How can I access my own credit history dating back 20 years?

[bl734]

I need to access my own credit history dating back 20 years. Could anyone please tell me how to do so? Many thanks.

[gryffron]

You can’t. Regulations forbid companies keeping information over 6 years old. Even the bank who held the debt won’t have records going back more than that.

To get 6 years worth, buy your statutory report from the credit reference agencies. Experian and Equifax. Think it’s still £2 from each. Ignore their subscription “recurring reports” service. That’s just gives a “typical” credit score. You want the statutory reports which is just the facts. But it will still only go back 6 years.

Gryff

[mc2fool]

I too thought that 6 years was the limit, although it doesn't seem to be quite as cut and dried as that:

"Under the Data Protection Act, your information is only stored by Credit Reference Agencies for six years once it’s stopped being reported by lenders. The Data Protection Act prevents companies from keeping data longer than they need it, which means repayment history will be held for six years once an account has been closed or settled, but address and contact information for longer if they deem it necessary."

https://www.checkmyfile.com/articles/how-far-back-can-i-get-my-credit-history.htm

There are quite a few other caveats and exceptions on that page and while the general gist is, indeed, probably not for more than 6 years back, it doesn't seem to be quite as hard a cutoff in all cases as I (and obviously Gryff) had thought.

Statutory credit reports are free (the £2 charge was legislated away some years ago), start here: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/check-free-credit-report/

Of the three, Credit Karma (TransUnion) doesn't give a consolidated credit history, only allowing you to examine each account/credit card individually, where it shows you a month by month OK/Missed payment/Defaulted/etc for the last 6 years, with no further details on each except for the last 12 months, where it shows balance, credit limit and payment amounts.

ClearScore (Equifax) is a lot better in that respect, as it has a timeline which shows you your credit score, short term debt, credit limit, payments and spending on all your cards, consolidated into one timeline, along with "events" (opening/closing accounts) for the last (it says) 6 years.

However, I started using ClearScore in October 2015 and the timeline goes back to and shows me my credit score back to then but only shows the £ amounts from December 2017. Dunno why those don't go back to May 2016 (6 years ago).

Can't say anything about Experian's one, other than they have a brain dead address matching system that can't match my postal address to my electoral roll registration and so they can't "verify" me....

Perhaps if you say precisely what info you're after and why then maybe folks may be able to suggest alternative paths .... ?

[bl734]

Thank you, mc2fool, for all the information.

Perhaps if you say precisely what info you're after and why then maybe folks may be able to suggest alternative paths .... ?

I am looking for a complete record of all the financial accounts I have had over the years, with the focus on opening/closing dates and the addresses I had with each account. Would there be a better alternative than the credit history?

[Lootman]

I need to access my own credit history dating back 20 years.

Need? May I ask which financial institution is demanding this, and why?

It strikes me as a bizarre requirement for opening a new account, or for any other purpose.

[mc2fool]

I am looking for a complete record of all the financial accounts I have had over the years, with the focus on opening/closing dates and the addresses I had with each account. Would there be a better alternative than the credit history?

Ok, but you don't say why. Is this just for your own purposes, to tie up some loose ends, or is some organisation requiring this of you? 'Cos if the latter you might ask them how you can get the info. The only organisation I know of that will go back 20 years is HMRC, and then only for suspected deliberate tax evasion.

Anyway, notwithstanding the possible few exceptions noted earlier, I think it's unlikely the credit rating agencies will have info further back than 6 years ago, but nevertheless you could try getting a statutory credit report from each. That should (at least used to, it's a long time since I got one) include a reference ID and contact method you can use if there are any issues with the report, and at that point you can ask them if they have any suggestions for going back further.

Beyond that, the only thing I can suggest is that you put in a subject access request to any and every financial institution you think you possibly could have had an account with ... although you're likely to run into much the same problem, as the Data Protection Act requires that data not be kept any longer than necessary, and for most financial stuff that's usually 6 years.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-make-a-subject-access-request-sar-a6axO2u2RKof
https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-to-get-copies-of-your-data/

[stevensfo]

I too thought that 6 years was the limit, although it doesn't seem to be quite as cut and dried as that:

Of the three, Credit Karma (TransUnion) doesn't give a consolidated credit history, only allowing you to examine each account/credit card individually, where it shows you a month by month OK/Missed payment/Defaulted/etc for the last 6 years, with no further details on each except for the last 12 months, where it shows balance, credit limit and payment amounts.

ClearScore (Equifax) is a lot better in that respect, as it has a timeline which shows you your credit score, short term debt, credit limit, payments and spending on all your cards, consolidated into one timeline, along with "events" (opening/closing accounts) for the last (it says) 6 years.

However, I started using ClearScore in October 2015 and the timeline goes back to and shows me my credit score back to then but only shows the £ amounts from December 2017. Dunno why those don't go back to May 2016 (6 years ago).

Can't say anything about Experian's one, other than they have a brain dead address matching system that can't match my postal address to my electoral roll registration and so they can't "verify" me....

Ironically, I found it very easy to register with Experian and Credit Karma. Equifax never managed to accept my accounts and cards, so I gave up. They wanted me to phone a number, but since I have two out of three, I can't be bothered.

My scores are pretty good, but, according to their bullsh*t - whoops, sorry, advice - they could be even better if I had some debt!!??


Steve