How Do I Find Out What Accounts Are in My Name?
Your credit report is the single best list of credit accounts held in your name — cards, loans, overdrafts, car finance, mobile contracts, and accounts you'd forgotten. For lost savings and pensions, there are separate free tracing services.
At a glance
- Credit accounts
- Your credit report
- Lost savings
- My Lost Account (free)
- Lost pensions
- Pension Tracing Service (free)
- Why it matters
- Old accounts & fraud
- Cost
- Free routes for most
Credit accounts: your credit report
Anything involving credit shows here, including accounts you opened years ago and stopped using. Two reasons people go looking:
- Tidying up. Old catalogue accounts, a dormant card, a store card from a sofa purchase — each still counts toward the credit available to you, which affects new applications.
- Checking for fraud. An account you genuinely don't recognise is the clearest sign someone has borrowed in your name.
What shows up, and what doesn't
Worth knowing before you go looking, because people often expect a complete financial picture and don't get one:
Usually shows:
- Credit cards, store cards and catalogue accounts
- Loans, car finance, hire purchase and buy-now-pay-later where reported
- Mortgages
- Current accounts with an overdraft facility
- Mobile phone contracts and some utility accounts
Usually doesn't:
- Savings accounts and ISAs
- Pensions and investments
- Basic current accounts with no overdraft
- Rent, unless you're on a rent-reporting scheme
The pattern is simple: credit reports track borrowing. Anything where you owe money tends to appear; anything where you hold money generally doesn't. That's why the two free tracing services below matter for the rest.
- All four agencies — in one report — Experian, Equifax, TransUnion & Crediva
- Spot the errors — and old debts that quietly get applications declined
- It's a soft search — so checking never leaves a mark on your file
- See what lenders see — the same information banks pull when they assess you
Free for 30 days, then £14.99 a month — cancel online anytime. Check the current price before subscribing. We may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
Lost savings accounts
Credit reports don't cover savings, because saving isn't borrowing. Instead use My Lost Account, the free service run by UK Finance and the Building Societies Association, which searches banks, building societies and NS&I for accounts in your name.
It's genuinely free — you should never pay to trace a lost bank account.
Lost pensions
For old workplace pensions, the government's free Pension Tracing Service on GOV.UK finds the provider's current contact details from an employer's name. It tells you who to contact, not what you're owed, so you'll still need to approach the provider.
If you find something you don't recognise
Treat it as potential identity fraud:
- Contact the lender shown on the account and tell them it isn't yours.
- Tell the credit reference agency and ask for a notice of correction while it's investigated.
- Report it to Action Fraud, and consider Cifas protective registration, which asks lenders to carry out extra checks in your name.
Our guide to someone using your name and address fraudulently covers the full process.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find all the accounts in my name?
Check your credit report for credit accounts, use My Lost Account for savings, and the Pension Tracing Service for old workplace pensions. Between them they cover almost everything.
Does my credit report show my bank accounts?
It shows current accounts with an overdraft facility and credit accounts. Straightforward savings accounts generally don't appear, since they don't involve borrowing.
How do I find a bank account I've forgotten about?
Use My Lost Account, the free service from UK Finance and the Building Societies Association. Never pay a company to do this for you.
Should I close old accounts I don't use?
Not always. A long-held account helps your credit history length, and closing accounts reduces your available credit, which can push up your utilisation. Close ones you'll never use, but don't clear the lot before applying for something.
What if there's an account I definitely didn't open?
Contact the lender and the credit reference agency straight away, report it to Action Fraud, and consider Cifas protective registration.
More things your credit file can tell you: Financially linked to an ex? · Do I have a CCJ? · Who is my mortgage with? · My previous addresses · Has someone credit-checked me?
Also useful: how to check your credit score for free · what a multi-agency credit report shows · 5 ways to build your credit score
General information only, not financial advice. Free debt help is available from Citizens Advice and StepChange.
