Credit Reports: Don't let an 'Ex' ruin Valentines Day

Richard Catlin
08 February 2010

Ex-partners turning up on Valentines Day are less welcome than limp Service Station flowers. But unless you've been vigilant in checking your credit file, there's a chance that an 'Ex' could leave you red-faced - even without them turning up in person.

If you've lived with someone in the past, and applied for anything from a joint bank account to a TV rental, a financial association will have been created, which unfortunately will remain long after the relationship has run its course.

The company that originally created the association will share that information with others via your credit file, meaning that whenever you apply for credit in the future, it'll be flagged up for the lender to see. Whilst the association remains, anyone checking your credit file will not only look at how you've managed your credit agreements, but also how your ex has managed theirs - making the assumption that the association is still valid.

That means that if the other person has suffered a downturn in their financial fortunes since you split up, you could pay the price.

As long as the account that created the financial association doesn't still exist, getting it removed is a painless process. The credit reference agencies will simply check to make sure that the account has since been closed or transferred to a single name, and once satisfied, remove the record of association from your file.

Ensuring that you're not financially associated to any unwanted third party is just one of the benefits of checking your credit files with checkmyfile. Should you discover that there is someone linked to you, we can help you get it removed as quickly as possible.

Our credit reports based on data from Equifax will show any financial association, but if you're looking for the best possible value for money, our Unlimited Access Service is the one to go for. Just £17.99 a quarter gives you access to all three credit reference agency reports each month - meaning that if you do discover something that needs amending, you'll be able to check it's been done without having to re-purchase a report.

Check your credit report now

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