What is on a credit report?
At a Glance: A credit report is a detailed record of your financial history that includes personal identifying information, credit accounts, credit inquiries, bankruptcy public records, and collections. Lenders, insurers, and other financial institutions use this information to assess your creditworthiness and help determine loan approvals, interest rates, and premiums. Reviewing your credit report regularly helps ensure accuracy and protects your financial health.
Your credit report can contain personal information, credit account history, credit inquiries, bankruptcy public records, and collections. This information is reported by your lenders and creditors to the credit bureaus. Much of it is used to calculate your FICO® Scores to inform future lenders about your creditworthiness. So, what does a credit report look like? And what is on a credit report? Let’s get some answers!
Although each of the credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion—format and report your information differently, all credit reports can contain basically the same categories of information.
What information is included in a credit report?
Although Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion format credit reports differently, all credit reports generally include the same five categories of information:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Credit Accounts
- Credit Inquiries
- Bankruptcy Public Records
- Collections
How is your credit report used?
A credit report is used by various lenders, credit card companies, and insurers. It is used to assess your creditworthiness to determine someone’s likelihood for a loan approval, their interest rates, or insurance premiums.
A strong credit report can lead to better financial opportunities. And unfortunately, a poor report can result in higher costs or denied credit.
Categories of information in a credit report:
1. What personal information appears on a credit report?
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is used to identify you and may include:
- Your name
- Address
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
This information is not used to calculate FICO® Scores. Updates to PII typically come from information you provide to lenders when applying for new credit.
What to look for when viewing PII:
When viewing this section of your credit report, check that:
- Your name is spelled correctly
- Your current address is listed
- Your Social Security Number digits are accurate
If any information is incorrect, you should dispute it with the credit bureau reporting the error.
There may also be a Personal Statements section that includes items such as:
- A security freeze
- A fraud alert
- Power of attorney comments
Ensure any Personal Statements are correct.
2. What credit account information is reported?
Credit accounts are reported by lenders for each account you’ve established. Reported details may include:
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Type of account (credit card, auto loan, mortgage, etc.)
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Date the account was opened
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Credit limit or loan amount
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Current balance
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Payment history, including on-time or missed payments
This information makes up the majority of your FICO® Scores calculation, which makes keeping accounts in good standing especially important. Check out this breakdown of how a FICO Score is calculated.
What to look for when viewing credit accounts:
Accounts in good standing indicate that:
- Payments have been made on time
- The terms of the agreement have been met
Even if an account is listed as in good standing, confirm that:
- You recognize the account
- The account name and number are correct
- The balance and payment history match your records
Negative accounts show missed payments. Review these carefully to ensure:
- The account number is accurate
- The balance and past-due amount are correct
- The payment history is reported properly
If something looks incorrect, contact the credit bureau and/or the creditor.
3. What are credit inquiries on a credit report?
When you apply for a loan, you authorize the lender to ask for a copy of your credit report. These requests appear as credit inquiries.
Your credit report lists inquiries from the past two years, including:
- Hard inquiries, which result from applying for credit and are visible to lenders
- Soft inquiries, which occur when lenders review your report for pre-approved offers and are visible only to you
Soft inquiries do not affect FICO® Scores, while hard inquiries may indicate higher risk and can cause a score to dip. Learn more about the affect inquiries can have on your score.
What to look for in credit inquiries:
When reviewing this section:
- Confirm you recognize the companies listed
- Check whether the inquiry was shared only with you or with lenders
- Review the creditor name, business type, and inquiry date
If you see a suspicious inquiry, contact the credit bureau to determine next steps.
4. Do bankruptcies and collections appear on a credit report?
Credit bureaus also collect bankruptcy public record information from state and county courts. Debt that is overdue and has been sent to collections also appears on your credit report.
Keep in mind, even if a debt collection appears on your credit report, it's not the end of the world. While there are no quick fixes to repairing your credit, there are proven things you can do to help maintain or manage your FICO Scores over time.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains on your credit report for 10 years from the filing date. Chapter 13 bankruptcy is deleted 7 years from the filing date. Keep this in mind if either of these are listed on your report.
Remember, you should always verify that the information on your credit report is correct, so your lenders see the most accurate FICO Scores when you apply for credit. If you find an error on your report, you should report it to the appropriate credit bureau. You can also see the contact information for Experian, Equifax and TransUnion here.
Your credit report is key to your financial well-being—don't leave it to chance.
FAQs: What is on a credit report?
What information is included on a credit report?
A credit report can include personal information, credit account history, credit inquiries, bankruptcy public records, and collections.
Is personal information used to calculate FICO® Scores?
No. Personally identifiable information is used to identify you and is not used to calculate FICO® Scores.
Who uses your credit report?
Credit reports are used by lenders, credit card companies, and insurers to assess creditworthiness, loan approvals, interest rates, and insurance premiums.
How long does bankruptcy stay on a credit report?
Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains for 10 years, while Chapter 13 bankruptcy is deleted after 7 years from the filing date.
See how to understand your credit report:
FAQs for what is on your credit report
- How do I get my free credit report and score from each bureau?
- What differences on my credit reports should I be concerned about?
- I recently submitted a dispute to the credit bureaus to have some errors corrected and information updated. Will my FICO® Score automatically increase when these errors are fixed?
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