A personal connection with someone either because you’re married, living together, or having the same surname does not link your credit reports or affect your credit rating.

However, if two or more people have formed a financial relationship then this can influence your credit report. This means you’ve committed to a financial product together, for example, a bank account or a mortgage.

A financial association on your credit report can last for many years, even after a relationship has ended. For example, couples who took out a mortgage or another jointly held loan may find themselves still linked financially, even if they’re living apart and financially independent.

Most agencies focus their scoring on applicants’ more recent handling of credit, and your score shouldn’t be affected by information more than about six years old.

Joint borrowing commonly includes mortgages and bank accounts, but can also include credit cards, household bills, and even insurance products.