Looking at financial history

This often depends on what is necessary. The general rule of thumb is the more questionable the transactions are the longer the trustee is required to look. But usually the window is no longer than 5 years. What you will typically find is that if you are trying to organize your assets in a manner to diminish any returns or otherwise thwart the rights of your creditors, the more likely your file will be put under scrutiny and the more likely you will have sigificant difficulties when you are trying to obtain a discharge.