Why you need to be on the electoral roll

Being on the electoral roll helps you get noticed by the financial system, and lenders use it to prove you’re a viable investment. Here’s everything you need to know in under two minutes – from the experts at LOQBOX.

The electoral roll isn’t just for voting. It helps prove you’re you. And if you’re not on it, lenders may struggle to identify you or reject your application altogether.

Being registered at the same address for a while shows stability, which lenders love. Lots of different addresses can look bad so, if you move a lot for work, register a single ‘base’ address if you can (your parents’ house is a good one).

How to do it:

• If you’re eligible to vote in the UK, register at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

• If you’re not eligible to vote, but you have the right to live and work in the UK, ask each Credit Reference Agency (CRA) to add a ‘notice of correction’ to your credit report.

It can take up to a month for your registration to be completed and then another month for it to appear on your credit reports.

This post was written and compiled by the credit experts behind LOQBOX – a completely free way to build your credit history by saving a little each month. To sign up or read more about the clever way LOQBOX works, head to LOQBOX.co.uk.

This is part of our Two-minute Money blog series – unlocking the secrets of the financial system, two minutes at a time.