#ccris

So, you’ve applied for a credit card—convinced you met all the basic requirements—only to find out your application was rejected. Frustrating, right? You're not alone. Many Malaysians face this situation and wonder what went wrong. The truth is, banks assess more than just your salary before approving a credit card. Here are five common reasons your application might be declined, and how you can improve your chances next time. 1. You Already Have Too Much Financial Commitment Even if your income looks good on paper, your existing financial obligations—such as loans or hire purchases—could be eating into your budget. Why it matters: Banks use something called the Debt Service Ratio (DSR) to calculate how much of your income goes toward repaying debts. A high DSR signals financial strain. What to do: Try to reduce your existing debt before reapplying. 2. You Don’t Have a Credit History If you’ve never used credit—no loans, no past cards—it may actually work against you. Why it matters: Banks assess your creditworthiness based on your history. No history means no track record, which makes it hard to judge how reliable you are. What to do: Start small—try a secured credit card or a basic financing plan to build your profile. 3. Your Income Isn’t Stable or Properly Documented Freelancers, gig workers, and self-employed applicants often face challenges proving stable income—even if they earn well. Why it matters: Lenders want to see consistency. Without proper documentation like salary slips or EPF contributions, your income may not be considered “verifiable.” What to do: Maintain proper records and bank statements. If you’re newly employed, wait a few months before applying. 4. You Submitted an Incomplete or Incorrect Application A surprising number of applications are rejected due to missing documents or inaccurate details. Why it matters: Even minor errors can raise red flags or delay processing. What to do: Double-check everything before submitting. Ensure you’ve included all the necessary documents like utility bills, salary slips, and identification. 5. There Are Red Flags in Your Credit Report Missed loan payments? Unresolved debts? These can all hurt your application. Why it matters: Banks rely on your CTOS or CCRIS report to determine how responsible you are with money. What to do: Get a free credit report to check your status and resolve any outstanding issues before applying.

Final Thoughts

Are you familiar with how credit reporting services like CTOS work? Here are the basics.

What Is CTOS?

Founded in 1992, CTOS is a Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) regulated by the Registrar of Credit Reporting Agencies, Ministry of Finance, and covered by the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010, which took effect in 2010. In addition to collecting information regarding the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses, CTOS also provides a portfolio of credit risk management services. Malaysian financial institutions, telecommunication companies, insurance companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and legal firms use CTOS’s services extensively. In contrast to CCRIS, administered by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), CTOS is owned and managed by a Malaysian company and has been in business for over 20 years, collecting information from various official sources on individuals and companies.

CTOS Data are from the following sources:

Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) or Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM)

The Central Bank of Malaysia (CCRIS)

Online court listings and newspaper legal notices

Publications and gazettes of the government

Insolvency searches at the Malaysian Department of Insolvency (MDI) or the Malaysian Insolvency Agency (JIMA)

Data from the Registrar of Societies (ROS)

Contact details provided by creditors, litigators, and trade referees

Subjects voluntarily provide their information

They compiled information into an electronic database that makes assessing loan applications, trade, and business credits and making decisions easy, quick, and efficient for credit grantors and lenders. A CTOS Score report costs RM25.

What Is CTOS Not?

It is strictly forbidden for CTOS to block anyone. Ultimately, the company will provide its subscribers with credit information, and lenders or credit grantors will determine whether credit applications will be approved. In making these decisions, lenders consider their risk appetite and business policies and strategies. CTO offers no opinion or recommendation that influences these decisions. There is another misconception about CTOS regarding handling personal data by a private agency, which can be highly sensitive and potentially dangerous, especially if it ends up in the wrong hands. As mandated by the CRA Act 2010, the CTOS may collect and process information pertinent to credit evaluation. Users, however, have restricted access to this information.

Is CTOS Going To Update Its Database?

A CTOS database is regularly updated based on information from statutory bodies, subscribers, and publicly available sources such as newspaper articles, publications, and court filings. In addition, it accepts requests for information updates and provides sufficient proof and the appropriate documentation.

What Is The Retention Period Of The Records?

Recently, our community message boards have been flush with requests from members on the most efficient ways to improve their CCRIS records. It is genuinely pertinent information because while CCRIS or CTOS can’t block you, the forms it provides financial institutions shape how you’re significantly perceived. So, if you want to improve your CCRIS quickly, here are some of the best ways.

Debt Consolidation And Automation Of Monthly Loan Installment

Debt consolidation is when an individual combines all their existing debts into a new personal loan. By consolidating your debt, you can more easily monitor your finances and plan appropriately. Once reduced, consider automating your repayments as well. That way, you’re less likely to miss an installment. Few things are more damaging to your CCRIS report than a history of missed payments.

Clear Overdue Loans First

You need to re-order your priorities and make settling any overdue loans a significant priority. Naturally, this means cutting back on buying new clothes or getting the latest gadgets, at least for a while. By channeling all of these resources and more toward clearing your overdue loans, you’re slowly yet effectively cleaning up your CCRIS report.

Consider Getting An Extra Source Of Income

Earning a little extra cash is never a bad thing. And, when you can put that cash towards clearing outstanding debt, that’s even better. The good news here is that thanks to technology and the Internet, you don’t even have to exert to get a side hustle that’ll bring you that much-needed infusion of extra funds. You need to access any growing freelance platforms like Fiverr or People Per Hour and see your services.

Find a Fast And Safe Online Personal Loans

Another great option worth considering here is getting a trustworthy personal loan online. Following this line of action might be especially worthwhile for you if you’re a private sector worker and want to clear a long overdue small loan on your CCRIS report as quickly as possible. As you’ll usually be able to easily find a wide range of providers offering small loans with a shorter repayment period on the Internet, you need to make that work for you. At the same time, you might feel like you can ignore an overdue debt if it’s a small loan amount but don’t. Even that small loan is enough to make some banks reject your application!

Learn Financial Discipline

Financial discipline ensures you never borrow more than you truly need and can afford to pay back. It ensures that you spend what you borrow in a manner that doesn’t bring you more short or long-term expenses. So, following this practice will always do you good.

Bottomline

Did you know that the fact that you missed just one payment can stay in your Central Credit Reference Bureau Information System (CCRIS) records for 12 months?

Did you know that your payment history alone accounts for nearly half of what determines your credit score?

Did you know that making late payments attracts extra fees and fines and damages your credit standing?

Did you know that people who record making late payments are less likely to secure a loan than those who make timely payments?

All the above are only some of the reasons you have to do everything you can to make all your bill payments promptly. But with so many different things going on in your life all at once, it’s possible to forget you have costs to make at times, honestly. If you want to stop making payment delays due to such oversight, here are some tactics you can employ.

1. Activate The Auto-Debit Feature On Your Bank Account

The Auto-debit function works by deducting a set amount of the funds in your savings or current account and sending it to a designated entity at established times. With a tool like this, you’ll be able to conveniently make all the payments you need to without having to handle the transaction process yourself. What’s more, this is a service some banks offer for free or at meager costs. However, keep in mind that you need to ensure that you have enough funds left in your account to use this function properly.

2. Set Payment Reminders

Another approach you can use independently or use to complement the first method is to use any of your mobile devices or laptop tools to set a reminder to make payments. It is relatively simple and convenient to do as all these electronic devices have calendar functions that are easy enough to navigate. However, if you’re not too comfortable with digital devices and prefer something even more straightforward, a diary or desktop calendar will do fine. But you’ll need to make sure that you check these frequently enough, so you still don’t forget to make your payments.

3. Review Your Credit Score Frequently

Your CCRIS report will always carry all the information about your credit score health, including what bills you must pay and when. While you can rely on your updated MyCTOS Score report for this, the former will always be better as it’s far more comprehensive. With the information you constantly get from your CCRIS, you’ll be able to plan yourself accordingly and ensure that you have what you need to settle your pending bills at any point.

Bottom Line

You can’t afford to make settling your bills an afterthought. Apart from all the consequences that come with not making these payments on time, there’s the fact that you’ll be making the process of your next loan application more difficult!

The most significant indication of your financial health is your credit score at any given point. Suppose you need to make sure that you do all you can to safeguard it for no other reason—one of the things you need to see to avoid common credit mistakes down that road. When you know how to safely bypass the common errors that stall your financial progress or even hurt your credit score, you’ll be able to move freely towards any monetary goal you set! Down that road, here are three of the biggest mistakes that every Malaysian should be aware of regarding their credit.

One – Checking Your Credit Report Only When There’s a Sign of Trouble

Financially speaking, your credit report contains all the data of note about you. Some of its contents include;

Your credit score

Your Central Credit Reference Bureau Information System (CCRIS) data

Litigation

Business interests

Directorship, to mention a few.

Whenever there’s a problem with even one of these areas, it’ll reflect in your credit report immediately, even before you get proper notice. However, if you don’t check your report and eventually find out through a formal notification, it might be late to save the situation by then.

The Solution

Checking your credit report at regular intervals ensures that you’re on top of things. With the regular updates you’ll get from it; you can be proactive when dealing with any problem.

Two – Not Making Timely Bill Payments

Another great way to quickly ruin your credit is to be delinquent with your bill payments. However, most Malaysians don’t often consider that payment history is constantly documented. What’s more, it carries as much as 45% weightage when determining your credit score! A single late payment will linger in your CCRIS record for two years. So, you will have to pay fees and penalties for defaulting, but your credit score will also suffer terribly during this period.

The Solution

Employ resources like requesting payment reminders from lenders and setting your bank account to autopay so that your bills will always get paid on time. To make these approaches work well, though, you need to ensure that you always have sufficient funds in the bank.

Three – Co-Signing Loan Requests

A friend or relative might come to you with a request to help co-sign their loan as their lender won’t extend credit to them otherwise. But keep in mind that this happens most often because the individual in question has a less than stellar credit score. Also, should they be unable to pay back for whatever reason, you’ll have to bear the responsibility of that debt.

The Solution

Learn how to say “No” as politely and firmly as possible. You can also recommend that the person check their credit report and know where they stand first before trying to apply for a loan.

Since the pandemic rolled in, the global market hasn’t been what it used to be. With people left facing financial challenges, one of the best resources anyone can turn to at the moment is securing a loan. Yet, this avenue isn’t always accessible to everyone for different reasons. If you’re thinking about getting a loan, there are a few things you need to attend to before you commence the loan application process in earnest. Doing these things will help you better prepare for the loan application process and increase your chances of getting the financial assistance you need. Some things you have to attend to before getting a loan include;

1. Analyzing Your Latest Credit Report Information

One of the most critical factors in determining whether you get that loan is what your MyCTOS is saying. So, be proactive. Request and review the most recent copy of this report to know where you stand. That way, you’ll know whether you need to take any steps to improve your credit score.

2. Don’t Take On New Debts Before Your Application

If you aren’t already aware, please know that every loan application you tender is input into your record in the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS). It means two things. The first is that there’s no loan application you make that flies under the radar. The second is that your credit score will decrease slightly each time you take out a loan. The more loan applications appear in your CCRIS; the fewer banks are likely to consider you as they’ll think you’re simply a risky borrower looking to score more credit. So, make sure you don’t take on new debt when you want to apply for a loan.

3. Boost Your Debt-to-Income Ratio As Much As You Can

A debt-to-income ratio refers to the portion of your monthly income that goes into paying your debts. If you want to increase your chances of getting your loan approved, do everything you can to keep what you use to pay off loans below 40% of your total monthly income. In essence, try to increase your income and conversely lower your debts.

4. Take Your Time to Explore Your Options

Interest rates among financial institutions are anything but uniform. You can use that to your advantage. Check out as many loan providers as you can. Compare their interest rates as well as terms and conditions. That way, you’ll be able to find the best package for yourself.

5. Secure and Arrange Your Income Documentation

One of the things that may slow your application process is getting the necessary documents for proof of income. However, by getting things like your bank statement and other documents at the ready, you’ll be one step closer to getting your approved loan on time.

Conclusion