investtherestpls

Not OP, but laws are different in different countries, and the bureaus are NOT allowed to share data across borders. IE, Equifax Canada, US, UK are all discrete, no sharing happens at all,

YMMV, but talk to any multinational financial co you had links with before. Amex do a global transfer which can really kickstart your credit in a new country. Amex is the best. Unfortunately most of the others in the US don't have much presence in Canada. If you had history with Chase or Capital One, try them. MBNA is now owned by TD and has no links back.

Christ, pay off the balance, put both cards in a drawer until you have got both to zero. Never ever ever run a balance! It's why the poor stay poor...

Once you've had zero balance for 6 months close the secured card.

Not op, but:

1 no, a person checking their own report never has any effect, it is invisible to anyone except you (aka soft).

2 each financial institution reports the credit reporting agencies/bureaus on their own timescale. Some do a certain day, some do when your statement closes.

3 Don't carry a balance, just use your cards and pay in full. 0% gets a reduced score? Who knows - butif you were a credit company, why would you want to spend the money having an account for someone that doesn't use it?

4 you owe the money. It is a debt. The agencies don't care what the terms are, the debt is there in your name and will have to be repaid at some point.

You should absolutely trust free reports - direct from the bureaus.

Also scores from your credit cards.

But agreed, not scores that are "FAKO". Nobody 'needs' a paid for score when you can get all the underlying info direct from the horse's mouth.

You do, just not a free score. You can get multiple free reports a year.

It doesn't hurt to check your own report/score; it hurts when others do it, a small amount, because you are 'seeking credit' which might mean you are in trouble.