What Is A Credit Report And What Does It Include? - CREDIT REPORT

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TODAY'S SAVING TIP Credit bureaus, the most common type of consumer reporting agency (CRA) that compiles and issues credit reports, are required to help you understand your report. Reports can be issued only to those with a legitimate business reason. These include ... Read more

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CREDIT REPORT: What is a credit report and what does it include?

Think of your credit report as your “credit worthiness” report card: unique, personal, and — for those with both access and expertise — revealing. Your credit report (a.k.a. credit file, credit profile, or credit history) is a record of your past and current credit obligations including your debts and payment history. In addition, it contains personal data such as where you’ve lived, any former names you’ve gone by, and your employers.

Your credit reports — widely recognized as the official record of how you shop for and manage credit obligations — are maintained by three national credit reporting agencies, or credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. They include:

Your personal data — This includes your name (including previous names and any variations of your name that are reported by your lenders), telephone number, address, Social Security Number, birth date, and current employer. Typically, previous addresses and employers are noted as well. This information, for the most part, is used for nothing more than identification.

Your creditor history — Your credit reports contain a detailed record of your accounts and payments to banks, credit unions, finance companies, mortgage companies, credit card companies, retail stores, and a variety of other creditors. These “trade lines” detail your account and payment history, balances, credit limits, debt burden, and the age of your accounts.

Inquiries or authorized credit checks — An “inquiry” is a posting on your credit report that occurs whenever it has been accessed. Each credit reporting agency is legally obligated to maintain a complete record of all inquiries for, in most cases, 24 months. This record can be as simple as who pulled your credit report and on what date.

Relevant public records and collections — Your credit report also includes credit related public records including bankruptcies, judgments and tax liens. It also includes any collection agency debts that you may have. Your credit report does not include: