What Is a Credit Report?
Your credit report is a detailed record of your borrowing history compiled by credit reference agencies (CRAs). In the UK, the three main CRAs are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Each holds a report on you, and each report may contain slightly different information depending on which creditors report to which bureaus.
Your credit report is used by lenders whenever you apply for credit — mortgage, loan, credit card, car finance, phone contract. They request your report (a hard or soft search) and use the information, combined with their own scoring models, to decide whether to lend and at what rate.
What's On Your Credit Report
Identity Details
Full name, date of birth, all addresses you've lived at in the past 6 years, electoral roll registration status at current and previous addresses.
Credit Accounts
Every credit account you've opened: credit cards, loans, mortgages, overdrafts, mobile phone contracts, Buy Now Pay Later. Shows: open/closed date, credit limit or original loan amount, current balance, and payment history.
Payment History
Month-by-month record of whether you paid on time, paid late (and by how many days), or missed entirely. Typically shown with 0 = on time, 1–9 = months late, D = default. Covers the last 6 years.
Court & Insolvency Records
County Court Judgments (CCJs), Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), bankruptcy orders, Debt Relief Orders. All visible to lenders and very damaging to your credit score.
Credit Searches
Hard searches (from credit applications) are visible to other lenders for 12 months. Soft searches (your own checks, eligibility checkers) are only visible to you. Multiple hard searches in quick succession signal financial stress to lenders.
Financial Associations
Anyone you have a joint financial product with (joint mortgage, joint loan, joint bank account with overdraft). Their credit behaviour can affect your report. Flatmates and spouses without joint products are NOT linked.
Your credit report does not include: salary or savings account balances, student loan balance (in the UK), criminal record, medical history, parking or driving fines, council tax payment history (unless in arrears and a CCJ issued), or social media profiles.
How to Check Your Credit Report for Free
You are entitled to check your credit report — it's your data. All three UK bureaus offer free access:
- Experian: Free score via CreditMatcher; full statutory report free (request via post or online at experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html). Full monitoring: £14.99/month.
- Equifax: Free 30-day trial of Equifax Credit Report & Score; statutory report free on request.
- TransUnion: Free via Credit Karma (creditkarma.co.uk) — free full report, no trial required, updates weekly.
Recommendation: Check all three bureaus, not just one. Different creditors report to different bureaus — an error or missing account might only appear on one bureau's report. A quarterly check of all three is sensible.
How to Fix Errors on Your Credit Report
Identify the error precisely
Note which bureau's report contains it, what the error is, and which account or entry it relates to. Common errors: wrong address, account belonging to someone with a similar name, a default that's been on file more than 6 years, a missed payment recorded incorrectly, or a hard search you didn't authorise.
Raise a dispute with the bureau
Go to the bureau's website and use their online dispute tool. Clearly describe what's wrong and provide any evidence (bank statements, payment confirmations, letters). The bureau must investigate within 28 days.
Contact the creditor directly too
The bureau will usually contact the creditor to verify the information. You can also contact the creditor directly — a goodwill letter (especially if you missed one payment due to a genuine one-off circumstance and have since been exemplary) sometimes results in the late payment marker being removed.
Add a Notice of Correction if disputed
If the creditor insists the information is correct but you disagree, you can add a Notice of Correction — a note of up to 200 words on your credit file explaining your side of the situation. Lenders who see your file will see this notice. It doesn't remove the entry but gives your perspective.
Escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if needed
If the bureau or creditor refuses to correct a genuine error, you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for free. The FOS can investigate and order corrections. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your data is being processed incorrectly.
How Long Does Information Stay on Your Report?
| Type of Information | How Long It Stays |
|---|---|
| Missed / late payments | 6 years from the date of the missed payment |
| Default | 6 years from the date the default was registered |
| County Court Judgment (CCJ) | 6 years from date of judgment |
| Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) | 6 years from date IVA was registered |
| Bankruptcy | 6 years from date of discharge |
| Debt Relief Order (DRO) | 6 years from date of DRO |
| Hard credit search | 2 years (only visible to lenders for 12 months) |
| Closed accounts (positive) | 6 years from date of closure |