Control your credit history

From March 2014, the credit reporting system in Australia will undergo extensive changes so now is the time for you to take control of your credit history.

Historically, credit reports only provided negative information about a person’s repayment history – missed payments, defaults, etc, but the new reforms will now enable those credit providers, who choose to participate in comprehensive credit reporting, the opportunity to share and access repayment history behaviour. The reforms will:

• provide a clearer picture of the consumer’s ability to repay debts
• enable better matching of consumer credit needs
• give fairer access to credit and increased consumer protection.
   

To help consumers understand the changes and how they can manage their credit history in a proactive manner, the Australian Retail Credit Association (ARCA) has launched the website CreditSmart.org.au. The site provides a range of tools and tips to help better understand what your credit history says about you.

ARCA CEO Damien Paull said, “It is important consumers are aware of these changes as they will affect what is in their credit report and what information can be accessed by credit providers. Together with many of Australia’s largest financial institutions and credit reporting bodies, we’ve built CreditSmart.org.au to help improve consumer understanding of these changes.”

For more information, visit CreditSmart.org.au