This section contains information on buying on credit, how to obtain your credit rating, and how to fix your credit report if the information is inaccurate. Below you will find a summary on the subject of credit. If you would like more information, click on the links in the left-hand side of the page.

Your credit report is a record of your past and current credit obligations including your debts and payment history. In addition, it contains personal data such as where you’ve lived, any former names you’ve gone by, and your employers.

Your credit reports, widely recognized as the official record of how you shop for and manage credit obligations, are maintained by three national credit reporting agencies, or credit bureaus: Callcredit , Equifax , and Experian . They include:

This includes your name (including previous names and any variations of your name that are reported by your lenders), telephone number, address, birth date, and current employer. Typically, previous addresses and employers are noted as well. This information, for the most part, is used for nothing more than identification.

Your credit reports contain a detailed record of your accounts and payments to banks, credit organisations, finance companies, mortgage companies, credit card companies, retail stores, and a variety of other creditors. These “trade lines” detail your account and payment history, balances, credit limits, debt burden, and the age of your accounts.

An “inquiry” is a posting on your credit report that occurs whenever it has been accessed. Each credit reporting agency is legally obligated to maintain a complete record of all inquiries for, in most cases, 24 months. This record can be as simple as who pulled your credit report and on what date.

Your credit report also includes credit related public records including bankruptcies. It also includes any collection agency debts that you may have.

Your credit report does not include:

• Your level of education
• Your medical history
• Purchases paid by cash or check
• Your gender, national origin, race, or religion
• Your investments or brokerage accounts
• Your income