I may be wrong but I suspect that, if you questioned the bank further, they would claim that they recently just performed the credit check on yourself and found the joint account. A credit check on your girlfriend may have been done at the time that the joint account was opened although the details may still be in the bank's records and these "old" details may have been looked at recently. I expect that the bank would dispute any suggestion that they did a new credit check on your girlfriend as part of the loan application process. It's splitting hairs, I know.

maxstream, you're right, we do have a joint account with the bank. I didn't consider it as the loan is unrelated to that account, being solely in my name (and paid from a single account). You're probably also correct that at some time in the past the small print has granted them permission to credit check us both. This alone is probably sufficient justification for closing the joint account and moving it to another bank, hence removing the implied permission to check each others Credit when our finances are largely independent.

I suspect that there is some joint account that links you within the credit records. You are correct that a credit check should not be performed without permission (or a court order). Often the permission is given within the small print of an application form.

It is possible that the bank did not carry out a credit check on your girlfriend but they would automatically decline an application for a large personal loan in one person's name to be paid into a joint account if there was any reason for them to be concerned about the safety of funds in that account, for example.

Hi all,

I recently asked my bank about my options for extending an existing loan. I was surprised when they instantly declined me due to "an anomaly on my credit check". I've never subscribed to view my credit score but after hearing this, I paid Equifax £14.95 to see it. My score was very good (in their Excellent range) so I sent my bank a copy of it with a letter asking them to explain what the anomaly was. Their reply was cautiously worded but made it patently clear that the problem was the credit rating of someone listed on my report as a Financial Dependent. I have two issues with this:-

1) Who decides that the person in question (my girlfriend) is financially dependent on me? We're not married and she would certainly be angry and upset to be considered financially reliant on me.

2) How does my bank have permission to view her credit report? I thought permission always had to be sought before performing a credit check. I can understand them performing a check on me as part of my enquiry but I don't see how that can implicitly extend permission to 3rd parties.

Thanks