Could credit adversely affecting mortgage application - please help :(

galvanizersbaby

Not sure where best to post this but thought I'd start here

A good friend of mine is just about to apply for a joint mortgage with her husband to buy the place of their dreams.
But there is a problem _she has always been good with money but 6 years ago was married to a chap that wasn't

Recently (2-3 months ago) she recieved a letter from a debt collecting company trying to get £500 payment on behalf of Vodaphone for a phone that she had got in her old married name for her ex husband over 6 years ago.
Anyway he hadn't paid the bills and 6 years later they tracked her down (even though as I said she has a different name now as has since remarried)
She felt rather sick about it (she has never had bad credit) and paid up immediately - all sorted.

However she is now worried this will show up on her credit record and prevent her from getting a mortgage.

Does anyone know how she could get credit checked in advance of her mortgage application as she really doesn't want tio have to tell her husband about this unless she has to

I know nothing about credit but I think you can get checked online?

Can anyone offer any advice/help pls? - she would be eternally grateful x

GEEGEE8

www.creditexpert.com

I think the first month is free, then £6.99 each month. To get a credit report she has to pay £5.95 through them I think.

Hope that helps..

herbiesjp

Once they have the credit file, they need to make sure there are no errors on there.

They also need to make sure they are no longer financially linked with the ex.

Ideally, they would show/discuss the credit file with a whole of market adviser in order for them to see if this will now affect their chances of a mortgage.

Being over 6 years old, even though just paid recently, I would think they will be fine.

Then it's just down to whether they fit all other lending criteria.

galvanizersbaby

herbiesjp wrote: »

Once they have the credit file, they need to make sure there are no errors on there.

They also need to make sure they are no longer financially linked with the ex.

Ideally, they would show/discuss the credit file with a whole of market adviser in order for them to see if this will now affect their chances of a mortgage.

Being over 6 years old, even though just paid recently, I would think they will be fine.

Then it's just down to whether they fit all other lending criteria.

Hi
Thanks for replying - will getting credit checked online be the same as getting her credit file?
Apologies I know nothing about credit!

Also just to add she does not want her current husband to know anything about this debt so if it does come up on her credit check I'm assuming she has a problem and will have to tell him? if this is the case she would rather do so in advance.

Although they are obviously married and she is divorced from the ex at present they manage there finances completely separately - the mortgage app would be the first time they have applied for anything in joint names (though they've been married 4 years).

I will flag with her that she needs to check she is not still financially linked with the ex but in the case of this debt it was taken out by her in her old married name because the ex couldn't get credit (she has since changed her name to her current husband) and the ex is unlikely to run up any new debt in her name as he is just an idiot (not a malicious one) and she feels it was simply a case of him not paying his phone bill and forgetting about it.
I realise though it is important that she checks there will be no further debts run up in her name that she isn't aware of!

I feel that she should tell her current husband about this but for her own reason's she would really rather not and is hoping she can avoid this by investigating the chances of this coming up in advance.

Pammy

Yes experian will tell you what you need to know online. Don't worry about getting a score, you don't need it, so don't pay extra for this. All lenders have different scoring criteria.

Look out for defaults over 6 years and late payments in the last 12 months.