Your credit file, credit report or credit history is all the same thing. It is an entry in a database of your major financial history to date, held independently of all banks and building societies, summarizing your behavior across all areas of financial involvement, to which all banks and building societies have access.
Not that your credit file is something to worry about particularly. It does not contain detailed information about your day-to-day finances, only the broadest summary. It contains your name, date of birth, address, and a record of every time you apply for a bank account, loan, credit card, mortgage and savings account, but without the rates, amount or success of the application. Still, a lot of information can be gleaned from this even without the particular details, for example, if when applying for a loan with a bank they see three other applications at different institutions for loans as well, they don't need to know the outcomes to make a decision against you as either you are being refused everywhere else or you have been successful but have already taken on a lot of debt which could jeopardies your repayments if something where to go wrong.
It is worth noting that different banks and institutions use different criteria for lending. Some look at existing debt; some at afford ability of repayments; yet others at security of debts. Just because a bank will not lend to you does not mean no-one will. But conversely, a word of warning: Just because a bank will lend you money does not mean you can afford the repayments, especially in the event of accident, sickness, unemployment or death. Be sensible and realistic about borrowing.
N.b. Individual circumstances vary and these articles only provided for illustrative purposes. I recommend you see a bank assistant or a financial advisor if you need help with your finances.
