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Checking for errors on your credit report

Why check your credit report?

A Credit Report is a summary of all the Trade Lines or credit Relations you have undertaken with all the registered Financing Institutions.

A Trade Line is created at the moment you are first granted credit from any of the registered financial institutions. Also when you apply for credit for the first time a Credit Report will be created even if you are not accepted for credit – this will list only an inquiry, but not a trade line.

Financial Institutions or Lenders will send information about your accounts to the credit bureaus, also known as credit reporting agencies. A Credit report is a collection of all the dealings/trade lines you have had with any said financial institutions. It will show how good or bad you have managed your credit. If the Lender is reviewing a file and the information showing turns out to be incorrect, then decision would be conducted with faulty information. If there’s an error on your credit report, a lender may turn you down for credit cards or loans, or charge you a higher interest rate. You may also not be able to rent a house or apartment or get a job.

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Apart from errors creating the basis for an unsatisfactory dealing and result, the errors could also be a sign that someone is trying to steal your identity. They may be trying to open credit cards, mortgages or other loans under your name.

It is for the above mentioned reasons that we believe that Credit Reports should be checked regularly. A yearly check might be a good decision.

What errors could be on your credit report

Once you get your report, check for:

name, address, date of birth, employer and occupation.
errors in credit card and loan accounts, such as amounts, balances, payment amount, date open etc.
negative information about your accounts that is still listed after the maximum number of years it’s allowed to stay on your report
Make sure you are aware of all the trade lines existing there. If you see a RBC card and you never had a dealing with RBC, it is time to worry. Chances are these accounts would be in arrears.

Keep in mind that negative information does not disappear from your credit report because you paid it off. The negative information stays there for some time. Checking these trade lines would be the way to inform yourself on what might have been negatively affecting you.

Look for accounts that don’t belong to you on your credit report. Accounts that you don’t recognize could mean that someone has applied for a credit card, line of credit, mortgage or other loan under your name. It could also just be an administrative error. Make sure it’s not fraud or identity theft by taking the steps to have it corrected.

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Steps if Fraud Suspected

If you find an error on your credit report, you should contact lenders and any other organizations that could be affected. Tell them about the potential fraud.

If it’s fraud, you should:

contact Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada to inform them about the fraud
ask to put a fraud alert on your credit report
report it to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on fraud and identity theft.

If you are certain that the information is wrong then we strongly suggest that add a Fraud Alert (warning) in your Credit Reports. A fraud alert, or identity verification alert, tells lenders to contact you and confirm your identity before they approve any applications for credit. The aim is to prevent any further fraud from happening.

Ask the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on your credit report if:

you’ve been a victim of fraud
your wallet has been stolen
you’ve had a home break-in

You may need to provide identification and a sworn statement to prove that you’ve been a victim of fraud.

Your Rights

You have the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is wrong. Additionally, you can ask the credit bureaus to correct errors for free. Always support your case by gathering receipts, statements and other documents related to your credit accounts. This is since you may need them to prove your claim. Crucially, you need to report to both Equifax & Transunion, since different lenders use different platforms. Before the credit bureau can change the information on your credit report, it will need to investigate your claim. First, it will check your claim with the lender that originally reported the information. If the lender agrees that there is an error, the credit bureau will update your credit report. However, if the lender disputes your claim – and instead suggests it is correct, the bureaus will leave your credit report unchanged.

The second step would be to contact the lender that reported the information. It will not be an easy process and you need to understand that the Lender will require a lot of things in order to believe your claim. They will have to compare the information they have and the one you are suggesting to them. Importantly, you should ask to speak with someone at a higher level at the credit bureau or at your financial institution if you’re not satisfied with the results of the investigation.

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Complaints

Federally regulated financial institutions must have a complaint-handling procedure to help resolve disputes between consumers and their financial institutions. This procedure includes a third-party dispute-resolution body.

Assuming that the credit bureau confirms the information is accurate but you’re still not satisfied, you can submit a brief statement to your credit report explaining your position. It’s free to add a consumer statement to your credit report. TransUnion lets you add a statement of up to 100 words, or 200 words in Saskatchewan. Equifax lets you add a statement of up to 400 characters to your credit report.

Lenders and others who review your credit report may consider your consumer statement when they make their decisions.

Click Here if You Want to Build Your Credit – Get Your Dream Car Today!

23 December 2021/by Mateo Gjinali

Car Financing

Credit Cards & Their Importance

How do credit cards work?

Credit Cards are considered Revolving Credit. It is very important to understand that Credit Cards have a huge impact in your Credit Report and paying them on time has a great impact on you.

Credit Cards could be very widely used in everyday life and they could be used to pay for all kinds of goods and services.

You can use your credit card to pay for goods or services:

at a cash register or checkout, that is, a point of sale
over the phone
online

Keep receipts for all your credit card purchases. Check your receipts against your credit card statement to make sure there are no mistakes. If you find a mistake, immediately contact the financial institution that issued your credit card. Most importantly contact the Credit Reporting agencies in order to place a warning to stop any possible fraud in further credit granting.

Click Here if You Want to Build Your Credit – Get Your Dream Car Today!

Cash Advances

A very common way of using Credit Cards is through forms of Cash Advance. You can use a credit card to get a cash advance by:

taking out cash at an automatic teller machine (ATM)
getting cash from a financial institution

A cash advance can be a very expensive way to borrow money. Before you take out a cash advance, consider a cheaper way you can borrow, such as a personal loan or line of credit. When you use cash advances, try to pay off as much of your balance as you can as early as possible.

There is no interest-free grace period with cash advances. You’ll pay interest from the date you get a cash advance until you pay it back in full. The interest rate charged for cash advances is usually higher than for regular purchases. For example, the interest rate for regular purchases may be 18%, but it may be 28% for cash advances.

You may also have to pay a fee each time you get a cash advance.

A fee may be:

a fixed amount per cash advance
a percentage of the amount of the cash advance
a fixed amount plus a percentage of the cash advance

Some financial institutions set a minimum and a maximum for those fees. If you apply for a credit card from a federally regulated financial institution such as a bank, the application must include an information box. The information box must present key features of the credit card, such as interest rates, fees and other charges, in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

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Credit Cheques

Sometimes it might come as a surprise to you when you see cheques in your mail attached to your credit cards bill. You can use credit card cheques to make purchases the same way you would with personal cheques. Credit card cheques are also called convenience cheques or promotional cheques. You can also use them to pay bills or other debts such as outstanding balances on other credit cards (though this can end up being a problematic infinite loop).

You’ll pay interest from the date you use the cheque. The interest rate charged when you use a credit card cheque is usually higher than for regular purchases. Credit card cheques are linked to your credit card account. If you use them to pay for goods or services, the amount will appear on your credit card statement. Federally regulated financial institutions, such as banks, must get your consent before they can send you credit card cheques. If you choose to get credit card cheques as part of a special offer, make sure you understand all the terms and conditions. If you don’t want to use credit card cheques, cut them up before you throw them out to protect yourself against fraud. Contact your credit card issuer and ask them to stop sending credit card cheques.

Balance Transfer

It is quite common for credit card companies (Visa, Mastercard…) to offer you lower than market rates. This is done for the purpose of achieving a Balance Transfer. This occurs when you pay off the balance from your current credit card by transferring it to a new card that generally has a lower rate. Be careful as these rates are temporarily low and they increase at a later time. In some cases they charge a fee for the transfer which could be in the form of a percentage of the amount transferred. Before you transfer a balance, be sure to read the terms of your credit card agreement carefully.

Person inserting card on an automated machine

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Key Elements

Here are some very important elements to know while using Credit Cards:

High Credit (Credit limit)

Your credit limit is the maximum amount you can normally spend on your credit card. The limit is set when you first get your credit card, but you can request that it be reduced or increased.

Your credit card issuer has to get your permission in writing or verbally before increasing your credit limit. This is known as giving your express consent, which means you clearly agree in writing or verbally to a credit limit increase. If you agree verbally to an increase, your credit card issuer has to confirm the change in writing no later than your next credit card statement.

Credit Card Balance

The Credit Card Balance would reflect the amount of money you have already used while purchasing goods or services. You need to understand that high balances and non payments of these balances might result in high interest payments.

Available Credit

The available credit reflects the amount of credit still available to be used. It is normally the difference between the High Credit and the Credit Card balance. Keep in mind that Credit Card Companies might allow you to use more than the High Credit.

Due Date and Minimum Payment

The due date is a very important element in the invoice (bill) that you receive from the Credit Card Company. It reflects the time by which you must pay either the total balance left in your Credit Card or the Minimum Payment. Minimum Payment is the amount required to pay in order for the account not to be considered delinquent. It normally is the interest that the Credit Card Company charges. Please note that credit cards become very expensive because of this feature. It lets the consumers believe that it is ok to make this small payment and continue holding the balances unchanged. We strongly suggest that you try to reduce the balances. It will be saving you a lot of money in interest. The due date is what determines how late you are with making payments.

Example: RBC provides you with a Visa in the amount of $1000. You use $300 to purchase goods or services on 31 January 2021. The bill comes in the mail and the billing date is 8 February 20021 and gives the information that you have a payment due on 1 march 2021. Minimum payment is $35.

Based on this information:

High Credit = $1000

Credit Card Balance = $300

Available Credit = $700 ($1000 – $300)

Due Date = 1 March 2021

Minimum Payment = $35

Transaction Date = 31 January

Billing Date = 8 February 2021

Late Payments & Their effect on your Credit

If we assume that the payment of $35 was not made on 1 March 2021 you have now 30 days to make that payment. Assuming the payment of at least $35 is not made by 1 April 2021 then the account in the Credit Report will have an R2 status and reflects that you have been 30 days late in making your payment. Again, if the payment is not made by 1 May 2021 the account in the Credit Report will have an R3 status and reflects that you have been 60 days late in making your payment. Should the payment not be made by 1 June 2021 the account in the Credit Report will have an R4 status and reflects that you have been 90 days late in making your payment. Finally, if the payment is not made by 1 July 2021 the account in the Credit Report will have an R5 status and reflects that you have been 120 days late in making your payment.

Please note that after this point if the Credit Card Company has not received a payment then this account would probably end up in a R9 status or an account being written off (or considered a loss) from the Credit Card Company.

Interest on Credit Cards

Interest is the money you’ll pay if you don’t pay your credit card balance in full by the due date. You’ll continue to pay interest until you pay your balance back in full. Interest rates vary depending on your financial institution and the type of transaction. Your credit card statement and your credit card agreement must clearly indicate the interest rates you must pay. When you make a new purchase with your credit card, you have an interest-free grace period. The grace period begins on the last day of your billing period. You can find out your billing period by checking on your credit card statement. The grace period does not apply to cash advances, cash-like transactions and balance transfers. Federally regulated financial institutions such as banks must provide a minimum 21-day grace period. In our example above, if the payment is done by 1 March 2021 you will not need to pay interests. March 1st, 2021 is the date where the grace period ends.

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Over-the-limit fees

It is crucial that you pay attention to the amount of money you use from the Credit Card – especially so if you feel that you are using more money than the High Credit. Your financial institution won’t inform you if you’re about to go over your credit limit. It’s your responsibility to pay attention to your balance and stay within your limit. If you go over your limit, you may have to pay an over-the-limit fee. Federally regulated financial institutions can’t charge over-the-limit fees if a merchant puts a temporary hold on your credit card that goes over the credit limit. A good example would be if you purchase gas. Normally federally regulated companies do not charge over the limit fees. If you’re often close to your credit card limit, you can ask your financial institution to increase your credit card limit. If you don’t want to increase your limit, or don’t qualify for a limit increase, you can ask your financial institution to stop any transactions that will go over the limit. Certain low-value transactions may still go through. Not all financial institutions offer this service. Read the terms of your credit card agreement to see if transactions over your limit will go through, and if there are any fees if they do. Ask your financial institution about anything you don’t understand.

Dishonoured payment fees

Your financial institution may charge you a fee to handle a payment that is dishonoured, or that “bounces back.”

This fee applies if you:

make your payment by credit card cheque and the cheque is returned because of non-sufficient funds (NSF)
make your payment by a pre-authorized debit that’s rejected because of NSF
use a credit card cheque for a cash advance, and your financial institution returns the cheque because you’re over your limit

Click Here if You Want to Build Your Credit – Get Your Dream Car Today!

26 May 2021/by Mateo Gjinali

Car Financing

Credit Report & Credit Score

Credit Report and Credit Score

In Today’s world the importance of the Credit Report is continuously increasing.

Almost all Financial Institutions traditionally review the Consumer’s Credit Report as the basis of all their Credit Decisions. The Credit Report & the corresponding Credit Score is often the deciding factor in deciding the interest charges, amount of loan extended, time required to pay off the debt etc.

A bad Credit Report or a Low score is likely to limit your options as a borrower. If you are looking for a car loan for example, you would only be able to get a bad credit car loan.

Apply Here if You Want to Build Your Credit – Get Your Dream Car Today!

Recently the Credit Bureau and the Credit Score are becoming major factors even in the renting of apartments. Nowadays, having a low score can be a big part of getting denied for a property.

Consumers can also use the credit report to check for signs of identity theft. This is something you should do at least once a year for both credit bureaus. Look to make sure someone has not tried to open credit cards or other loans in your name.

Options for Bad Credit

In our experience, for car financing, despite previous mistakes in your credit, it is still quite possible to get great car financing. Getting a bad credit car loan is definitely possible – whether divorce, bankruptcy, new to Canada, or any other reasons, we can help you get the financing that you need. Make sure to apply with us if you are ever looking for car financing & especially a bad credit car loan, we are here to help!

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What is a credit report?

A Credit Report is a summary of all the Trade Lines or credit Relations you have with all the registered Financing Institutions.

A Trade Line is created at the moment you are first granted credit from any of the registered financial institutions. Also when you apply for the first time a Credit Report would be created even though the Credit is not granted. Financing Institutions or Lenders will send information about your accounts to the credit bureaus, also known as credit reporting agencies.

What is a Credit Score?

A Credit Score is a three digit number that reflects the probability that you, the consumer, will pay in the future, higher the score, higher the chances that the Consumer will pay. Lower the Score, lower the chances that the Consumer will pay in the future.

The score shows how well the Consumer managed credit and how risky it would be for a lender to lend money.

The score will go up and down depending on if you use the Credit Responsibly or if you have trouble managing your trade lines (credit accounts). The credit score will change according to the information coming from the updates that the financing institutions or the lenders give.

How is a credit score calculated?

Considering the importance of the Credit Score we believe that it is important that we provide a picture of what can be done from your end in order to have a chance at increasing your score. It is at the end the actions that you take that will directly affect the way that the Score goes up and down.

Factors that may affect your credit score include:

Time in the Credit Report and how long you have had credit for.
How long each credit has been in your report
Whether you carry a balance on your credit cards
If you regularly miss payments
The amount of your outstanding debts
Being close to, at or above your credit limit
The number of recent credit applications
The type of credit you’re using
If your debts have been sent to a collection agency
Any record of insolvency or bankruptcy

If you have a good credit score, you may be able to negotiate lower interest rates. However, when you order your credit score, it may be different from the score produced for a lender. This is because a lender may give more weight to certain information when calculating your credit score. Each Lender sets its own guidelines on the minimum credit score you need for them to lend you money. There are obviously a lot of other factors that influence their decision like income, type of work, time at work etc.

Who creates your credit report and credit score

There are three main credit bureaus in Canada (though the first two are much more used):

Equifax
TransUnion
Experian

These are private companies that collect, store and share information about how you use credit.

Each one uses a different way of calculating the scores and their algorithms might generate different scores for the same Consumer. Mostly the factors affecting the score are the same.

Who can see and use your credit report?

Considering the importance of the data that Credit Reports contain, not everyone can have access to these data. Credit bureaus follow rules that define who can see your credit report and how they can use it.

Those allowed to see your credit report include:

banks, credit unions and other financial institutions
credit card companies
car leasing companies
retailers
mobile phone companies
insurance companies
governments
employers
landlords

These businesses or individuals use your credit report to help them make decisions about you.

These decisions could be to:

lend you money
collect a debt
consider you for rental housing
consider you for a job
provide you with insurance
offer you a promotion
offer you a credit increase

A lender can never require access to your Credit Report unless an authorization has been granted to the Institution from you as a Consumer. A lender or other organization may ask to “check your credit” or “pull your report”. When they do so, they are asking to access your credit report at the credit bureau. This results in an inquiry in your credit report. An inquiry tells you that one of the Institutions has pulled your credit and has had access to your data. A lot of inquiries might make a lender nervous while deciding to extend credit to you as a consumer. It can seem like you’re urgently seeking credit or trying to live beyond your means

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Should consent be given for credit checks?

A simple answer is YES. In general, you need to give permission, or your consent, for a business or individual to use your credit report. In the following provinces a business or individual only needs to tell you that they are checking your credit report:

Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan

Other provinces require written consent to check your credit report. When you sign an application for credit, you allow the lender to access your credit report. Your consent generally lets the lender use your credit report when you first apply for credit. They can also access your credit at any time afterward while your account is open.

In many cases, your consent also lets the lender share information about you with the credit bureaus. This is only the case if the lender approves your application. Some provincial laws allow government representatives to see parts of your credit report without your consent. This includes judges and police.

What’s included in your credit report

Your credit report contains personal, financial and credit history information. In general, it takes 30 to 90 days for information to be updated in your credit report.

Personal information in your credit report

Your credit report may contain your:

name
date of birth
current and previous addresses
current and previous telephone numbers
social insurance number
driver’s licence number
passport number
current and previous employers
current and previous job titles

Financial information in your credit report

Your credit report may contain:

Non-sufficient funds payments, or bad cheques
Chequing and savings accounts closed “for cause” due to money owing or fraud committed
Credit you use including credit cards, retail or store cards, lines of credit and loans
Bankruptcy or a court decision against you that relates to credit
Debts sent to collection agencies
Inquiries from lenders and others who have requested your credit report in the past three years
Registered items, such as a car lien, that allows the lender to seize it if you don’t pay
Remarks including consumer statements, fraud alerts and identity verification alerts

Your credit report contains factual information about your credit cards and loans, such as:

When you opened your account
How much you owe
If you make your payments on time
Whether you miss payments
If your debt has been transferred to a collection agency
Whether you go over your credit limit
Personal information that is available in public records, such as a bankruptcy

Your credit report can also include chequing and savings accounts that are closed “for cause”. These include accounts closed due to money owing or fraud committed by the account holder.

Other accounts included in a credit report

Your mobile phone and internet provider may report your accounts to your credit bureau. They can appear in your credit report, even though they aren’t credit accounts.

Your mortgage information and your mortgage payment history may also appear in your credit report. The credit bureaus decides if they use this information when they determine your credit score

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) that is added to your mortgage may be treated as part of your mortgage in your credit report. If your HELOC is a separate account from your mortgage, it is reported separately.

Apply Here if You Want to Build Your Credit – Get Your Dream Car Today!

23 February 2021/by Mateo Gjinali