landlords might look at your credit report before they let you rent their property. They need to make sure you can pay your rent on time.
• Mobile phone companies often check your credit report when you sign up for a monthly contract. They want to know if you're likely to pay your bills.
• Insurance companies sometimes check your credit report when you buy car insurance or home insurance. They use this to help set your price.
• Employers can check your credit report, but only for certain jobs. This usually happens if you're applying for jobs in banking, finance, or roles that handle money.
• Utility companies like gas, electricity, and water suppliers might check your credit report when you set up new accounts.
• You can always see your own credit report. In fact, you should check it regularly to make sure everything is correct.

What do lenders see on my credit report?

When lenders look at your credit report, they see various information about your financial history. Here's what shows up:

• Your personal details like your name, address, and date of birth appear on your credit report. Lenders use this to make sure they're checking the right person.
• Your credit accounts show up on your report. This includes credit cards, loans, mortgages, and store cards. Lenders can see how much you owe and how much credit you have available.
• Your payment history tells lenders if you pay your bills on time. They can see if you've missed payments or made late payments in the past six years.
• County Court Judgments (CCJs) appear on your credit report if you've been taken to court for unpaid debts. These stay on your report for six years.
• Bankruptcies and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) show up if you've had serious money problems. These also stay on your report for six years.
• Electoral roll information confirms where you live. Being on the electoral roll helps prove your identity and address.
• Financial links show people that you share money with, like joint loans or mortgages. Their credit history can affect your applications too.

What's the difference between my credit report and credit score?

Your credit report and credit score are two different things, but they work together.

• Your credit report is a detailed story of your money history. It shows all your credit accounts, payment history, and personal information. Think of it as a long document with lots of facts about your finances.
• Your credit score is like a grade based on your credit report. It's usually a number between 0 and 1,000. Different companies use varying number ranges and calculate this score in different ways using the information in your credit report.

Each credit reference agency (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) gives you a different credit score. This happens because they might have slightly different information about you, and they have their own ways to calculate your score.

Lenders care more about the information in your credit report than your credit score. They use your credit report to make their own decision about whether to lend you money.

Who can see my credit score?

Fewer people can see your credit score compared to your credit report. Here's who can access your credit score:

• You can see your own credit score from all three credit reference agencies. You can check this for free online.
• Some lenders might look at your credit score, but most create their own score using the information in your credit report.
• Credit monitoring services (like CredAbility) can show you your credit score if you sign up for their services.
• Financial comparison websites sometimes show you your credit score when you use their services to compare loans or credit cards.

Most companies that check your credit actually look at your full credit report rather than just your score. They want to see the detailed information, not just the number.

Can you check someone else's credit score?

No, you cannot check someone else's credit score or credit report without their permission. This is against the law in the UK.

• You need written permission from someone before you can check their credit information. Even married couples or civil partners cannot check each other's credit reports without asking first.
• Parents cannot check their adult children's credit reports, even if they still live at home. Once someone turns 18, their credit information becomes private.
• Joint account holders can see information about shared accounts, but they cannot see the other person's individual credit accounts.
• Fraud prevention is the only time someone might check credit information without permission, but this only happens in special circumstances with proper legal authority.

If you think someone has checked your credit report without permission, you should contact the credit reference agencies and report it.

Can debt collectors see my credit report?

Debt collectors will only see your information if your debt is passed to them. Even then, they have limited access to your credit report. Here's what they can and cannot do:

• Debt collection agencies can only see your credit report if they have a good reason. They usually need to prove you owe money to their client.
• They cannot do random checks of your credit report and will only be able to view it if a debt of yours is passed to them.
• Original creditors (the companies you first borrowed money from) can see your credit report because you agreed to this when you borrowed money.
• Debt buyers who have bought your debt from the original creditor can also check your credit report, but only for debts they actually own.
• Tracing agents sometimes check credit reports to find people who owe money, but they need proper legal reasons to do this.

Debt collectors mainly use your credit report to find your current address and understand your financial situation. They then use this information to contact you about money you owe.

How can I improve what people see on my credit report?

You can take steps to improve your credit report and make it more appealing to lenders. Here are some practical ways to do this:

• Pay your bills on time every month. Set up Direct Debits to make sure you never miss payments. Even small late payments can hurt your credit report.
• Keep credit card balances low compared to your credit limit. Try to use less than 30% of your available credit. For example, if your credit limit is £1,000, try to keep your balance under £300.
• Register on the electoral roll at your current address. This helps prove where you live and can improve your credit score.
• Check for mistakes regularly and report them to the credit reference agencies. Wrong information can damage your credit report unfairly.
• Build a credit history if you're new to credit. Consider a credit builder card or becoming an authorised user on someone else's account.
• Avoid cash advances and payday loans if possible. These can be very expensive, plus make lenders worry about your financial situation.

Remember, improving your credit report takes time. Most positive changes take a few months to show up, and negative information stays on your report for six years. Be patient and keep making good financial decisions.