You can access your Credit Report directly from the websites of both Equifax and TransUnion. In order to do that you will have to pay for them. Enter your credit card number and the expiry date and your Credit Report will be printed off immediately. You can order your Credit Report separately or complete with a Credit Score.

If you want a FREE Consumer Disclosure Report, these must be ordered by telephone. They will be mailed to you and you should receive them within 3 to 7 days. If you need a Credit Report IMMEDIATELY, then download it off the website. If you can wait 7 to 10 days, then call either Equifax or TransUnion and order your FREE Consumer Disclosure Report. Here are the details:

EQUIFAX

1-800-465-7166

Consumer Disclosure Report................................FREE
Credit Report..........................................................$15.50
Credit Score............................................................ 11.95
Credit Report & Credit Score................................ 23.95

TRANSUNION

1-800-663-9980

Consumer Disclosure Report.................................FREE
Credit Report...........................................................$14.95
Credit Score............................................................. 7.95
Credit Report & Credit Score.................................. 22.90

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Thank you for your knowledge ... this is complicated for sure. I am also wondering what site can I access credit reports from equifax and transition....the only ones I see request a fee....and looks like it is mailed.

While the policies of both Equifax and TransUnion clearly state that all accounts are purged 6 years from the "Date of Last Activity", that is technically incorrect. In many cases, the "Date of Last Activity" is, in fact, the last time that any activity occurred on an account such as a charge or withdrawal or a payment on the account. However, all accounts containing "Derogatory" information such as an I9 are purged 6 years from the "Original Date of Default with the Original Creditor". So, if you defaulted on an Installment account in 2008, then that account will purge in 2014.

The reason that both Equifax and TransUnion state that all accounts purge 6 years from the "Date of Last Activity" is that to explain to the consumer on a website exactly what happens in technical terms regarding the purge rules is too complex and confusing to a consumer. And so, it is much easier to state that all accounts purge 6 years from the "Date of Last Activity". In addition, if all accounts were purged from the "Date of Last Activity" which includes a payment on the account, then there would be no incentive for a debtor to settle the account knowing full well that any payment on the account after it had been defaulted upon would only extend the purge date another 6 years.

You should also note that the "Original Date of Default with the Original Creditor" does NOT appear on a Credit Report which you can download from the websites of both Equifax and TransUnion but DOES appear on a FREE Consumer Disclosure Report which you can order from both Equifax and TransUnion.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Checking into an I9 past due date 2008,... I made a settlement in 2011 $8500 so now that is the date of last activity AND the date to start the 6 years time to come off credit history, why would it not be the 2008 !

@Ottawa_Chap

It is indeed truly amazing. As P.T. Barnum of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus once said, "There is a sucker born every minute".

Consumers are so desparate to get something for nothing to which they would otherwise have to pay for, they will do anything including handing over their credit card information to a total stranger in return for what has been unscrupously advertised as a FREE Credit Score together with a FREE Credit Report and told that they could cancel their request if made within 24 to 72 hours. They don't stop to think that if everybody did this, the website would be out of business.

Unfortunately, these websites attract "suckers" like a "moth to a light". And once they have your credit card information, their fee is processed immediately with no chance of a refund. Their website usually gives no email address or phone number to which you can request a refund and if a phone number is provided, it is simply a recording. Most of these websites operate from a U.S. base but in their advertising use the phrase "Canadian Credit Score" leading users to believe that they are dealing with a Canadian company. And because of this method of operation, our consumer protection agencies have no legal jurisdiction to put these "scam artists" out of business.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

@Footloose... First FLAG I see here pertains to having to close your credit card 24-72hrs after using their so-called service. What the heck would that be about, and why wouldn't people clue into this?

Regardless of what any ad or website says, there is no such thing as a FREE Credit Score. Some websites advertise a FREE Credit Score but before you can obtain your so-called FREE Credit Score. you must first provide a credit card number and an expiry date. You are then given a set period of time in which to cancel your credit card such as 24 to 72 hours after you have obtained your Credit Score but many readers have told me that this is a "scam". If you call to cancel your credit card within the alloted time period, your order has already been processed and it becomes an impossibly to retrieve the charge that has been placed on your credit card.

In addition, these "fly-by-night scam artists" do not have access to the same algorythms that are provided to both Equifax and TransUnion by Fair Isaac and Company better known as FICO in the U.S. and modified to the Canadian requirements of both Equifax and TransUnion. Therefore, any Credit Score produced by these "scammers" is not a true reflection of a Credit Score produced by either Equifax or TransUnion which are exclusively used by all major lenders and credit grantors.

Every time a creditor, such as a bank, makes an inquiry, this is known as a "hard pull" or a "hard inquiry" and will show up on your Credit Report. and will reduce your Credit Score anywhere from 3 to 5 points. A request for a Credit Score only is not classed as a "hard pull" and should not show as a "hard pull" on your Credit Report. If you request a Credit Report either with or without a Credit Score, this is known as a "soft pull" or a "soft inquiry" and will not show as an inquiry on your Credit Report and will not affect your Credit Score.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Thank you so much.....I am wondering re credit hits.....I tried to access my credit score but it would not accept a prepaid credit card ...so I spoke with my bank manager to find out if he knew a way to access the score without actually applying for a loan..He did not so he put an app in and got he score....but that is a hit right? How do you find out your score.. every ad states FREE but it always asks for a credit card number.

You will be most pleasantly surprised to see how much your Credit Score will jump when the R7 account is purged in August. It will definitely jump beyond 625 and when the I9 account is purged, your Credit Score will take another leap forward.

Most consumers don't realize the major damage they do to their Credit Score when they make late payments or default on a debt. Any time an account receives an I9 or an R9 rating, the Credit Score takes a major "hit" and this rating stays on your Credit Report for 6 years, even if you decide to pay off the account in full.

I am continually preaching that even if you have to "beg, borrow or steal", ALWAYS pay your debts ON TIME, EVERY TIME, even if it is only the minimum payment required. And if it is a debt other than a credit card and you are experiencing difficulty in making a payment, contact your creditor IMMEDIATELY to work out a payment arrangement in order to keep any ratings other than an I1 or R1 off your Credit Report. In today's world where almost everyone relies on some form of credit be it a credit card, a bank or car loan, a line of credit or a mortgage, a good or excellent Credit Report and a Credit Score is far more important than a clean driving record. Protect your credit. Don't abuse it.

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Educating one Consumer at a time

Thank you so much for great info. My score is 605 and the bank says it has to be at least 625 for them to consider a loan. there is one I 9 and one I 7 that is due to come off in august.. so I will wait until it is off before I check my score....would it make that much of a diff if the I7 was deleted. Everything else is R1...