I've read some interesting articles on the mysterious 'CIFAS' on this site but can anybody tell me how long a CIFAS entry stays on a credit report. Equifax have told me that it can stay on file forever and is only removed upon the request of the member organisation who placed the warning on the file in the first place. Is this correct?

-- Jo (chrisbrad@zoom.co.uk), January 29, 2001

Answers

%This advice is base don my own experiances and must be used at your peril.

CIFAS registrations such as "incorrect details provided on a credit application" last for 18 months. At that point all banks and finance companies should delete them as they have expired. However, in my experiance the banks record the information elsewhere and it is never deleted. I have reported this situation to the DPC and to CIFAS.

CIFAS Alerts should be short term warnings which require further proof or they expire.

Check with CIFAS, just phone them up and ask them, if you have questions about this.

-- anon (i.hate.abbey.national@another.com), February 21, 2001.