equifax

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What Credit Bureau Does Each Bank Check in Canada?

ByDCTA
49 Comments

Whenever you apply for a credit product in Canada, the lender will check your credit history from one or both of the two credit bureaus in Canada: TransUnion or Equifax. Since each credit check negatively impacts your credit history, it’s important to know which lender pulls what, helping you “stack” your credit churning appropriately and limiting the damage to any particular credit bureau.

An ‘X’ indicates the bureau used by the creditor. TransUnion is indicated in green, while Equifax is indicated in red. Most creditors only pull one bureau, with the exception of Capital One, who pulls both. A blue tab with a number indicates that the creditor may also pull from that bureau. An explanatory note for any blue and numbered entry is provided after the table.

If you have a different experience than listed, please comment, and I’ll update the table accordingly.

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Sunday Reader Question: How do I fix a mistake on my credit report?

ByDCTA
1 Comment

Having a mistake on your credit report is a fairly common occurrence, and if you’re a credit card churner, there’s more activity on your credit reports which increases the likelihood of a mistake. Typically mistakes aren’t that big of an issue, but they can take time and substantial effort to get the issue rectified. It’s important to check your credit report from both bureaus on a regular basis to monitor for any mistakes. Today’s Sunday Reader Question is: If there’s a mistake on my credit report, what do I do to fix it? 

Free Year of Equifax (Premier) Credit Monitoring

ByDCTA
3 Comments

I’ve spoken before about how to get your credit report for free. I’ve also said that you shouldn’t waste your money on online credit monitoring services. However, if you believe that you’ve used a credit card at Home Depot after April 1, 2014 (note: you don’t have to supply any proof, or even a declaration), you’re eligible for one year of free Equifax Premier Credit Monitoring, which allows you to update your credit report and see your consumer disclosure score on a daily basis.

Did you close your credit card? Did you REALLY close it?

ByDCTA
2 Comments

I was just sitting on the sofa, and got an email from Equifax saying there’s been a “rate change” to a credit report. I logged in and saw that the credit score dropped significantly. I dug deeper, and I saw that a credit card was listed as being late, as “bad debt.” WHAT. THE. HELL!? I’ve never missed a payment in my life.