Reference Agency

A credit reference agency holds files on the borrowing records of nearly every adult in the UK. The information is collated from a variety of sources. The file may hold details of:

• people on the electoral register at your address(es)
• your credit agreements, including details of any late payments & defaults -this can be held for up to six years
• court judgments and bankruptcy orders against you - these are also be held for six years
• previous applications for credit
• people living at the same address as you, such as your family

These agencies do no more than supply information to lenders. The lenders use the information as part of their credit scoring . If you'd like to have a look at your own files, contact the agencies (details are below.) You can order your credit file from the two main agencies over the internet and your file will be sent backto you within seven days. When you receive a copy of your own credit record, if you spot information you think is incorrect, write back asking for the record to be amended.

The three main credit reference agencies:

Experian plc

Consumer Help Service, P.O. Box 9000, Nottingham, NG80 7WP

www.experian.co.uk

0870 241 6212

Equifax plc

Advice Centre, PO Box 1140, Bradford, BD1 5US

www.equifax.co.uk

0870 0100 583

Call credit plc

Consumer Services Team, PO Box 491, Leeds, LS3 1WZ

www.callcredit.plc.uk

0870 060 1414

Last Updated: February 2008 © Moneyextra.com

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