4.5.3 What's in your credit report?

Your credit report is a history of how you have met your financial obligations. The report is created when you first borrow money or apply for credit. Lenders send the credit reporting agencies regular updates on your payment history—for example, when you applied for credit, if you make your payments on time, if you miss a payment, or if you have gone over your credit limit.

Canada's two main credit bureaus use slightly different forms for credit reports, but they include the same types of information, including:

• your name, address and date of birth
• your employment information
• details of your credit accounts and transactions, and whether you have made payments on time
• your banking information, including any NSF (non-sufficient funds) cheque history
• public record information, such as whether you have secured loans, bankruptcies or judgments against you
• information about any collection actions against you
• a record of inquiries from all organizations or individuals that have requested a copy of your credit report in recent years.