What Information Appears on a Credit Report
A credit report is a record of how you have managed credit, kept by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It holds four categories of information: identifying details, credit accounts and payment history, public records and collection accounts, and inquiries. Statements, alerts, or freezes may also be attached.
This guide is general educational information for U.S. readers. It is not financial advice and does not describe your individual credit file. Figures such as score ranges and timeline estimates are typical examples, not promises.
Key takeaways
- A credit report holds four categories of information: identifying details, credit accounts, public record and collection items, and inquiries.
- The three nationwide credit reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and each maintains a separate file on a consumer.
- Credit scores are calculated from report data rather than stored inside the file, and most scores use a range of 300 to 850.
- Most negative information stays on a credit report for 7 years, while a Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays for 10 years and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy for 7 years.
- Hard inquiries typically remain on a credit report for 2 years, while soft inquiries appear only on the consumer's copy.
- The FCRA gives consumers the right to a free credit report from each nationwide agency every 12 months, and the three agencies currently provide free reports weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com.
A credit report is a record of how you have handled credit, assembled by the three nationwide credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It contains four main categories of information: identifying details, credit accounts, public record and collection items, and inquiries. It does not contain the credit score a lender calculates from it, your income, or your bank account balances.
The four sections of a credit report
Consumer files follow a similar structure no matter which agency assembled them. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau groups the contents of a report into personal information, accounts, and inquiries, with public record items appearing where applicable. The table below maps each credit report section to the data it holds and the party that supplies it.
| Section | What it holds | Who supplies the data |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying information | Name and name variations, current and former addresses, Social Security number, date of birth, employment history | Consumer applications, plus updates from creditors |
| Credit accounts (tradelines) | Each revolving, installment, mortgage, auto, and student loan account, including open date, balance, credit limit or original loan amount, monthly payment history, and current status | Creditors and other data furnishers |
| Public records and collections | Bankruptcy filings and debts placed with collection agencies | Courts and collection agencies |
| Inquiries | Records of who requested the file, when, and the type of request | Lenders and other users with a permitted purpose |
Identifying information
This section confirms that the file belongs to the right person. Name variations, misspellings, former addresses, and past employers commonly appear because different creditors reported them at different times, and agencies generally retain the versions they receive. Addresses and employer names are not factors in the scoring models; they are used for matching and verification. When two consumers share a similar name, this section is the main tool an agency uses to keep the files separate.
Credit accounts, also called tradelines
Accounts are the substance of a credit report. Each entry, often called a tradeline, is a running record of one credit relationship. A typical entry shows:
- The creditor's name and a partially masked account number
- The account type — revolving, installment, mortgage, open, or collection
- Responsibility — individual, joint, co-signed, or authorized user
- Date opened, date of last activity, and date of last payment
- Credit limit or original loan amount, plus the current balance
- A month-by-month payment history grid
- Current status — open, closed, paid, past due, charged off, or transferred
Payment history is the heaviest single factor in the FICO model, at approximately 35% of the score, followed by amounts owed at approximately 30%. Length of credit history is about 15%, and new credit and credit mix are about 10% each. VantageScore uses its own weighting and does not publish fixed percentages. The mechanics of those factors are covered in how credit scores are calculated, and the balance-to-limit relationship shown on revolving accounts is described in credit utilization explained.
Data furnishers update accounts on their own schedules, and credit education material from Experian describes how those periodic updates flow into the file. An account that is closed with a zero balance remains part of the payment history record.
Public records and collection accounts
Bankruptcy filings are the public record item most commonly associated with credit reports. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays on a credit report for 10 years, while a Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays for 7 years. Collection accounts come from debt collectors rather than courts and are usually listed in a collections area or alongside the accounts themselves. A collection entry typically shows the original creditor, the collection agency, the amount placed for collection, and the date the account was placed.
Inquiries
Every request for a credit file is logged. Inquiries fall into two groups:
- Hard inquiries follow an application for credit, such as a credit card, auto loan, or mortgage. They typically remain on a credit report for 2 years.
- Soft inquiries follow things such as checking your own report, a prescreened offer, or an employment check you authorized. They appear on the consumer's copy but are not shown to lenders.
Scoring models sometimes treat a group of hard inquiries for a single loan type as one event when they occur inside a short shopping window, so a rate-shopping period for one auto loan is not read the same way as several unrelated applications. The exact treatment varies by model version.
What is not included in a credit report
Several items that consumers expect to see are handled elsewhere or are not reported at all.
- Credit scores. A FICO or VantageScore score is computed from report data at the moment it is requested. Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850. See credit score ranges explained and credit score.
- Income and assets. Salary, bank balances, and investment accounts are not part of the file.
- Most routine payments. Debit card activity, and in many cases rent, utility, and phone payments, appear only if the company furnishes that data to a credit reporting agency.
- Personal characteristics. Race, religion, and national origin are not recorded in the file.
- Other people's credit history, except where an account is shared as a joint owner, co-signer, or authorized user. How shared accounts appear is discussed under credit profile.
Statements, alerts, and blocks that can be attached to a file
Beyond the four standard sections, a credit report can carry items that a consumer or an agency has added.
- A consumer statement — a brief written explanation a consumer may ask to have included when a dispute is not resolved as expected.
- An initial fraud alert, which lasts 1 year, or an extended fraud alert, which lasts 7 years. Both are governed by FCRA section 605A (15 U.S.C. section 1681c-1).
- An identity theft block, requested under FCRA section 605B (15 U.S.C. section 1681c-2), which directs agencies to block information that resulted from identity theft once an identity theft report is provided. Related material is available under identity theft; consumers can also file a report at IdentityTheft.gov and with the IRS using Form 14039.
- A security freeze, which restricts access to the file. A freeze is free to place, temporarily lift, or remove under federal law. See credit freeze and credit lock.
How long information stays on a credit report
Retention periods are set largely by federal law, and they run from the date of the event rather than the date the item first appeared on the report.
| Item | How long it stays |
|---|---|
| Late payments and most other negative information | 7 years |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | 7 years |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy | 10 years |
| Hard inquiries | 2 years |
| Initial fraud alert | 1 year |
| Extended fraud alert | 7 years |
Because the length of a credit history is itself a scoring factor, the age of the accounts on a file is part of how a score is built. That relationship is explained in length of credit history explained and payment history and credit scores.
Why the three agencies' files differ
Creditors choose which agencies they furnish data to, and they may report to one, two, or all three. Updates also arrive on different days. As a result, the same account can show a different balance or status from one agency to the next, and one agency may hold an account the others do not. This is why the file a particular lender reviews depends on which of the three nationwide credit reporting agencies that lender uses. Comparing all three is the reason the FCRA's free report right covers each agency separately.
Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act, enacted in 1970 and amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act in 2003, governs what may be reported and how disputes are handled. Under 15 U.S.C. section 1681, consumers have the right to a free credit report from each nationwide agency every 12 months, and the three agencies currently provide free reports weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com. A credit reporting agency generally must investigate a dispute within 30 days, and that period can extend to 45 days if the consumer provides additional information during the initial 30-day period. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created by the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 and operating since 2011, supervises the agencies and publishes consumer education on the subject.
Reading your own copy
Reviewing the file section by section makes it possible to identify items that do not belong, such as an account opened in your name that you do not recognize or an address you never used. The agencies' own files are covered under credit reports, obtaining them is described under credit check, and ongoing review of changes over time is described under credit monitoring. Federal Reserve consumer credit data, published in its G.19 release, reports total outstanding consumer credit across the economy, while an individual file shows only one consumer's record.
This page explains how the credit reporting system works and is provided for education only; it is not financial advice.
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Frequently asked questions
What information appears on a credit report?
Four categories of information: identifying details such as name, addresses, Social Security number, and employment history; credit accounts with balances and payment history; public record and collection items such as bankruptcy filings and collection accounts; and inquiries from parties that requested the file. Statements, fraud alerts, and freezes can also be attached.
Does a credit report include income, bank balances, or credit scores?
No. Salary, bank and investment balances, and the credit score itself are not part of the file. Most credit scores, including FICO and VantageScore, use a range of 300 to 850 and are calculated from report data when a score is requested.
How long does negative information stay on a credit report?
Most negative information, including late payments, stays on a credit report for 7 years. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays for 7 years and a Chapter 7 bankruptcy stays for 10 years. Hard inquiries typically remain for 2 years.
Do all three credit reporting agencies hold the same information?
Not necessarily. Creditors decide which of the three nationwide agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — they report to, and they update on different schedules, so the files can differ in balances, statuses, and even which accounts appear.
Can a consumer add a statement to a credit report?
Yes. Under the FCRA, a consumer may ask a credit reporting agency to include a brief consumer statement explaining a dispute that was not resolved as expected. The statement is attached to the file and appears alongside the disputed item.
How often can a consumer get a free credit report?
The FCRA gives consumers the right to a free credit report from each nationwide agency every 12 months, and the three agencies currently provide free reports weekly through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Related guides
- How Credit Scores Are Calculated
- Credit Score Ranges Explained
- Credit Utilization Explained
- Payment History And Credit Scores
- Length Of Credit History Explained