Build your Canadian credit, step by step
Equifax and TransUnion control your borrowing future. Here are the tools and guides to take charge of both.
Credit Score Simulator
See exactly how a new card, a missed payment, or paying down debt would shift your score.
Run simulationRead Your Credit Report
Decode every section of your Equifax and TransUnion reports and dispute errors.
Open guideLenders for Thin-File Borrowers
Compare Canadian lenders that approve borrowers with limited or rebuilding credit.
Browse lendersCredit Term Glossary
Hard inquiry, soft pull, utilization, derogatory marks — defined in plain Canadian English.
Open glossaryThe 5-step Canadian credit-building plan
- Pull both reports free. Equifax and TransUnion both offer free Canadian consumer reports — pull both at least annually.
- Open a secured credit card. Home Trust, Capital One, and Refresh Financial all offer Canadian secured cards that report to both bureaus.
- Keep utilization under 30%. If your limit is $500, never carry a balance over $150 at statement close.
- Automate every payment. One missed payment can drop a score by 80–110 points and stays on file for 6 years.
- Add a second tradeline after 6 months. A small installment loan or second card diversifies your credit mix — a key Equifax scoring factor.