How to Correct Errors On your Credit Report

After you receive a copy of your credit report, review it carefully to make sure all information is accurate.

Errors are common — especially after a bankruptcy or consumer proposal — and correcting them is an important step in rebuilding your credit.

Step 1: Get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

You do not need to pay for a credit report.  While the free credit reports do not contain your credit score, they have all of the important information.  There are two credit reporting agencies in Canada.  We suggest you set up an account at both of them:

Full details can be found on our How To Get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report page https://fresh-start.hoyes.com/fs/credit-rebuilding/free-credit-report/  including how to get a credit report from your bank.

Step 2: Review Your Report Carefully

Check that the following information is correct:

  • Your name and mailing address
  • Social Insurance Number
  • credit accounts and payment history
  • Balances on debts included in your proposal or bankruptcy (these should show as zero and marked “included in proposal” or “included in bankruptcy”)
  • Legal proceedings listed in the public records section
  • The status and completion or discharge date of your bankruptcy or proposal

If anything appears incorrect, outdated, or incomplete, you have the right to dispute it.

Step 3: Contact the Credit Bureau (Not the Creditor)

To correct information on your credit report, you must contact the credit bureau directly.

When you receive your credit report, the last page often includes a dispute resolution form. You can complete this form and submit it by mail.

Although both bureaus allow online disputes, we recommend submitting correction requests by mail so that you have a paper record. The most up-to-date mailing address for submitting your dispute is listed on the dispute resolution page linked above.

Step 4: Submit a Clear, Detailed Dispute

When filing a dispute:

  1. Clearly state what information is incorrect
  2. Explain what it should say instead
  3. Attach supporting documents (such as your Certificate of Discharge or Certificate of Full Performance)
  4. Keep copies of everything you send
  5. Including a written note requesting confirmation of any changes made (On their website, Equifax says that they will send a confirmation automatically if they correct your report, but we suggest you specifically ask for confirmation)

Step 5: Wait and Follow Up

After submitting your dispute:

  • Allow 30 to 60 days for the credit bureau to investigate and respond
  • Review your updated credit report to confirm that corrections were made
  • If the error remains, you may need to submit additional documentation and follow up again

Correct information cannot be changed. The dispute process is for correcting inaccuracies — not removing accurate negative history.

We also recommend keeping a copy of the corrected report with your insolvency documents for future reference

Common Reporting Issues After a Consumer Proposal or Bankruptcy

We see two very common “errors” on credit reports after a consumer proposal:

  1. A lender sometimes reports a debt to Equifax or Trans Union as being ‘under the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act’. This does not say you have filed bankruptcy. It simply says that the procedure you filed (a consumer proposal) is governed by federal law (which happens to be the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act). It is not an error; it is simply how the debt is reported.
  2. A lender may also report your debt as ‘included in a bankruptcy’ when you have filed a proposal. This is a reporting issue by the creditor.

The correct type of proceeding will always appear in the public records (legal) section of your credit report, which is based on information from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy.

If a lender reviewing your credit report tells you that you filed bankruptcy when you actually filed a proposal, direct them to review the legal section of your report for the correct information.

A Final Reminder

Hoyes Michalos cannot update your credit report directly due to privacy laws. All corrections must be made through Equifax or TransUnion.

Taking the time to correct errors ensures that lenders see an accurate picture of your financial history — which supports your credit rebuilding efforts.