If your name is Lachlan, Claire, Brendan or Ying, chances are your credit rating is sound, according to new research by credit rating company Veda.
The group scoured a national database of 4.6 million Australians with credit history to find out which names are most likely to have good record, and which are most likely to have a poorer track record.
Of 746 different names on the database, the top names for good credit history in the Gen Y age bracket were Brendan, Wei, Georgia and Ying. The Gen Y names with the worse credit history were Harley, Kayla and Skye.
For Gen X, the names Lachlan, Murray, Ying or Claire proved most reliable for a good credit history. The names Tammy, Ali or Mohamed ranked highly for poor history.
In the Baby Boomer generation, the name Brenda was again ranked well, as was Ross, Penelope or Gillian. Names with poorer credit histories included Jose, Henry, Gloria and Marlene.
Veda marketing manager Belinda Diprose told SmartCompany while the survey was a fun take on credit ratings, it also highlighted the importance of people checking their credit history, as a poor history impacts their ability to get loans.
“We have found that around 80% of Australians have never checked their credit history,” she says.
“It is about educating Australians about the role that credit history plays.”
Diprose says in the US, people take their credit rating very seriously and often display a good rating publicly on dating profiles as a badge of honour.
“In Australia, credit scores go from zero to 1200. The higher the score the better your credit worthiness,” she says.
With new Comprehensive Credit Reporting laws coming into effect in Australia from March 12, Diprose says it is worth finding out where you stand. This law means positive and negative credit data will appear on a person’s credit history file.
Veda reports around 15% of credit active Australians are at risk of default in the next year.
Diprose says credit rating is also something worth discussing with a personal or business partner if planning on taking a joint loan, so both parties know where they are likely to stand in the eyes of a bank.
Melinda is a business writer and editor and helps companies to bring their brand stories to life through her small business, Oliver Content. Melinda was previously the content manager for KPMG Australia, an editor of SmartCompany, and spent many years as a journalist.
