Fix My Credit Australia: Your Complete Action Plan (2026)

Quick Answer: Fixing your credit in Australia starts with getting all three credit reports (Equifax, Experian, Illion) and identifying every negative entry. Any default or court judgement listed in breach of the Privacy Act 1988 — due to an invalid Section 21D notice, incorrect amount, or listing during a dispute — can be formally removed in 30–90 days. For accurate entries, consistent on-time repayments under Comprehensive Credit Reporting gradually rebuild your score over 12–24 months. An ASIC-licensed credit repair firm can assess your file for free and tell you exactly which path is faster for your situation.

"Fix my credit" gets searched by tens of thousands of Australians every month. Most of them are in the same situation: they've just been knocked back for a loan, a rental property, or a phone plan — and they finally want to understand what's actually on their file and what they can do about it.

The answer depends on what's causing the damage. That's the first thing to find out, because the strategy changes completely depending on whether your negative entries were listed correctly or not.

Here's your complete action plan.

Step 1 — Know Exactly What's on Your File

You can't fix what you haven't seen. Get your credit reports from all three bureaus before taking any other action:

• Equifax: equifax.com.au — free annual report
• Experian: experian.com.au — free score and report
• Illion: creditreport.com.au — free annual report

Different lenders check different bureaus. A default might appear on Equifax but not Experian. A landlord checking your credit might use Illion. You need to see all three.

When you get your reports, look for every negative entry: defaults (paid and unpaid), court judgements, excessive credit enquiries, and any incorrect personal details.

Step 2 — Identify Which Entries Are Challengeable

Not every negative entry has to stay on your file for 5 years. Under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Credit Reporting Code, defaults must be listed following strict rules. When those rules are broken — which happens regularly — the listing is unlawful and removable.

Common removal grounds:

Telco and utility defaults are particularly prone to these breaches. If you have a default from Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, AGL, Origin, or a similar provider, it's worth having it professionally assessed.

Step 3 — Take Action on Each Entry

For challengeable entries: Lodge a formal written dispute with the credit provider citing the specific legal breach. Send a copy to the bureau. Follow up every 14 days in writing. Escalate to AFCA (for financial firms) or the TIO (for telcos) if the provider doesn't respond within 30 days.

For accurate entries: You can't remove them — but you can outpace them. Under CCR, positive repayment data is reported every month. Consistent on-time payments on every account you hold builds a trail of positive history that lenders can see alongside the negative entry. Over 12–24 months, this meaningfully improves how lenders view your file even with the negative entry present.

For incorrect personal details: Contact the bureau directly. Wrong address, wrong employer, wrong date of birth — fix these first. They affect the accuracy of your score and sometimes affect how positive data is matched to your file.

Real Case Study: Aisha, Melbourne — Fixed Credit in 44 Days, Home Loan Approved

Aisha, 36, a secondary school teacher, had been saving for her first home for three years. She had a $95,000 deposit ready but kept getting knocked back at pre-approval. Her Equifax score was 487.

She had one default on her file: a $490 AGL electricity bill from 2023, listed as unpaid. She'd actually paid it — there had been a billing dispute at the time, and the payment was made during that dispute process. AGL listed the default anyway.

She found Australian Credit Solutions through a Google search. We assessed her file. The default had been listed while Aisha had an active dispute lodged directly with AGL's complaints team — a direct violation of the Credit Reporting Code, which prohibits listing defaults during unresolved complaints.

We lodged the formal dispute on that specific ground. AGL acknowledged the breach. The default was removed in 44 days.

Result: Aisha's Equifax score moved from 487 to 671. She applied for a $480,000 home loan through her bank. Approved at 6.28%. The non-conforming quote she'd been given before removal had been 9.6% — a saving of approximately $286,000 over 30 years.

She only paid when we succeeded.

Get a free assessment from Australian Credit Solutions →

Quick Wins While You Wait

Whether you're pursuing removal or rebuilding through repayment history, these actions help immediately:

1. Set all accounts to direct debit — no missed payments from here forward
2. Reduce credit card balances to below 30% of the limit
3. Don't apply for any new credit for at least 6 months — every application creates an enquiry
4. Check for duplicate enquiries on your file — these can sometimes be removed
5. Dispute any incorrect personal information — wrong address or name can create data matching issues

None of these fixes a damaged score overnight, but they prevent it getting worse and lay the foundation for improvement.

How Long Does Fixing Credit Take?

The fastest results consistently come from removing unlawful negative entries. If that option is available on your file, everything else is secondary.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix my credit in Australia quickly? The fastest method is removing defaults or court judgements that were listed in breach of the Privacy Act 1988 or Credit Reporting Code. Score improvements of 100–200 points in 30–90 days are achievable when strong grounds exist. Get a free assessment from an ASIC-licensed credit repair firm to find out if this applies to your file.

Can I fix my credit myself in Australia for free? Yes — you can lodge disputes with bureaus and credit providers yourself at no cost. You can also build positive repayment history without paying anyone. The limitation of DIY is that creditors investigate their own compliance failures slowly. Professional representation with legal expertise typically produces faster and more successful outcomes, especially for recent defaults from major creditors.

Does fixing my credit affect my credit score? Removing a negative entry improves your score immediately — the bureau recalculates when the listing is removed, typically within 1–5 business days. There is no negative impact from fixing your credit. Applying for new credit while attempting to fix it can temporarily reduce your score through hard enquiries, which is why avoiding new applications during the repair process is recommended.

How many points will my credit score go up when a default is removed? A single default removal typically improves an Equifax score by 80–200 points depending on the default amount, recency, and your baseline score. A $500 telco default on a score of 520 might move to 630–680. Multiple removals compound — two defaults removed might improve a score by 150–300 points total. Subject to individual file assessment.

What's the difference between fixing credit and rebuilding credit? Fixing credit refers to removing negative entries that shouldn't be there — unlawful defaults, incorrect information, unauthorised enquiries. Rebuilding credit refers to improving your score through positive financial behaviour over time — on-time repayments, low utilisation, stable account history. Both are part of a complete credit improvement strategy. Fixing (removal) is faster; rebuilding ensures long-term improvement.

Who can help me fix my credit in Australia? ASIC-licensed credit repair firms provide professional assistance. Verify any firm's licence number at asic.gov.au before engaging. A legitimate firm operates on No Win No Fee and will give you an honest assessment of whether your entries have grounds for removal. ASIC's MoneySmart (moneysmart.gov.au) and AFCA (afca.org.au) provide free resources and dispute resolution respectively.

Your Next Step

The clearest thing you can do right now is find out exactly what's on your file and whether anything is removable. Our free assessment covers all three bureaus and gives you a plain-English answer within 24 hours.

Australian Credit Solutions — ASIC-licensed ACL 532003, lawyer-led, No Win No Fee, 98% success rate, 4.9/5 from 976+ reviews, Industry Excellence Award winner 2022–2024.

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Australian Credit Solutions Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence ACL 532003. Credit repair services are subject to individual assessment. Results may vary. This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.

Related reading: Fix your credit score → | Default removal services → | Credit repair Australia →