I have some bad credit with catalogue companies (owing £150) and one credit card company (owing about £400) and it took me about one year to pay back these debts and this was about seven or eight years ago. I have two mobile phone contracts and have been on the electoral roll for about three or four years but have only voted twice since. I would like to know what the possibilities are of this bad credit being taken off - and also how much being on the electoral roll improves credit scores? I'm thinking of buying a place within 12 months, depending on how more property prices decrease. Looking forward to hearing your advice.

Tracey Isiorho

You’ll be very pleased to hear that we only keep information about defaulted credit agreements on your credit report for six years, so your past difficulties with those catalogue and credit card debts should no longer be a problem. Of course, the only way to be sure what is registered on your report is to get hold of a copy and, in the current climate, I’d certainly recommend you do this before you apply for any sort of credit, never mind a mortgage. As long as you have added your name to your council’s electoral register, then this will appear on your credit report and will help banks and other lenders confirm your name and address. Whether or not you actually exercise your right to vote has no effect your credit record whatsoever.