Credit Report Review Checklist

Who this is for

Read one credit report, section by section. Tick each part as you check it against your own records, mark anything that looks wrong, then gather every finding into one list of items to dispute with the evidence you hold.

Anyone checking their credit file before applying for a mortgage, loan or tenancy, people who suspect someone has used their identity, and anyone refused credit who wants to see what lenders saw.

What this helps you track

• Your personal details exactly as the report shows them
• Every account listed, checked for status, balance, limit and payments
• Searches and applications you do not recognise
• Defaults, court records and collections that are wrong or out of date
• One list of items to dispute, with the evidence for each

How to use it

1. Get a copy of your report from one agency or credit register, and write its name, the report date and how you got it at the top.
2. Use a fresh sheet for each agency, because each holds its own record and they do not always match line for line.
3. Work down each section with your own statements beside you, ticking Checked as you go and Looks wrong where something does not match.
4. For each account, tick it as yours and tick status, balance and payments where they agree with your records; write anything else in the last column.
5. Copy every problem into the items to dispute table with the evidence you hold, then raise each one with the agency or the lender.
6. Record when you last checked each report; the browser version saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How do I get a copy of my credit report?

Ask each credit reference agency or credit register directly, or use the official route where you live. Check what it costs and how they verify your identity before you apply, and keep the copy somewhere safe.

Why check each agency separately?

Lenders do not all report to every agency, so one report can show an account or a mistake that another leaves out. A sheet per agency keeps each one's findings apart, which matters when you write to them.

What counts as looking wrong?

Anything you cannot match to your own records: an address you never lived at, an account you did not open, a late payment you made on time, a settled debt still showing a balance, or a search you did not agree to.

What do I do with the items to dispute?

Raise each one in writing with the agency, the lender that supplied the information, or both, with copies of your evidence. The credit report dispute tracker follows each one from the day it is sent to the outcome.

Could a search I do not recognise mean fraud?

It can, as can accounts or addresses you do not know. If you think someone has used your details, contact the lender named and the agency promptly, and keep a record of every step in the fraud and identity theft recovery log.