This all depends on the type of data. Identity information including your name, date of birth, gender, driver’s licence and address history is held for the life of the Credit Fule. For other information on your credit report, here are some of the typical timeframes.

Two years
Repayment history information

Five years
Any credit enquiry
Overdue accounts listed as a payment default
Overdue accounts listed as clearouts
Writs and summons
Court judgments

Seven years
Overdue accounts listed as a serious credit infringement

For some information the timeframe will vary

• Information about consumer credit accounts you have with credit providers (known as consumer credit liability information). This information can be held for 2 years after the account has been terminated or ceases to exist. This means that the account information will remain on file for the length of the loan plus 2 years.
• Similarly, if you are bankrupt, have a debt agreement or personal insolvency the length of time this information remains on file could vary depending upon when the bankruptcy, debt agreement or personal insolvency agreement was entered into and when it ends.

At Equifax, we automatically delete information from your credit report on or just before its expiry date, calculated using the retention periods set out in the Privacy Act.

How about overdue debts?

It’s important to note that details regarding overdue debts are not removed from your credit report just because the debts have been paid. They’ll still remain on your report for five or seven years (depending upon the type of overdue debt); however, your credit report will be updated to reflect the fact that the debt is no longer overdue. In the case of serious credit infringements, if the debt is paid it will be removed from your credit report if it is more than 5 years since it was listed or it will revert back to a default and be held for a maximum of 5 years from the date it was listed.

Overdue debts and late payments can have a negative impact on your ability to gain credit in the future, so it’s important that you aim to pay your bills on time. If you’re having financial difficulties, you may wish to contact your credit provider to see if you can arrange a payment plan.

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