Change of name and credit scoring

bluep

I am in the process of informing everyone of my change of name after getting married last month. I plan to leave one bank account in my maiden name to pick up any outstanding cheques etc... - is this legal?

Plus, now if I apply for anythign that needs a credit score, do I give my maiden name or my married name? Will the married name automatically be connected to my credit score record once i've changed some of my cards/bank accounts? I don't want to be rejected because of a mix up with the names!

Plus, what's the address timescale when you only have to give one address? We've been at our house now for 5 years and before that i lived in 4 different student accomodations, back at my parents in between etc...and it was a right nightmare trying to remember where I'd been and when for credit scoring (I was too young to realise that I should have just left all my official docs in my parents address for the whole period). Am I past the stage now when they would want other addresses? I sure hope so!

mrs_baggins

Dont know about the legal side of things but when I changed my name due to a divorce and then remarriage I still had a bank account for years in my old name. I forgot to change my car as well until my insurance came through and it was in a different name. Its a real chore as well as most places you have to send an original certificate so everything takes time. Some of my utility bills are still in my old name as I just cant be bothered and now I cant find my new marriage cert either.

Moggles_2

... if I apply for anythign that needs a credit score, do I give my maiden name or my married name?

This is not an uncommon situation, yet online application forms do not always cater for it.

In all cases, I would give the name you use now, which is your married name. On paper applications you can follow this with (nee...) and quote your maiden name.

what's the address timescale when you only have to give one address?

Less than three years

Local authorities will be updating the electoral roll on 14 October. Do make sure the names you wish to be known by are on the electoral register. This will save no end of trouble when you apply for credit cards.

stormCat99

I got married and changed my name in February. Ever since, every time I have applied for anything - be it a credit card, savings account, or whatever, I have encountered problems. If I have been turned down for something, I have found that simply reapplying in my maiden name has been immediately accepted!

I am assuming the main reason for this is that my new details are not yet on the electoral roll, but thankfully received a form for that a couple of weeks ago so should start to filter through soon.

I too have kept one account in my maiden name. It has already been useful e.g. for my mobile contract cashback. They wouldn't change my name without seeing my original marriage certificate; well I have posted it to places like my bank but don't see why my mobile provider needs an original not a copy, so have left the mobile account in my maiden name. This has meant that my cashback cheques every 4 months have been in my maiden name so I am glad I kept an account in that name.

I also have a few other things in my maiden name still; this has already proved useful because for example, eBay seem to have a bug which means that although I have changed my name with them, sellers are still sent my old details I have complained to eBay but they just say it's a known issue and they are looking into it, hmm. So every time I buy something which I then have to collect from the Post Office, I need proof of address in my maiden name.

bert&ernie

I believe it's legal to use any name you wish, so long as you aren't trying to mislead or deceive anyone. Financial institutions tend to ask some sort of documentary evidence if an existing customer changes their name, but this is as much to protect the individual is it is themselves.

Credit application processing systems often ask if you have been known by any other name. This has two purposes:

1. It helps to target the correct person on the credit bureau
2. It adds the alias to your credit file

Even if you do not disclose the alias, it may already have been added by a previous search and will be visible on the bureau file.