Your MLCB record covers your borrowing from licensed moneylenders in Singapore, not your credit generally. When you apply, a licensed moneylender checks the Moneylenders Credit Bureau (MLCB) to see your outstanding moneylender loans, whether instalments that have fallen due were paid on time, and any pending unsecured applications. It does not hold your bank credit facilities or deposit information. Below: what it shows, how to get your own copy, and how to correct it.
What is an MLCB record, and what does a licensed moneylender actually see when they pull it?
An MLCB record is the borrowing information held by the Moneylenders Credit Bureau. When you apply to a licensed moneylender in Singapore, the lender sees your outstanding loans with licensed moneylenders, the name of each licensee, whether due instalments were paid on time, and your pending unsecured loan applications (as of September 2026).
The borrower-facing version of this information is called the Loan Information Report.
What the Loan Information Report contains
Under Rule 22F of the Moneylenders Rules 2009, the report includes (as of September 2026):
- your full name, including aliases
- your personal identification number
- your nationality
- the licensee name for each outstanding loan
- whether each repayment instalment that has fallen due was paid on time
- your share of the outstanding loan amount, including interest, late interest and fees
- the aggregate outstanding secured loan amount, with and without interest, late interest and fees
- the aggregate outstanding unsecured loan amount, with and without interest, late interest and fees
- the aggregate amount of pending unsecured loan applications
- the date and time the report was requested
A credit report requested by a lender is a different document under Rule 22E, covering identity, employment status and income over the three months before the month of application.
What it does not cover
The MLCB holds loans and repayment information from licensed moneylenders. It does not collect borrowers’ bank credit facilities or deposit information, and it does not make lending decisions on a lender’s behalf.
Is my MLCB record the same as my Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS) credit report?
No. The MLCB and Credit Bureau Singapore are separate reporting systems covering different lenders, and you may have information in both. Requesting one does not give you the other.
| MLCB | CBS | |
| What it covers | Loans from licensed moneylenders | Credit facilities reported by member financial institutions: credit cards, HDB loans, mortgages, motor vehicle loans, personal loans, debt consolidation loans |
| Borrower’s report | Loan Information Report | Credit Report |
| Operated by | Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd | Credit Bureau (Singapore) Pte Ltd |
| Framework | Moneylenders Act 2008 and Moneylenders Rules 2009, administered by the Registry of Moneylenders, Ministry of Law | Financial sector credit reporting framework |
| Enquiry line (as of September 2026) | 6335 3897 | 6565 6363 |
The same company operates both, which is where the confusion starts. Your HDB loan or credit card sits on the CBS side; a licensed moneylender loan sits on the MLCB side.
How does what’s in my MLCB record decide how much I can borrow?
Unsecured borrowing limits apply across all licensed moneylenders combined, and the MLCB is how a lender sees what you already owe. As of September 2026, Singapore Citizens and PRs earning below S$20,000 a year may borrow up to S$3,000 in total; at S$20,000 or more, the limit is six times monthly income. Foreigners residing in Singapore face lower tiers: S$500 below S$10,000, and S$3,000 from S$10,000 to below S$20,000. Secured loans have no cap.
Worked example: how an existing loan reduces what’s left
Take a Singapore Citizen earning S$3,000 a month. As of September 2026, six times monthly income gives an aggregate unsecured limit of S$18,000 across all licensed moneylenders combined.
If the Loan Information Report shows S$7,000 outstanding with another licensed moneylender, roughly S$11,000 of that S$18,000 remains. A pending S$2,000 application with a third lender also appears on the report, so the next lender sees it before deciding.
One detail decides that arithmetic. Under Rule 21, the outstanding amount used in this calculation excludes interest, late interest, and fees — so principal is what counts against your limit, even though the report displays balances inclusive of both (as of September 2026). These figures are arithmetic, not an offer.
Approval is subject to the lender’s assessment of your income, existing loans, and repayment ability. Supporting documents such as payslips or an income tax assessment may be required.
Can I check my own MLCB report, and how do I get one?
Yes. Section 77 of the Moneylenders Act 2008 requires the designated credit bureau to give any person their own Loan Information Report on request. As of September 2026, it must arrive within one business day unless another period is prescribed, and may be delivered as a physical copy for collection, by registered post, or by email.
A transaction fee of S$0.50 applies (as of September 2026).
The Act does not make Singpass a legal requirement, though the online self-service process may use it for identity verification. Check the MLCB portal for the route that applies to you.
How do I read my MLCB report — what does each part mean?
Your Loan Information Report covers four things: who you are, what you owe to licensed moneylenders, how those repayments have gone, and what you have applied for but not yet drawn.
Two parts are easy to misread. The aggregate secured and unsecured figures are totals across all licensed moneylenders, not the balance with any one lender. The pending unsecured loan applications figure covers applications still in progress — one you forgot about still shows.
How long does information stay on my MLCB record, and can I correct anything?
The Loan Information Report covers loans not yet fully repaid or terminated, plus pending applications, so a fully repaid loan is not part of the outstanding-loan component. Separately, a licensed moneylender must keep the credit report obtained for a loan for five years after that loan is repaid or the contract is terminated (as of September 2026). That five-year rule is a lender’s record-keeping duty, not a statement of how long MLCB holds underlying data. If something is wrong, the Act provides for correction rather than deletion — sections 71 and 78 cover requests to correct borrower information. As of September 2026, the Rules give the licensee three business days to investigate and three more to correct and send the update to the bureau.
For a data query, contact MLCB on 6335 3897. Complaints about a moneylender’s conduct go to the Registry of Moneylenders on 1800-2255-529.
What should a licensed moneylender never ask for?
A licensed moneylender in Singapore must never ask for your Singpass user ID or password, and must not retain your NRIC or other identification documents. As of September 2026, the Registry of Moneylenders also tells borrowers to be alert if a lender asks them to sign a blank Note of Contract, fails to explain the contract, or withholds part of the principal without basis.
You should receive a Note of Contract, receipts for repayments, and statements of account at least every January and July. These are general conduct requirements covering the loan itself, not steps in the MLCB check. Confirm that any lender is on the Ministry of Law’s list of licensed moneylenders.
What happens to my record if I miss a repayment?
A missed instalment shows in the repayment information on your MLCB record, which records whether each instalment that has fallen due was paid on time. As of September 2026, late interest is capped at 4% per month on the amount repaid late, and the late fee is S$60 for each month of late repayment.
Borrow only what you can repay from your income, and work through the repayment schedule before signing. If repayments are becoming difficult, free help exists. Credit Counselling Singapore, on 6225 5227, handles cases that also involve debts with banks (as of September 2026). The Registry of Moneylenders’ Professional Service Handbook lists six further organisations with current contact details.
MLCB records: frequently asked questions
Is having loans on my MLCB record the same as being “blacklisted” in Singapore? No. “Blacklist” is not a term used in the Moneylenders Act, the Rules, or by the MLCB. The official terms are credit report, Loan Information Report, borrower information, and self-exclusion.
Does checking my own MLCB report affect my record or the rate I’m offered? Section 77 of the Moneylenders Act gives any person the right to request their own Loan Information Report, and the report records the date and time of the request. Public material does not establish whether a self-check is shown separately from a lender’s enquiry.
How quickly is my MLCB record updated after I take out or fully repay a loan? As of September 2026, the designated credit bureau must update its system at least once a day, and licensed moneylenders must submit repayment information within the prescribed time. The law does not specify exact borrower-facing timing.
Does being a guarantor on someone else’s loan appear on my MLCB record? Obligations as a surety can appear in the credit information supplied to a licensed moneylender, including the amount you may be liable for on default. The statutory borrowing limit is defined around your own outstanding unsecured loans, so a guaranteed amount is not automatically added to it (as of September 2026).
Do unlicensed lenders or loan sharks appear in MLCB at all? The MLCB records loans granted by licensees under the Moneylenders Act, so unlicensed moneylenders sit outside it entirely. Report unlicensed moneylending to the Singapore Police Force or the X-Ah Long hotline on 1800-924-5664 (as of September 2026).
Can my employer, landlord, or bank see my MLCB record? No. Section 75 of the Moneylenders Act restricts disclosure to specified parties: licensed moneylenders to the extent permitted, the person the data relates to, the Registrar, and certain public agencies as legally directed. Anyone else needs your written consent under section 77.
What is the MLCB self-exclusion scheme? Self-exclusion is a voluntary application made through MLCB. Once registered, licensed moneylenders cannot grant you an unsecured loan, except a debt consolidation loan. As of September 2026, the minimum is one or two years for Citizens and PRs, two years for foreigners, and it holds until withdrawn.
Can I clear, reset, or pay someone to “fix” my MLCB record? No. The Act provides for correction of inaccurate information, not deletion of accurate information. Treat any offer to “clean” your record with caution — a licensed moneylender may never ask for your Singpass user ID or password (as of September 2026).
OT CREDIT PTE. LTD. Licence No. 101/2026 Blk 135, Jurong Gateway Road, #01-323, Singapore 600135 6292 0119
OT Credit is a licensed moneylender regulated by the Registry of Moneylenders, Ministry of Law. You can confirm our licence, and any other lender’s, on the Ministry of Law’s list of licensed moneylenders. All loans are subject to our assessment of your income, existing loans, and repayment ability.
[COMPLIANCE SIGN-OFF REQUIRED — do not publish until cleared] This block was built from the current otcredit.com.sg details. Before publishing, replace it with the site’s approved CTA asset and check the entity against the latest Registry list — not the 1 May 2026 PDF. Su Credit’s entry (SU CREDIT PTE LTD, 114/2026) belongs to a different site and must not appear here. Advertising and Marketing Directions Version 3.0 (1 April 2025) require the licensed business name and the approved business address and contact information to appear.
Sources
- Moneylenders Act 2008 — Singapore Statutes Online: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/MA2008
- Moneylenders Rules 2009 (Rules 22E, 22F) — Singapore Statutes Online: https://sso.agc.gov.sg
- FAQs on Borrowing From Licensed Moneylenders — Registry of Moneylenders, Ministry of Law: https://rom.mlaw.gov.sg/information-for-borrowers/guide-to-borrowing-from-licensed-moneylenders-english/
- List of Licensed Moneylenders in Singapore — Registry of Moneylenders: https://rom.mlaw.gov.sg/information-for-borrowers/list-of-licensed-moneylenders-in-singapore/
- Advertising and Marketing Directions, Version 3.0 (1 April 2025) — Registry of Moneylenders
- Professional Service Handbook, Version 3 (1 April 2026) — Registry of Moneylenders
- Moneylenders Credit Bureau: https://www.mlcb.com.sg
- Credit Bureau Singapore: https://www.cbs.com.sg
Licensed moneylenders in Singapore are regulated by the Registry of Moneylenders, Ministry of Law. This article is general information and not financial advice.
