You might spring clean your closets, garage, office, and even your computer files. But do you remember to spring clean your credit file? It might be a mess, and if you don’t check on it every once in a while you’ll never know. While you’re cleaning and organising other areas of your life this spring, it’s the perfect time to add your credit file to the list.

Here are some steps you can take to spring clean your credit file to make sure it’s error-free and representing you and your credit history fairly.

1. Get a copy of your credit file from each of the major credit reporting agencies.

Before you can “clean up” your credit file, you need to know what it contains. Get a copy from both Veda Advantage and Dun & Bradstreet, as they might contain different information. Sadly very few Australians actually check their credit files each year.

2. Review your creditors, debts, and personal information.

Make sure basic information on your credit report is up to date. For example, check your address. It might be outdated if you recently moved. Also look at your current creditors listed. Are they all still current creditors or did you close an account and that hasn’t been updated? What about debts? Do any seem unfamiliar? Do you see a history of late payments on an account you don’t recognise? Finding creditors or accounts you don’t recognise might be a sign that you’ve been a victim of identity theft. Here are some tips on how to decipher your credit file if this is the first time you’re looking at one.

3. File disputes with creditors and credit reporting agencies if you discover inaccuracies.

If information is outdated or downright false, it’s important to have it fixed as quickly as possible. After all, even if you don’t look at your credit file often the information in it can influence your eligibility for credit cards, loans, rental leases, and more. The most important fixes to worry about are inaccurate debt or repayment records or having fraudulent items removed if you find that you were a victim of identity theft.

Here is a resource where you can find the mailing addresses of both Veda Advantage and Dun & Bradstreet to correct errors in your credit file. And here is a sample credit file dispute letter you can use to contact creditors who haven’t updated outdated repayment information in your credit history.

No one cares about your credit history more than you do (or should). No one else is going to monitor your credit file for errors and outdated information to make sure it reflects your creditworthiness in a fair and accurate way. You have to take things into your own hands. Spring cleaning is just a good excuse. But you can do this several times per year. Also, don’t forget to check your credit file again after making update requests. You’ll want to verify that the information was actually changed.