Section Subtopics What Is A Credit Report? What Can You Do To Improve Your Credit Score? What Is On Your Credit Report? Who Can Check Your Credit Report? How Does A Lender Use Your Credit Report? Credit Safety Expense Ratios

What Information Does a Credit Report Contain?

  A credit report contains six types of information: a score,

  identifying information, credit information, public record

  information, inquiries, and an OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets

  Control) alert, which flags individuals that may be using assets

  "contrary to U.S. foreign policy and national security." 

  Score:

  A credit risk score will be included when your report is

  provided to a credit grantor, although it is not included on

  consumer review reports. The ways to calculate and use a credit

  score vary widely, so a score has little meaning outside of the

  context of a particular lender's unique guidelines for use.

  Therefore, it is not included on consumer review reports.

  Identifying information:

  Name

  Current and previous addresses

  Social Security number

  Date of birth

  Current and previous employers

  If you're married, spouse's name

  Credit information:

  your credit accounts or loans with:

  Banks

  Retailers

  Credit card issuers

  Other lenders

 

  Public record information:

  Any information that's contained in state and county

  court records:

  Bankruptcies

  Tax liens

  Monetary judgments

 

  Inquiries:

  Inquiries indicate to other credit grantors that you have applied

  for new credit that could result in additional debt. Potential

  lenders view multiple recent inquiries of more than one credit

  type on your credit report as a sign that you are

  overextending yourself.