How your monthly repayments matter to your credit file
June 2015Monthly repayments on credit accounts like personal loans, mortgages and your credit card minimum balance can all be recorded on your credit file.
Are you credit invisible?
July 2015If you've never applied for credit before, there's a good chance you may be credit invisible. Here we look at what you should know about it.
Yes. You can contact Equifax to obtain a copy of your free Equifax credit report where:
- Your credit application was declined. The request for a free credit file must be made within 90 days from the date your application was declined;
- You have lodged a correction request and have been advised that information on your file has been corrected; or
- You can request a copy of your free credit report once every 12 months.
You can order a free copy of your credit file in the following ways:
- Click here to order online;
- Call us on 13 8332 and follow the prompt; or
- Mail your request to us at GPO Box 964, NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059.
Your Equifax credit report contains information about your history with credit. There are different sections to your credit report:
Identification information
This includes information like your name, date of birth, address history as well as your driver’s licence number and employment history.
Consumer credit information
The consumer credit information section includes:
- Details of credit enquiries that have been made on you when you have made an application for consumer credit. Consumer credit relates to loans for household or family purposes as well as for the purchase, renovation or re-financing of a residential investment property. Obvious types of credit include credit cards and loans like mortgages, personal and car loans as well as credit contracts such as telephone, electricity, gas and internet. Other forms of credit include interest free store finance and store cards.
- Consumer credit liability accounts – this is an account that you currently have open or may have had in the past. It includes the type of account, the open and/or close date as well as the credit limit.
- Monthly repayment history on credit accounts such as mortgages and credit cards. This reflects whether you have paid the minimum amount required on time each month or not. Please note that not all credit providers supply repayment history information to credit reporting bodies like Equifax
- Overdue accounts such as defaults and serious credit infringements
- Public record information like:
- Court judgements
- Directorship details
- Proprietorship details
- Bankruptcy, debt agreement and personal insolvency
Commercial credit information
- Details of credit enquiries that have been made on you for commercial credit. Examples of commercial credit include a mobile phone contract or credit card for business use or a business loan.
- Details of any overdue commercial credit accounts and other debts.
File access information is also included. This outlines who has accessed your credit report. For consumer credit reporting, only credit providers, affected information recipients, access seekers and credit reporting bodies like Equifax can access your report under the requirements of the Privacy Act.
You can view a sample Equifax credit report here.
My Credit File
Get your free Equifax credit report. Eligibility criteria applies.*
- Your Equifax credit report
- See what credit information banks and lenders see from Equifax
*You have a right to obtain a free copy of your credit file from Equifax if your credit application was declined (your free credit file request must be made within 90 days from the date your application was declined), if you have lodged a correction request and have been advised that your file has been corrected, and once every 12 months.