Understanding Your Credit Report

A credit report contains all your information that is reported to the three credit bureaus. The three credit bureaus are Experian located in Chester, PA; Equifax located in Atlanta, GA; and Equifax located in Allen, TX. The information reported to the credit bureaus is your payment history that contains the following information:

Personal Information - the personal information on the credit report lists the basic information about the individual. None of the information listed in the personal information effects the credit score calculation. The personal information on the credit report contains any name used, birth name, AKA or any name the creditor has used when applying for credit. The date of birth, current and previous address, employment history, and the dates the information was reported are also listed, credit report.

Summary - the summary section of the credit report contains a categorized list of all the accounts on the credit report. This synopsis allows the viewer a quick review of the credit report and compares the data that is reported to the three credit bureaus.

Account History - The account history on the credit report contains all the account a person has open or closed. This section has credit history of your payments. Each of the account will contain: Account Number, Account Type, Creditor Name, Monthly Payment, Highest Balance Owed, Credit Limit or Loan Amount, Date Open or Closed, Payment History, and if it is a joint or individual account.

Inquires - the credit report contains two types of inquires. The first type of inquire on the credit report is inquires where a business pulled the credit and the second type is when an individual applies for credit. When you apply for credit it remains on your credit report for two years. When you show a history of declined credit applications it makes you look desperate. More than likely a lender will not loan money to a desperate person. Multiple approved applications send a different message. When you're approved for a loan or a line of credit, the lender has made a commitment to loan you the funds. Your ability to repay these lines of credit and loans depends on your income. Your capacity to take on additional debt is diminished by the amount of debt or potential debt outstanding.

Public record information - Public records on a credit report may include information such as judgments, foreclosures, lawsuits, wage attachments, bankruptcies, state and federal tax liens, and past-due child support. This information is reported by county, state, and federal courts to a variety of credit reporting agencies. The agencies retain the information in a credit report and use the information along with other pertinent credit data to determine your credit score. Since public records reflect poorly on your credit rating, you'll want to make sure that this section of your report stays spotless. This information will remain on your credit report for seven years. However, if the record relates to bankruptcy, it will remain on your report for 10 years.

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