How to fix your credit file in Australia.

1. Get a copy of your credit report — free

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting body every three months, and free any time you have been declined credit or a listing has been corrected. In Australia those bodies are Equifax, Experian, illion and — for commercial listings — CreditorWatch.

Get all of them. Providers do not report to every bureau, so a default can appear on one file and not another.

2. Read every line of it

Check your name, date of birth and address history, every credit account listed, the repayment history grid on each account, every enquiry, and any defaults, judgements or serious credit infringements. Write down anything you do not recognise or that looks wrong.

3. Identify what is actually wrong

Only information that is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, misleading or unlawfully recorded can be corrected. Debts you genuinely owe, correctly listed, will stay. Common real errors: defaults where the notices were never received, enquiries you never authorised, listings belonging to someone with a similar name, accounts you closed still showing open, and repayment markers that ignore a hardship arrangement.

4. Request a correction — this costs nothing

Write to the credit provider or the credit reporting body and ask them to correct the specific item. They must investigate and respond, generally within 30 days. Keep everything in writing and keep copies.

5. Escalate for free if you are not satisfied

If the response is unsatisfactory, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) at no cost, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner handles privacy complaints. Free financial counselling is available on the National Debt Helpline, 1800 007 007.

6. Build the file back up

Pay every credit account on time — repayment history is the part of your file you have the most direct control over. Avoid making multiple credit applications in a short period, since each one leaves an enquiry. Close credit facilities you no longer use, and check your report again in three months.

7. Consider paid help only if you want it handled for you

Everything above can be done yourself for free. A paid credit repair service exists for people who would rather have the assessment, evidence gathering and correspondence handled on their behalf. If you go that way, use a provider that assesses your file before charging, puts fees in writing, and tells you plainly what cannot be removed.