IMPORTANCE OF YOUR CREDIT RECORD

Jill Smith from Citizens Advice Bureau Far North (CAB)

A credit report (or record) is a record of your credit history. It includes any payment defaults recorded against your name, and it also includes your credit rating.
Your credit rating is a score between 0 and 1,000 that credit reporting agencies assign to you based on your credit history. The higher the score, the better your rating. Businesses, banks and other organisations you engage with may look at your credit report to help them decide if they want to do business with you.
You have a right to free access to your credit record. You will usually receive your record within 10 days of applying for it. You may need to pay a fee if you need it quicker than that (within three working days). A credit reporting company cannot charge you more than $10 (including GST) to process your credit report application.

In New Zealand, there are three credit reporting agencies. If you want a full check of your credit record, you need to get a credit report from each of them:
👉Centrix – My Credit Report
👉illion - register to get your free credit report
👉Equifax - My Credit File


Our Bureau re-opens today from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Friday. Please call us on 09 407 9829 or 0800 367 222. Email us on farnorth@cab.org.nz. Pop in and see us at 6 Cobham Rd., Procter Library Building, Kerikeri.