Definition
Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and, in Quebec, the Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Law 25 / L.Q. 2021, c. 25), every individual has the right to:
**Fundamental rights**: 1. **Access**: obtain a free copy of their credit file (1 time/year, or anytime for a fee) 2. **Dispute**: contest any inaccurate or incomplete information 3. **Annotation**: have a note of explanation added (max 100 words) if a dispute is unresolved 4. **Deletion**: require deletion of outdated information (generally after 6-7 years)
**Dispute procedure**: 1. Identify the error in the credit report 2. Fill out the Equifax or TransUnion dispute form 3. Attach supporting documents (bank statements, creditor letters, court decisions) 4. Response time: 30 days (Equifax) to 45 days (TransUnion) 5. If refused: escalate to the OPC (Office of the Privacy Commissioner)
**Mortgage relevance**: Inaccurate information (e.g., an already-settled collection account) can drop the credit score by 30-100 points and jeopardize a mortgage approval. Correction can take 30-90 days — plan ahead before applying.