Your Credit Rating

Credit reference agencies collate information on an applicant's financial position from the electoral roll; county court judgements; bankruptcy details; payment record in previous agreements etc.

The payment record may include details of other people living at the same address and their record may affect whether or not the applicant is given credit.

If you have had your application for credit refused because of information on a credit reference agency's records, you can ask the creditor which credit reference agency it used.

You can get a copy of your own credit reference by writing to two companies listed below, with details of your address(es) for the last six years, enclosing a cheque for £2.

Included with your credit file will be details of how it can be amended if the information is incorrect. Each piece of credit information remains on your file for 6 years.

Experian Ltd, Consumer Help Service, PO Box 8000, Nottingham, NG1 5GX Tel: 0115 976 8747

Equifax Europe (UK) Ltd, Dept 1E, PO Box 3001, Glasgow, G81 2DT Tel: 0141 951 1100