Your credit report contains a list of every member creditor who has lent you money or provided you with credit in any way. It shows your charge accounts, automobile loans, bank and student loans, home mortgage, and any other credit-related transaction. It shows when the credit line was opened, the highest amount you ever borrowed, how much you owe now, and whether you’ve missed any payments or were late.
Your credit report also contains certain items known as “Public Records”. Public Records include any credit-related lawsuits that you may have been involved in as well as liens, repossessions, foreclosures, judgments and bankruptcies.
Credit bureaus also report the names of other member creditors who have made inquiries into your account. If a potential lender sees too many recent inquiries, they might not grant you credit if they feel that you are getting overextended.
There are, however, two types of inquiries that are part of your record but are never seen by creditors. There are inquiries made by you, on your own behalf, and inquiries made by companies that send you all of those unsolicited credit card and loan offers that you get in the mail. So, while these offers may be annoying to some, the good news is that you are not being penalized by them.
How am I identified in my credit report?
Your credit report lists your name, current and previous addresses, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Spouses Name (if you are married) and your employer.
What other personal information do “they” know about me?
Nothing. By law, your credit report cannot contain information about your race, religious beliefs, political affiliations, sexual preferences, criminal records, or any other lifestyle issues.
How far back does my credit report go?
Positive or “good” credit information remains on your report for as long as you have an active credit relationship with the creditor and for up to seven years after that relationship ends satisfactorily.
Negative, or “bad credit” remains for seven years except for bankruptcies which remain for up to 10 years. The public record information that we mentioned earlier can remain for up to seven years after you remedy the problem that caused the information to appear in the first place.
An unpaid judgment, which is an amount of money that a court has decided that you owe as the result of you’re having lost some legal action against you, such as not paying a bill which resulted in the creditor taking you to court, can remain on your report for up to 7 years AFTER you pay the judgment, and will remain indefinitely if you do not pay it.
Creditor inquiries generally stay on your report for up to two years.
