In Australia, most credit reporting agencies use a “comprehensive credit reporting” system. The system lists both positive and negative information about your credit history. For example, positive entries may include loans, personal finance, business funding, credit cards, and hire purchases as well as your payment history.

Negative entries may include outstanding bills older than 60 days, defaults, judgment payments, etc. That means if for any reason you haven’t been timely in your credit and loan repayments, your credit report WILL show it. The Privacy Act makes sure of that.

Here are a few other examples of information your credit report will now show:

• Your personal information: Your name, any previous names, your gender, your date of birth, your addresses (current and two previous), employers (current and the one before), and your driver’s license number
• Your credit applications and their respective amounts
• Your credit applications’ opening and closing dates
• Commercial credit, if you’re a business owner and applied for credit
• Your total maximum available credit
• The terms and conditions of all your credit accounts, including repayment types and payment terms
• Your current default information, which includes amounts, dates, and the recipients of your payments
• Any court judgments on credit provided to you or applied for
• Information about bankruptcy or debt agreements

Remember: It’s your duty and right to check your credit report and correct any mistakes or inaccuracies. What’s more, your credit report is free if you’re willing to wait 10 days, though it can be made available sooner for a small fee.