Advertising
Every adult in Canada has the right to request a free copy of their credit report from Equifax and TransUnion, and most people never use it. That’s a missed opportunity, because your report is the single best way to catch errors, spot signs of fraud, and understand exactly what’s shaping your score.
Free report vs. paid credit monitoring
This is where a lot of confusion happens. Both bureaus offer a free report, usually delivered by mail or, in some cases, online, if you request it directly. They also sell ongoing monitoring subscriptions, with alerts, score tracking, and extra features, for a monthly fee.
You don’t need the paid version to exercise your basic right to see your own file. The free report contains the same underlying information; you’re just not paying for convenience extras like real-time alerts.
How to request it
From Equifax Canada: You can request your free report online through their consumer request form, or by mail. Online requests are typically faster.
Advertising
From TransUnion Canada: Similarly, you can request a free copy through their website or by mailing in a request form. TransUnion has, at times, offered online access more readily than Equifax, though policies can change.
Be ready to confirm your identity: full name, date of birth, current and previous addresses, and sometimes account numbers from existing credit products. This is a normal security step, not a sign something’s wrong.
What to actually look for once you have it
Reading a credit report for the first time can feel overwhelming. Focus on a few things:
- Personal information. Confirm your name, address history, and date of birth are correct. Errors here can sometimes indicate a mixed file, where someone else’s information has been merged with yours.
- Accounts you don’t recognize. This is the most important fraud check. Any account you didn’t open needs to be disputed immediately.
- Payment history accuracy. Check that on-time payments are actually marked on-time. Reporting errors happen more often than people expect, and a wrongly marked late payment can drag your score down for something that never happened.
- Hard inquiries. Make sure every inquiry corresponds to something you actually applied for. Unfamiliar inquiries can be an early sign someone tried to open credit in your name.
If you find an error
Both bureaus have a formal dispute process. You submit the specific item you believe is wrong, along with any supporting documentation, and they’re required to investigate, typically within 30 days. If the creditor can’t verify the disputed information, it has to be removed or corrected.
Keep records of everything you submit. Disputes can take a few rounds if the first response isn’t satisfactory.
Why this matters even if nothing seems wrong
Even with a healthy score, checking your report periodically is worth the ten minutes it takes. Identity theft doesn’t always announce itself, and small reporting errors can sit unnoticed for years, quietly capping a score that would otherwise be higher.
Think of it the way you’d think of checking a bank statement: not because you expect a problem every time, but because catching one early is far easier than untangling it later.
