Your credit report—a type of "consumer report"—contains information about where you work and live and how you pay your bills. It also may show whether you've been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Companies called consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) or credit bureaus compile and sell your credit report to businesses. It's important that the information in your report is complete and accurate.

Here's what you will find in a credit report.

Personal Identification Information
This includes items such as your name, any aliases you may have, current and previous addresses, your Social Security number, and possibly your marital status.

Lines of Credit
Your credit report will contain detailed information on every line of credit you have, including

• Balances
• Limits
• monthly payments
• account balances

Lines of credit include all regular installment or revolving credit lines on

• department store cards
• auto loans
• mortgages
• credit cards

Late Payments
If you have a history of late payment or if the credit account was included in a bankruptcy, charged off, or put into repossession, the listing will be considered negative or derogatory. Not all credit accounts may be listed on each credit report because not every creditor reports to the same credit bureaus. For a thorough review of your credit file, you should look at information from all three major credit bureaus.

The three major national credit bureaus

1. Equifax
   P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241,
   800-685-1111
   http://www.equifax.com



2. Experian (formerly TRW)
   P.O. Box 949, Allen, TX 75013
   888-397-3742
   http://www.experian.com



3. Trans Union
   760 West Sproul Road
   P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022
   877-322-8228
   http://www.transunion.com

Note: use the company's website if you are contacting them from outside of the U.S.

Collection Accounts
If you've had dealings with a collection agency or the collections department of a credit grantor because of delinquency, nonpayment, or other reason, it will appear on your credit report as a collection account. Collection accounts can appear as paid or unpaid accounts. Any account that shows as a collection account, whether paid or not, is considered very negative by credit grantors.

Court Records
Court records include bankruptcies, judgments, satisfied judgments, liens, satisfied liens, and divorce. Most court records, including satisfied liens and/or judgments, are considered very negative by credit grantors.

Inquiries
Almost any credit card company, bank, or other potential lender will check your credit report when considering your application. Each time a potential lender looks at your credit file, an inquiry appears on at least one of your credit bureau files. Inquiries can also appear when an existing lender reviews your credit (for example, when your credit card issuer is considering increasing your credit line), or when you review your own credit report. These requests for your credit report are noted as part of your credit history file and remain for up to two years.

What's Not Included
Your credit report will not include information about your race, salary history, religion, checking or savings accounts, stocks and bonds, medical history, personal assets, criminal record, or personal background and lifestyle.