Background Check to include Credit Report?

I am looking at getting into financial services in the HK area and have had a few interviews that went rather well. I am supposed to be going back in for a few more interviews with higher level employees in the coming weeks. I read on the company website that they perform "Background Checks" for all employees, but I am not exactly sure what a background check implies. I can confidently pass a drug test and criminal background check, but I'm considered that because the job is in finance they will run a credit check. The company is in the business of expert networks (research for financial institutions), so I think they may want to verify that all employees are financially responsible. I do not have huge amounts of debt on my report (a total of about 2,500USD), but they are all in the collection stage (made some mistakes when I was 18 and in college with credit and my check book). Of the 4 in collection stage, 2 are valued at 200 USD (a small amount I believe) and 1 is simply an 80 USD doctor bill that I do not feel I should be responsible for. Most of the debts are more than 3 years old, and only one of the 200 USD debts is from 2010. I have been doing research online and it seems this will decimate my chances of getting the job. Does anybody have any ideas or advice on this topic? I am looking into paying off the debts, but it seems even with a Pay to Delete contract the creditors may take months to clear things up on my credit report. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated! If this will prevent me from getting into financial services, I would like to know sooner rather than later.

If the company is going to carry out a credit check, it will show that you have outstanding debts, whether these are small amounts or larger amounts that reality should still show up. A large group of lenders have assembled a date base of information on their clients which they share ‘inter-lender’. Even when you settle those debts, if there was a “default” the record will not be erased/cleared but may reveal that you have been a ‘bad payer’ previously even though the debt is now paid and settled. It is important in ALL applications to set out true facts, as such disclosing these facts in your application for a job in the financial services industry may affect your prospects.


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