Today’s political climate isn’t like any other. After all, most people would have never realized what impact the Internet would truly have on our day to day lives. But since we’re talking about credit, we have to think about everything that can affect it. What you say online doesn’t affect your credit, thankfully. However, not registering to vote can really affect you. Here’s what you need to know.
As you already know, your lender will check your credit report before they make the decision on whether or not to give you credit. Your report is going to include information about where you’re registered to vote, as a way to fight fraud and really confirm that you are who you say you are, and you live where you say you live.
Registering to vote is still an optional thing, but not registering has major consequences that you might not know about. It can mean that you’re refused credit because you’re not on the Electoral Register. In addition, you could even be refused insurance. If you’re trying to get a lawyer or an accountant, you could be refused. Trying to save for the future? Not so fast — your credit report is checked to see if you’ve registered to vote. If you’re trying to get a passport, you will not be able to do so. Some jobs may even be placed out of your reach, because your credit is checked as a condition of employment.
Registering to vote gives you a voice in elections, so we’re really not sure why you would want to avoid voting in the first place. But some people are convinced that avoiding the vote is exactly what they need to do. It can cost you a lot of money to hold this position, as many Britons do consider the vote to be quite important. You will most likely be asked why you hold this position when others are so ready to vote. You may have also registered but the information just isn’t correct. Since incorrect information can affect your credit just as much, you might want to make sure that you have things updated as soon as possible.
If you cannot vote for a specific legal reason, then you need to indicate this as well. There are channels to handle this.
We’re not here to make assumptions about anyone, so please don’t get the wrong idea. We’re just here to give you general personal finance UK advice that you can stick with for the long run.
Why not update your information to be absolutely sure that everything is up to date? Good credit is worth protecting, so make sure that your Electoral Register data is what it needs to be!
