5 things you will not find in your credit report

For most Indians, the credit report is a new phenomenon. While we are still exploring its working and value, what many of us feel is that credit report is an omnipresent document, which takes into account every monetary transaction we make. While it certainly holds some vital information about our credit behaviour, a credit report doesn’t include these five things:

1. Your spouse’s credit information
Your spouse’s credit standing is not mentioned in your credit report. Even though banks offer you the option of taking a joint loan yet your spouse’s credit behaviour is not given any weightage in your credit report.

2. Information about your utility bill payments
Utility bills would means bills including electric bills, water, society charges, telephone bills etc. Your credit report does not track payments you make for any of these bills. There have been indications that suggest mobile bill records are included in the redit report, but currently they are not.

3. How much you earn?
While Income Tax officers are certainly interested in all of your sources of income, the credit report assessment companies like CIBIL, Experian etc. do not have the slightest inclination to pursue this information. Hence, your income has no mention in the credit report but you will still find your borrowing and repayments there.

4. What and where you spend?
Be it a luxury car that you can ill afford or a large charitable donation, the credit report does not distinguish your spending. It is not take a judgement call on your expenditure as long as your repayments on loan and credit cards are made on time.

5. Interest rate data
Your credit report does not tell the interest rate you pay on your loans or credit card. In fact, it is the information in your credit report that affects your interest rates at which the bank will be willing to lend to you.

Rajiv Raj is the Director and Co-Founder of www.creditvidya.com
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