Credit reports

Your credit report is your credit worthiness or credit report card. A credit report is a record of your past and current credit commitments including your debts, payment history and the names of those you are borrowing money from. In addition, it includes personal information such as: your current and prior home addresses, any former names, and employers.

Credit Agencies (or Bureaus) are collecting and reporting the information that is provided in your Credit Report. The three major credit agencies profit by selling this data to creditors and consumers; they are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Below is a more detailed listing of what can be found on your credit report.

Your personal data which includes your:

• Name,
• Phone numbers,
• Address,
• Social Security Number,
• Birth date, and
• Current employer

This could also include your previous addresses and employers. This information, for the most part, is used for nothing more than identification but is also used for collecting debt.

Your creditor history

The credit report contain detailed information of your accounts and payment history (trade-lines) to banks, credit unions, finance companies, mortgage companies, credit card companies, retail stores, and a variety of other creditors. These “trade-lines” describe your account and payment history, balances, credit limits, highest balance, and age of your accounts.

Inquiries or authorized credit checks

Any time a creditor access your credit record to determine your credit worthiness, it is posted on your credit report. This information will stay on your credit report for 24 months in most cases. This record indicates who pulled your credit report and on what date and can affect your credit score. Some inquires are not public and do not affect your credit score. These are typically marketing companies looking for people to send information to sign up for credit cards or auto loans that meet specific demographics.

Relevant public records and collections

Your credit report also includes credit related public records including:

• Bankruptcies,
• Judgments Tax liens,
• Child Support liens and
• Collection agency actions. 

Your credit report does not include:

• Education
• Medical history
• Gender,
• National origin,
• Race,
• Religion
• Investments or brokerage accounts
• Income
• Alimony commitments

Top -> Credit Education 
Prior -> Credit Tips
Next -> Copy of Your Credit Report