Credit reference agencies, such as Experian, have come to play a significant role in most people’s lives. We tend to interact with them at the point of applying for credit, whether that’s a mortgage or personal loans. However, while most of us have had some interaction with credit reference agencies at some point there is still quite a lot of misunderstanding about how they actually work.
Why do credit reference agencies exist?
According to the World Bank “credit reporting…allows lenders to evaluate the borrowing capacity of clients. And lets good borrowers benefit from more and cheaper lending.” Today, credit reference agencies have two main purposes: to help lenders make decisions that are fair, consistent and well informed and also to help prevent financial fraud. There are three agencies in the UK: Callcredit, Equifax and Experian.
Who uses credit reference agencies?
Banks, other lenders, building societies, mobile phone companies and retailers are some of the main organisations that use credit reference agencies. The information that is provided to these enterprises enables them to make a fairly swift decision about whether or not to offer credit to a consumer. The available data provides insight into whether the person making the application can afford the credit that they want and, crucially, whether they are likely to be able to repay it.
Want to know more about your credit file? Then read our “Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Credit Rating“. There are specific sections about what information is in your file and the role of credit bureaus.
How are credit reference agencies regulated?
They must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and credit reference information must be stored and processed in accordance with data protection legislation. Complaints about agencies are made to the Information Commissioner’s Office or the Financial Ombudsman.
Where does the data come from?
There are two main sources of data for credit reference agencies: public information and information that has come from a credit account.
Public information – this includes the Electoral Roll, as well as information on court judgements and bankruptcies from government services such as the Insolvency Service.
Credit account information – this is information from other lenders about their customers. This is effectively a combined copy of all the information that individual lenders have about someone, held in one accessible place. Only lenders who are members of a scheme called CAIS (Credit Account Information Sharing) have access to this information.
Does there have to be consent?
When it comes to credit account information, yes. When an application for credit is made to a lender there will usually be a requirement for the borrower to give that lender permission to share information with other lenders. If you read the small print of your last loan or credit agreement you will find that permission written into the terms.
With respect to the public information that credit reference agencies hold there is no requirement for consent as this is already public knowledge.
What do credit reference agencies do with the data they have?
Nothing. The data is simply gathered together in one place and then held there for lenders to access when an application is made for credit. The agencies themselves don’t actually process the data or package it up. It’s actually the provider of credit who uses the data to help them decide whether credit should be extended to the applicant.
Who can see the searches against my file?
Lenders are legally required to keep a record of all the searches that are carried out. Every time a search is made against an individual it leaves a ‘footprint’ that other lenders can see (although lenders can’t see who has made the search and will only see credit searches and not non-credit searches such as an identity check). This information forms part of the decision making process for lenders. For example, if an individual has a lot of footprints against their name in a short space of time this could be an indication of someone applying for credit that they can’t afford. In some circumstances, a so-called “soft search” can be done that does not leave a footprint.
What credit bureaus don’t do
Credit reference agencies are quite limited in terms of what they can and can’t do with the data they receive. There are some common misconceptions about this – in particular, what these agencies don’t do with our data:
Make lending decisions – credit reference agencies provide data with which lenders can make decisions about whether to lend. However, the agencies themselves don’t make these decisions.
Advise lenders – there isn’t any element of advice when it comes to the relationship between lenders and credit reference agencies. The information collated is presented without any obvious bias.
Create blacklists – agencies don’t compile ‘blacklists’ of people who aren’t suitable for credit.
Receive data on whether or not credit applications are successful. Although eventually, new loan or credit card data will be recorded with a credit reference agency, there is no process of informing agencies as to whether a lending application has been successful.
Determine your credit score for lenders. Each agency will give you a credit score based on the information they have about you. However, these are all different and are not used by credit providers to make lending decisions.
Amanda Gillam is Solution Loans's General Manager and has been since 2009. She is also a prolific writer on personal finance issues, and has been quoted numerous times in articles published on 3rd party websites and in press releases. Her...Read about Amanda Gillam
We use cookies to make your experience on our site even better. They also help us to understand how you use our site. By clicking 'Accept All' you're agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie preferences by choosing 'Manage Settings' and if you want to know more, you can read our cookie policy.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.