Equifax has linked me to my brother-in-law?

[Deleted User]

Applying for a mortgage in the next couple of weeks, so just going through all three of my reports to check I've got all my ducks in a row... And notice that right down the bottom of my Equifax report, they have me financially linked to my brother-in-law!

My husband's home address (his parent's house) is a linked address on my report, I've never lived there but assume it's because we have a financial link? But they've obviously gone to his address and picked the wrong brother to link me with!

I have emailed Equifax with a Notice Of Disassociation but I am worried this won't be removed in time before we apply for our full mortgage and will look strange to Precise who we are applying with. We are going with them due to my less than favorable credit history so I am aware they will go through everything with a fine tooth comb and are easily spooked- if one man with my surname suddenly disappears from my report (or if he doesn't get removed in time) is this going to harm my chances?

I am already having sleepless nights about not getting the mortgage, this has just sent me spiralling! Never mind the fact that I'm now worried I have harmed my brother-in-law's credit report by being linked with him.

National_Debtline

Hi

I’m not sure if it could be done any quicker but you could try adding a notice or correction to your file too. At least that way you could explain the misleading association.

If you think the association to your brother-in-law may mean your mortgage application is declined it might be worth waiting until your credit file is corrected to apply. The credit reference agencies have 28 days to place the Notice of Disassociation if you’ve provided all of the information they’ve requested.

You should also check your credit files held by Experian and Call Credit as you’ll need to file a Notice of Disassociation with each of them separately.

James
@natdebtline

[Deleted User]

Thanks for that- I've checked the other two and thankfully he's not on there, so it's Equifax who have made the mistake.

Do you think it could actually effect my mortgage application? He has a good credit history by the looks of it- no defaults or missed payments anywhere. Although if it has listed every credit card and loan he's had, does that mean it'll look like I'm financially linked to those products even though I'm nothing to do with them? I'm a bit confused as to how it works.

Worse than that- could my poor credit history be affecting his?

[Deleted User]

Update- I spoke to Equifax and I am linked to him via a Linked Address, he's not actually a financial link. So it shouldn't matter, which is a relief!

MEM62

[Deleted User] wrote:

Update- I spoke to Equifax and I am linked to him via a Linked Address, he's not actually a financial link. So it shouldn't matter, which is a relief!

I would not be comfortable with that response. Equifax provide information to companies in order that they may make a judgement on your financial standing. This is their primary function so why would they link people for any purpose other than that? If the association is irrelevant why is it there at all? I would insist that the link is removed.

GingerBob_3

MEM62 wrote: »

I would not be comfortable with that response. Equifax provide information to companies in order that they may make a judgement on your financial standing. This is their primary function so why would they link people for any purpose other than that? If the association is irrelevant why is it there at all? I would insist that the link is removed.

Quite.


OP - have you determined who created the link? This should be given in the Equifax report. Some utility companies have a filthy habit of creating financial links as a result of multi-occupancy. The practice is immoral and should be banned, but when it comes to CRA reporting there's effectively no regulation.

[Deleted User]

Yes sorry I should have followed up with- I did ask them to remove the address altogether as I have never lived there, but they insisted I was linked and they couldn't. I have done some research online and according to Experian (which I appreciate is not Equifax but presumably the information is similar!) linked addresses could be one of the below three-

Your list of linked addresses could include:

Variations of the same address (e.g. different spellings of house or road names),
Addresses you have lived at within the last 8 years
Addresses you haven’t actually lived at (e.g. if you’ve forwarded post there with the Royal Mail redirect service).

My husband was still living with his parents when he met, so it could be that during that time I had something delivered to him or something. It is odd that the only person coming up on that linked address is my brother-in-law and not my husband (or any of his other siblings) so I will be querying that again with Equifax, but for now I'm relieved that it shouldn't affect my score. Again, from Experian-

The addresses you are linked to do not affect your credit score, or your ability to get credit.
Your credit score, and ability to get credit, is not affected by other people who have lived at your linked addresses (unless you are financially associated to them).

GingerBob_3

[Deleted User] wrote:

Yes sorry I should have followed up with- I did ask them to remove the address altogether as I have never lived there, but they insisted I was linked and they couldn't. I have done some research online and according to Experian (which I appreciate is not Equifax but presumably the information is similar!) linked addresses could be one of the below three-

Your list of linked addresses could include:

Variations of the same address (e.g. different spellings of house or road names),
Addresses you have lived at within the last 8 years
Addresses you haven’t actually lived at (e.g. if you’ve forwarded post there with the Royal Mail redirect service).

My husband was still living with his parents when he met, so it could be that during that time I had something delivered to him or something. It is odd that the only person coming up on that linked address is my brother-in-law and not my husband (or any of his other siblings) so I will be querying that again with Equifax, but for now I'm relieved that it shouldn't affect my score. Again, from Experian-

The addresses you are linked to do not affect your credit score, or your ability to get credit.
Your credit score, and ability to get credit, is not affected by other people who have lived at your linked addresses (unless you are financially associated to them).

How does that work? Are Royal Mail now reporting you to the CRAs as well?

[Deleted User]

That's what it says on Equifax's website, I am sorry if the information is incorrect. I am learning about credit histories and CRA's as I go. It is frustrating as there is no clear explanation anywhere of how the reports work and what information they use and how- and the fact that there are three different CRA's with different information on your report makes it more confusing. If Equifax are adamant that the address should be there and refuse to remove it, what can I do? (Genuine question- I want to know what I should do next!)

Candyapple

Is your brother-in-law married? Do you have the same first initial as his wife?

I can’t think of any reason why he should be on your credit file if you two are not financially linked – doesn’t make sense. As someone else above asked, which lender made the link in your credit file? Perhaps ask your brother-in-law to obtain a copy of his credit file from Equifax to see if you appear on his files?

[Deleted User]

I think it's to do with the address as opposed to the lender, as I can see every single credit card, loan, phone contract he's ever had when he lived at that address- and nothing after the year he moved out. He is married, but his wife doesn't have the same initial as me.

As I understand it- it is not a financial link but a linked address, which should have no effect on my ability to get credit. The fact I am linked to the address is incorrect as I've never lived there, so I need to ask Equifax to remove it, which I have already asked but they have refused. So any idea how to get them to budge would be good!