Collections may appear on TransUnion but not Equifax because creditors are not required to report to all three bureaus, and often choose to report to only one or two. Data reporting timelines, specialized reporting practices (such as with medical debt), or errors in reporting may also cause discrepancies in your credit files.
There are a couple of reasons why some accounts may not be listed on your Equifax credit report: Not all lenders and creditors report to all three nationwide credit bureaus. Some report to only two, one or none at all. You can check with your lenders and creditors to find out which bureaus they report to.
Some lenders may report information to all three main credit bureaus, while others might report to only one or two. So, it's possible that Equifax and TransUnion could have different credit information on your reports at any given time, which could lead to your TransUnion scores differing from your Equifax scores.
Neither TransUnion nor Equifax is inherently more accurate; they are simply different, as each maintains its own dataset from lenders, leading to variations in your credit report and score, so you should check reports from all three major bureaus (including Experian) for the most complete picture and to spot errors. Accuracy depends on which lenders report to which bureau and the specific scoring model used, with lenders often using different versions for different loan types.
Yes, car dealerships use both Equifax and TransUnion (along with Experian), often pulling reports from multiple bureaus to find the best auto loan rates, as lenders specialize in different ones, with Experian being very common for auto loans, but Equifax and TransUnion being used too, depending on the lender and region, with multiple pulls usually counting as one inquiry for "rate shopping".
The Most Commonly Used Credit Bureau in Canada
Based on the different banks and lenders we looked at above, TransUnion seems to be the most popular credit bureau from which a lender pulls your credit score. That said, many lenders still use Equifax. You may not know this, but there's a third credit bureau as well.
One reason for the discrepancy in credit scores between Equifax and TransUnion is that their scoring models weigh certain factors more heavily than others. For example, credit utilization represents 30% of your overall credit score based on the FICO scoring model and 20% under the VantageScore model.
Landlords usually pull a credit report from TransUnion or Equifax, rarely Experian, and the specific bureau depends on the screening service or the property manager's contract.
In this example, at the very least, each credit report will change three times monthly: Experian on the first, seventh and eighth. TransUnion on the first, 10th and 15. Equifax on the 15th, 20th and 24.
Since the information on your credit reports at each bureau can differ, your Equifax credit score and FICO score can differ depending on which credit report is used to calculate the score. The Equifax credit score model uses a numerical range between 280 and 850, and FICO score models use a range between 300 and 850.
There is no single credit score that's considered the most accurate. The truth is, there are several types of credit scores and many versions of each of those scores. And while different scores are often calculated based on many of the same factors, thinking of these scores in terms of accuracy can still be misleading.
The main reason your TransUnion and Equifax scores may differ is their algorithms. Each credit bureau uses its own algorithm to compute your score. Credit bureaus can also only work based on the information they receive.
The "7-in-7 rule" in debt collection, part of the CFPB's Regulation F, limits how often debt collectors can contact you: they can make no more than seven calls within seven consecutive days, and must wait seven days after a conversation before calling again about that debt. This rule, also known as the 7x7 rule, applies to phone calls, texts, and emails and aims to prevent harassment, though it doesn't apply to original creditors or after court judgments.
Adverse credit history, collections and defaulted accounts that were not settled through a debt repayment program (i.e. orderly payment of debt, credit counselling, consumer proposal), are removed automatically from your credit report after six years from the date the account first went delinquent.
Neither TransUnion nor Equifax is inherently more accurate; they are simply different, as each maintains its own dataset from lenders, leading to variations in your credit report and score, so you should check reports from all three major bureaus (including Experian) for the most complete picture and to spot errors. Accuracy depends on which lenders report to which bureau and the specific scoring model used, with lenders often using different versions for different loan types.
How do lenders calculate your credit score? Lenders will get a credit score from one of the UK's three credit reference agencies (CRAs) — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. But they will also get the credit report that the credit score is based on.
Borrowell is the only free credit score app in Canada that gives you your Equifax credit score and Equifax credit report, updated weekly. Equifax is the largest consumer credit bureau in Canada.
Business credit cards that pull TransUnion only include the BMO Platinum Card, the BOA Business Advantage Card, and the U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card.
The 3-7-3 Rule in mortgages isn't a loan type but a federal timeline from the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule, ensuring borrower protection by mandating disclosures within 3 business days of application, a 7-business-day wait between the initial Loan Estimate and closing, and another 3-day wait if significant changes (like APR) occur, giving borrowers time to review costs before committing to a loan.
It's partly true: most negative items like late payments and collections are removed from your credit report after about seven years, but the underlying debt often still exists, and bankruptcies (Chapter 7) last 10 years, so your credit isn't entirely "clear" but mostly refreshed from old negatives. The 7-year clock starts from the date of the original delinquency, not when you paid it off or sent to collections, and the debt itself can still be pursued by collectors.