ASIC — Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASIC is Australia's corporate, markets, financial services and consumer credit regulator. It administers the national credit laws that govern most consumer lending and debt collection.
In this profile
- What ASIC is and the laws it administers
- How ASIC regulates credit providers and financial services
- When a person dealing with debt might engage with ASIC
- Why ASIC matters to responsible lending and hardship
- Where to find ASIC's current contact details
8 min read
Who they are
ASIC, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, is the Commonwealth regulator responsible for companies, financial markets, financial services and consumer credit. It maintains national registers of companies and licensees and enforces the laws that set conduct standards for businesses operating in these areas.
For people dealing with debt and credit, ASIC's most relevant role is as the regulator of credit providers and financial services licensees under the national credit and corporations frameworks. You can confirm current details at asic.gov.au.
What they do
ASIC administers the National Consumer Credit Protection framework, licenses credit providers and intermediaries, and sets standards such as responsible lending obligations. It also oversees how regulated entities communicate with customers, including the way financial hardship is handled by lenders.
- Licensing and registration of credit and financial services providers
- Surveillance and enforcement of credit and corporations laws
- Guidance for industry on conduct, disclosure and hardship
- Public registers and warnings about unlicensed operators
When to contact them
You might engage with ASIC if you want to check whether a lender or finance business is licensed, report concerns about misleading conduct by a credit provider, or understand your protections under the national credit laws. ASIC does not resolve individual disputes or recover personal debts, but it uses reports of misconduct to inform its regulatory work.
For complaints about a financial firm, ASIC generally directs consumers first to the firm and then to the relevant external dispute resolution scheme.
Relevance to debt & credit
Because ASIC sets the rules for licensed credit providers, its work shapes how loans are offered, how repayment difficulty is treated and how collection activity by regulated lenders is expected to be conducted. Understanding these protections can help a borrower in financial difficulty know what to expect. For plain-language background on related concepts, see the Merion directory.
How to reach them
ASIC publishes current phone, online and registry contact options on its website. Always confirm the latest details at asic.gov.au rather than relying on numbers quoted elsewhere, and check the official website for current details before lodging anything.
Key takeaways
- ASIC regulates consumer credit and licensed lenders under national credit laws.
- It sets responsible lending and conduct standards but does not recover personal debts.
- You can check whether a credit provider is licensed through ASIC.
- Confirm current contact details at asic.gov.au.
Frequently asked questions
Does ASIC help me recover a debt someone owes me?
No. ASIC is a regulator, not a debt collector or court. It oversees licensed credit providers and financial services but does not pursue individual debts. This is general information only.
Can ASIC tell me if a lender is licensed?
ASIC maintains public registers of credit and financial services licensees. You can search these to check whether a business holds the relevant licence. Confirm details at asic.gov.au.
Should I report a misleading lender to ASIC?
You can report concerns about regulated conduct to ASIC, which uses reports to guide its work. For a personal dispute, you would usually go to the firm and then to external dispute resolution.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Details can change — always confirm current contact details and processes on the organisation's official website.
Know who to turn to
A free, plain-English directory of the regulators, courts, schemes and services behind debt and credit in Australia.