How do I change my name on my credit report?#
At source, through your lenders. The agencies get your details from the companies you have accounts with: Experian says credit reference agencies gather payments, defaults, accounts and balances from lenders, Equifax that much of the personal data it holds comes from lenders and banks, and TransUnion that agencies "generally receive information from lenders rather than directly from consumers". So tell your bank, cards, loans, mortgage, phone and energy companies first; the report follows as each one reports, which Experian says normally takes four to eight weeks. Then check all three reports. Experian lets you edit your name yourself, Equifax asks for a copy of your deed poll or marriage certificate, and TransUnion says to contact it if your report still shows your previous name once your lenders have updated.
If you have not told your bank yet, some banks, such as Lloyds, Halifax and Santander, accept an unenrolled deed poll only with a passport or driving licence in the new name; changing your name with your bank compares sixteen.
The electoral register#
Your name also reaches your credit file from the electoral register. TransUnion says the agencies receive electoral register information from local authorities and use it to help verify your name and address, and Experian that the data helps lenders confirm your name and address. A new name means registering to vote again. If the register details on your report are wrong, Equifax says to contact your local authority, which corrects them in its monthly update.
Telling each agency#
| Experian | Equifax | TransUnion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Updating your name | Yourself, in your free account, online or in the app | A form in its online help, after logging in, or by post | Through your lenders; contact TransUnion if the old name remains |
| Evidence | None mentioned for an update in your account | A copy of your deed poll or marriage certificate, not the original | None for a dispute about a name you have used on financial documents |
| Your old name | Can be added as an alias | An alias also needs the deed poll or marriage certificate | Shown as an alias |
Experian. Its guide on errors says you can usually change your name, address and contact details yourself: log in online or open the app and edit your personal details. Experian's alias page invites you to add an alias, "an extra name on your report", for name changes after marriage or divorce, so that your report is more accurate and lenders can make better decisions.
Equifax. It changes a name only with proof: "we'll need to see a copy of your marriage certificate or deed poll document". You log in to its online help and complete the form, attaching the document, or post a copy to Equifax Ltd, PO Box 10036, Leicester, LE3 4FS with your name, address, date of birth and credit report reference number. Equifax asks you not to send originals, as they may not be returned.
TransUnion. Its steps for a new name, set out in its answer on changing your name after gender reassignment, are to update your lenders, make sure they have processed your documents, and then check your report; if it still shows your previous name, contact the agency. TransUnion's contact page lists its online form, chat, email and post.
Correcting a name that is wrong#
The agencies cannot change what a lender reports on their own say-so. Experian says it is up to the company that provided the information to decide, and that it can contact the company for you; Equifax that it must ask the data supplier to confirm before amending anything. While a query runs, each marks your report as disputed. TransUnion says disputes are free, that it replies by email within 28 days, and that a dispute about "other names you have been known by on financial documents" needs no evidence from you. If the company still says it is right, Experian points you to the Information Commissioner's Office.
Notices of correction#
A notice of correction is a statement of up to 200 words added to your report to explain something accurate, such as payments missed after a separation; it is not how a name is changed. Equifax says it must be factual and relevant, and all three say a notice added with one agency does not reach the other two. Experian says it does not affect your score, but it may slow an application while a lender reads it; Equifax and TransUnion say it can take you out of automated decisions.
Financial associations after marriage or divorce#
Marriage does not link your credit files. Experian says you can marry, move in together "and even take someone's surname" without creating a financial association; Equifax that everyone keeps their own record after marriage, and that a link comes from joint finances, such as a joint account or a loan applied for in both names; TransUnion that sharing an address does not create one.
Divorce does not end one either. Equifax says a link generally lasts until the shared credit agreement ends; TransUnion that agencies generally remove an association only once every joint arrangement is closed, settled, transferred or otherwise ended. Then ask each agency to remove it. Experian wants proof the connection has ended and, if you still share a mortgage, may break the link once you have lived apart for more than six months and closed everything else you share; Equifax says you may still be able to have the association removed if a mortgage is your only shared agreement and you made no joint applications. Changing your name after divorce covers the rest.
If you changed your name on transition#
Experian says the three agencies have arranged a service: contact one about updating your gender, and with your consent it contacts the other two. TransUnion says you do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate to update your name, and lists a deed poll, "enrolled or unenrolled", among the evidence. Changing your name when you transition has more.
Questions people ask
Does changing my name affect my credit score?
Not once the change has gone through. Asked whether a new name affects your ability to get credit, Experian answers "No, not once your credit report has been updated with your new details", and TransUnion says changing your name should not affect your credit history or credit score. Does changing my name affect my credit rating? goes through why.
Do I need to tell all three credit reference agencies?
Check all three. Each holds its own report about you, and Experian says some lenders do not report to all three, so a new name can reach one report and not another. Experian also says to update all three agencies as well as your lenders.
How long does a new name take to show on my credit report?
Experian says new information normally takes four to eight weeks, because lenders usually report once a month and at different times; Equifax says four to six weeks, and TransUnion four to six weeks once a lender has updated. A new electoral registration, Experian says, should appear within 30 days, but Equifax says four to eight weeks, depending on your council's monthly cut-off.
Can I remove my old name from my credit report?
Sometimes. Equifax says it can remove an alias only if nothing, such as a credit agreement or court information, is still recorded in that name. Experian says that after a gender transition it will work with you to remove references to a former name, except from public records such as a court judgment or an insolvency.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
