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What information is included in my credit history? What information should not be included?

Your credit report has information about your past and present personal and financial situation.

Here are examples of information that are included in your credit history:

• Personal information: This is information such as your name, current and previous address(es), social insurance number (SIN), telephone number, date of birth, and your current and previous employer(s).
• Credit information: This is information related to any credit you may already have, such as a credit or retail card, a line of credit, a loan or a mortgage.
• Banking information: This is information about the accounts you have, including any NSF (non-sufficient funds) or "bad" cheques you may have written.
• Public records: This is any information on the public record such as a bankruptcy or a credit-related court judgment against you in a lawsuit. Secured loans, which are backed by an asset (your property for example), may also appear in your credit report.
• Collection information: This shows whether you ever had a debt that you could not pay which was referred to a collection agency for payment.
• Consumer statement: This is any statement you may have made to explain a particular situation, such as a dispute with a financial institution or a fraud warning.
• Credit report inquiries: This is a list of all of the people who have inquired about your credit: yourself, a lender, or any other authorized organization.

What Should Not be on Your File

• Non-payment of rent;
• Information about race, colour, religion;
• Criminal charges not resulting in conviction;
• Criminal charges older than 7 years;
• Credit information older than 6 years — except bankruptcy; or
• Health or healthcare information.

See examples of credit reports from TransUnion and Equifax, the 2 major credit-reporting agencies in Canada.

What do I do if there is an error in my credit report?

Contact the credit-reporting agency and your financial institution immediately. You can also contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada for more information and help.

For More Information

• Frequently Asked Questions About Your Credit History - Explains what is in your credit history and how your credit score is calculated. From Equifax.
• Understanding Credit - How credit cards work and how to use credit wisely. From the Canadian Bankers Association.
• What You Need to Know to Protect Your Identity - Information about identify theft and a list of agencies that can help you. From the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

This article contains information from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.