a bank reference

Meaning

1. 1nouncountablebusinessfinance

   A short statement from a bank about whether a person or company is financially reliable.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a bank reference' or 'two bank references'. It is often used in the phrase 'provide a bank reference'.

   Patterns

   • provide a bank reference
   • supply a bank reference
   • ask someone for a bank reference

   The landlord asked the new tenant to provide a bank reference before signing the lease.

   Before approving the loan, the company requested a bank reference from the supplier.

   She included a bank reference with her application for the business account.

Word forms

Common combinations

provide a bank reference

You may need to provide a bank reference when you apply for a mortgage.

request a bank reference

The finance department will request a bank reference from your main bank.

a bank reference letter

A bank reference letter usually states how long you have held the account.

obtain a bank reference

It can take a few days to obtain a bank reference from an overseas bank.

Synonyms and how they differ

credit reference

A credit reference focuses on your borrowing and repayment history, while a bank reference is a general statement from your bank about your financial standing.

financial reference

A financial reference is a broader term that can come from an accountant or other professional, not only from a bank.

Word family

bank noun

A financial institution where people keep and borrow money.

reference noun

A statement about someone's character or ability, often from a previous employer.

Commonly confused: a bank reference or bank statement?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “a bank reference”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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