What Is Provided on My Credit Report?

Your lenders, landlords and even potential employers may pull your credit report as part of a background check when you apply for a loan, lease or job. Knowing what they are likely to see can help you know what to avoid to make your credit report look as pristine as possible. In addition, you can receive a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year.

Identification

Your credit report contains information to identify you including your name, address and Social Security number. It also lists where you have worked and your birthday so that you can be identified and not confused with other people who may share your name. However, this information does not affect your credit score; it merely acts as a safeguard to make sure that your credit information belongs to you rather than accidentally reporting the credit information of someone with a similar name.

Credit History

For each credit line that you have, your credit report shows how you handled that debt. Credit lines include student loans, credit cards, mortgages and car loans. In addition to showing your payment history, the credit report also shows your credit limits for each account, how much you currently owe on the credit line and the age of the credit line. The longer you have had credit and the more responsibly you have used it, the higher your credit score will be. Negative information, including late payments or foreclosures, remain on your credit report for seven years.

Applications for Credit

Any time you apply for a new line of credit and the lender pulls your credit report, an inquiry is added to your credit report. When lenders look at your credit report, they can see the number of new credit lines you applied for within the past two years. For example, if in the past two years you applied for three new credit cards, inquiries noting those applications would be visible to someone pulling your credit report. In general, consider keeping inquiries to a minimum so that your credit score will be higher. Your credit report also notes any employers who have pulled your credit report during the past two years. For example, if you applied for a job at a bank and as part of their background check the bank ran a credit check, that inquiry would also be included in your credit report.

Public Information

Public records include bankruptcies, tax liens and judgments. Public records are typically generated by state or local courts. If you have an unpaid tax lien, it can remain on your credit report forever while Chapter 7 bankruptcies remain on your credit report for a decade. Other negative public information, such as Chapter 13 bankruptcies and collections, remains on your credit report for seven years. However, as information ages, it has less of an impact on your credit score. For example, a collection from six years ago will not have the same impact as a collection last month.