Credit & Debt

Credit Reports

A credit report is a record of how you have used credit, including accounts, balances and payment history.

4 min

Credit 101 • 06

A credit report is a record of your credit history.

Credit bureaus build it using information about your borrowing and repayment activity.

Lenders use the report to help decide whether to lend and on what terms.

It can influence access to credit and the interest rate offered.

A credit report can include

01Credit cards and loans02Balances owed03Payment history04Credit inquiries05Collections and some other records

Report and score are connected but not identical.

01

Credit report

The underlying record of credit activity.

02

Credit score

A number calculated using information from the report.

Canada has two main credit bureaus.

Main bureau 1Equifax
Main bureau 2TransUnion
Your reportCan differ between bureaus
Checking your own reportDoes not hurt your score

Credit reports can contain errors.

Reviewing your own report gives you a chance to spot unfamiliar accounts or inaccurate information.

When reviewing a report, check

01Accounts you recognize02Balances03Payment history04Personal information05Unexpected inquiries or collections

Remember this

Your credit report is the record.

Understanding the record makes the credit score much less mysterious.

Lesson complete

Reviewed 2026-08-18

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