Plain-language guides to credit, lending, and the markets, written by working credit professionals and reviewed for accuracy.
92 articles
Never paying a collection agency is not a rule, it is a myth with a real fact behind it. Here is what a payment does to the limitation clock in each province.
Decode a Canadian credit report line by line: what every trade-line field means, what the R codes say, and how long Equifax and TransUnion each keep an item.
The highest credit rating is R1 on an account, 900 on a Canadian score and AAA for an issuer. See which scale applies to you and what the ceiling is worth.
The Bank of Canada cut 275 basis points since 2024, but only floating-rate debt got it. Here is what the cuts did to each kind of Canadian loan.
The underwriter's review takes days. Your financing condition sets the real deadline. Here is the day-by-day Canadian mortgage underwriting calendar.
A lender-ordered rapid rescore updates a US credit file in 2 to 5 business days. Here is how it works, what every other fix takes, and what no one can remove.
Underwriting is how a lender decides whether to fund your loan. Here is what it means in Canada, and why a personal loan and a mortgage are judged differently.
Home loan underwriting runs 1 to 3 weeks inside a 37-day purchase timeline. See the stage-by-stage calendar, FHA and VA gaps, and the 3-day federal floor.
Most HELOC lenders publish a 620 floor, but 680 is the practical bar and 740+ gets the best rate. Here is what lenders actually require, and why.
The Fed has held rates at 3.50%-3.75% since December 2025 and its own June 2026 median now points slightly up. Here is what the forecasts are worth.
Canada's average secured line of credit is 3.96% and unsecured 8.40% as of May 2026. How the rate is set, and why secured lines sit below prime.
Canadian law, not vendor generosity, is what makes your credit rating free. Here is what each province guarantees you and how to claim it.