What Does Your Credit Report Show?

When you're reading your credit report for the first time, it can be overwhelming, especially if you've had a lot of accounts over a long period of time. Knowing what types of things appear on your credit report can make it much easier to read and understand.

01 of 10

Your Name and Variations

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Your credit report could contain different versions, and maybe even misspellings, of your name. For example, your first and last name might appear along with your first and last name with your middle initial.

Your credit report is compiled using information from the creditors and lenders you do business with. The name you put on your applications (the one that appears on your credit card or your statements) is the name that appears on your credit report, so be consistent. Also, if creditors have misspelled your name, that misspelling will appear on your credit report.

02 of 10

Your Current and Previous Addresses

If you’ve received mail at more than one address, there’s a great possibility those addresses will appear on your credit report. Of course, if there’s an address where you never lived appearing on your credit report, you can dispute it. It won't hurt your credit score, but it could be a sign of identity theft.

03 of 10

Your Employer

The name of your employer may appear on your credit report if you've provided it to any of your creditors, lenders, or other businesses that report to the credit bureaus.

Note

Employer information doesn't influence your credit score but may help lenders and credit card issuers verify the information on your loan or credit card application.

04 of 10

Revolving Accounts

Revolving accounts are credit accounts that you can borrow from over and over. The balance on a revolving account can go up or down depending on your payments and purchases. Credit cards and lines of credit are two common types of revolving accounts.

05 of 10

Installment Loans

Installment accounts are one-time loans that require monthly payments each month for a set period when the loan is paid off. Mortgages, car loans, and student loans are types of installment loans that may appear on your credit report. Unsecured loans like personal loans will also show up on your report. (Use our calculator below if you're considering getting a new personal loan.)

06 of 10

Open and Closed Accounts

Open and closed accounts will both appear on your credit report, with the exception of negative, closed accounts that are older than seven years. Those accounts have passed the credit reporting time limit. Accounts that were closed in good standing remain on your credit report about 10 years after the account has been closed, or whatever period the credit bureau has specified.

07 of 10

Account Payment History

The complete payment history for your credit accounts will be on your credit report, except negative payment history that’s older than seven years. Payment history will appear on your credit report, but old past-due payment statuses may also be included in the notes section for each account. Typically, nothing stays on your report past 10 years.

08 of 10

Recent Credit and Loan Applications

Recent applications for credit will appear on your credit report in the inquiries section. These inquiries only remain on your credit report for 24 months.

09 of 10

Collection Accounts

Unpaid debts that have been sent to a collection agency usually appear on your credit report. Even something as small as a $4 library fine could end up on your credit report if the library sends the account to collections.

Note

This is why it's important to take care of all your bills, even those that aren't regularly reported to the credit bureaus.

10 of 10

Public Records

Public records include things like bankruptcy, repossessions, and foreclosures. These are all proceedings that have gone through the court system. They’ll also appear on your credit report for up to seven years for repossession and foreclosure, and 10 years for bankruptcy.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "How Long Does Negative Information Remain on My Credit Report?"

  2. Georgia Department of Law, Consumer Protection Division. "Credit Reports and Credit Score."

  3. TransUnion. "How Long Do Closed Accounts Stay on My Credit Report?"

  4. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "I Filed for Bankruptcy. How Long Will That Appear on Credit Reports?"

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