A credit report is a detailed record of your credit history. Your credit report is maintained by companies known as credit reporting agencies or credit bureaus. Creditors and lenders use your credit report to determine your risk as a borrower.
Some personal identifying information like your name, current and previous address, and current and previous employers appear on your credit report.
Your credit report includes data about your credit accounts including credit cards and loans. Each account is detailed with the account payment history, credit card or loan balance, credit limit or original loan amount, type of account, date the account was opened, and whether the account has been delinquent. Accounts that have been sent to a collection are often, but always included on your credit report. Public records such as bankruptcies, tax liens, foreclosure, and lawsuit judgments appear on your credit report. Finally, your credit report includes inquiries that are placed when you make an application for credit.
Not everything about you can be found on your credit report. Your race, marital status, religious beliefs, political affiliation, savings or checking account information, and arrest records aren't on your credit report.
Old, delinquent information should not appear on your credit report. This includes late payments that are more than seven years old and bankruptcies older than 10 years.>p>
Your credit score, while based on information in your credit report, isn't included on your credit report. It must be purchased separately.
