How to Read Your Credit Bureau Report
Written by William Gordon on June 29th, 2008So you’ve just received this free credit report from one of the major agencies and you have absolutely no idea what you are looking at. If this sounds like you, then you are in good company. Lots of people don’t really know what they are looking at when they view a credit bureau report because to be quite honest, they are somewhat complicated to the untrained eye. Here are some tips to help you understand the important information you are reading.
Credit Bureau
Credit bureaus collect and collate personal information and financial data on individuals and businesses from a wide variety of sources including financial data furnishers with which the bureaus have a relationship. Data furnishers are businesses, utilities, debt collection agencies, public institutions, and the courts that a consumer has had a relationship with.
General Personal Information
Bureau credit reports are comprised of various types of information. The first page should detail your personal information. You will see that your personal details such as name and address are included followed by some more note worthy information. There will also be sections concerning your employment records and your criminal background. This information is available to outlets that buy your credit bureau report to evaluate you for a loan or other legal agreement.
List of Credit Accounts
On your credit bureau report, you will see all of the open credit accounts in your name. This will include everything that you might have thought of and some other things that you might not have even remembered. If you have credit card accounts, any small loans, a mortgage, or other form of credit, then your account will be listed there. In addition, student loans, rental properties, and other things might show up. Along with the simple listing, there will be a section outlining how long you have had these accounts. This is one place where you will want to look very closely on your credit bureau report, because mistakes can sometimes show up.
History of Account Standing
Here is the important part of the credit report. In your bureau credit reports, you will see each account listed, along with the payment history for that account. In this section of the report, you can see any missed payments or late payments. They will also list any sort of delinquency that is associated with various accounts. When you go under review for a new line of credit or a new account, this is the section that will be scrutinized the greatest. Here, you will also find that the total balance of each account will be listed for people to review.
The Credit Score
It is important to review your credit report regularly. This will let you know what your credit score is. Your credit score is the most important single number that matters when it comes to applying for loans. It can be the difference in getting the loan you need and being turned down. This number will be visible at the end of the credit report. This figure is likely to be in the region of 500 and 800 and is a reflection of your credit history.
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Tags: Credit Report