Have you ever checked your credit report and found yourself confused by the codes on your credit report? You’re not alone! Many credit report agencies use codes that lenders understand, however you may not! This can be frustrating, and even if you have good credit, you may be worried about what is listed on your credit file. However, we’ve created a guide that listed the most common credit report codes and what they mean.
How to check your credit report
Checking your credit report is easy! We recommend that you only use one of the trusted credit referencing agencies in the UK. These are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. We usually recommend our customers to use Credit Karma, which is powered by TransUnion and enables you to check your credit score for free and gives you access to your credit file. We recommend that you check your credit score regularly and check your information is accurate and up to date. Find out more on how to check your credit report.
Why should you check your credit report?
Ideally, we recommend checking your credit score once a month or before you apply for any new finance or a mortgage. Your credit report holds different types of information such as your credit score, your personal details and payment history. It’s important that you keep on top of your credit and keep your score healthy. Having a better credit score gives you access to better finance rates, higher credit limits and more chance of finance or loan approval. When you check your credit score, you should make sure all your information is up to date. The information listed on your credit report that is incorrect can negatively impact your credit score.
What information is listed on your credit report?
Your credit score isn’t just made up of your payment history. There are a number of factors that are listed on your credit report and can have an impact on your current score. The most common factors listed on your credit score are:
- Personal information such as name, address, date of birth etc
- Electoral roll status (Listed or not listed)
- Any defaults, bankruptcies, or county court judgements
- Hard and soft searches or credit checks
- Any financial links and joint finance applications
- Current amount of credit or debt owed
- Payment history
What do different credit report codes mean?
When you check your credit report, you will usually see a number of codes listed next to a certain section. These codes have very different meanings and can be displayed as numbers, letters, or symbols. Being familiar with the codes listed on your credit report can help you to understand your finances better and also spot any mistakes. Let’s take a look at some of the most common credit report codes:
OK – Payment has been made on time
AA – Missed payment or account in early arrears and listed as status 1 or 2
BB – More serious arrears, status 3 to 6, meaning the payments are 3 to 6 months late
DF – Account is in default; payments have not been made and the lender/provider has defaulted the account
DA – Debt has been passed to a collection agency
PS – Partial settlement
DM – the debt has gone into a debt management plan
VT – Voluntary Termination, terminated by agreement
UC – Unclassified, the provider hasn’t provided a status
ST – Account settled / Closed
SF – Satisfied after a defaulting
QY – Customer has queried the status
DT – Dormant, inactive account.
If you have come across any other credit report codes that aren’t listed above, you can get in touch with the credit referencing agency that provided your credit file for you.
How do you correct mistakes on your credit report?
If you’ve taken the time to check your credit report and you spot something that doesn’t look right, there are a number of things you can do. If you need to update your details such as name and address, you can contact the credit referencing agency director if you’ve moved house, you should update your information through the electoral roll which can be reflected on your file. If you spot an error with a code relating to a financial account, you can contact the credit referencing agency to dispute it. If it is a payment issue, the credit reference agency will contact your car finance, credit card provider or finance lender to check the error. They will then review the error and investigate further before making any relevant changes.
