Credit reports are divided into several key areas of information, including personal data, account (or
"trade") information, inquiries, collections, and public records.
Personal data - The personal information included in a credit report includes your name, former names, address, former addresses, Social Security Number, date of birth, and sometimes employment. The information is used for identification purposes and matching the information supplied by credit grantors.
The employment and income section are the least updated.
Account/creditor/trade information - Account information includes a list of your liabilities. This will include credit cards, loans and family and child support obligations. This section also includes specific details about each of your accounts including the balance, credit limit (in the case of a credit card), original loan amount (in the case of a loan), the current payment status, date opened, and any historical delinquencies. If an account has been classified delinquent, then a record of the delinquency will also be included. Accounts can be reported as being 30, 60, 90, or 120 days late, defaulted or included in
bankruptcy. Historical payment data is also included and will indicate how late your payments have been in the past.
Inquiries - Inquiries are a record of who accessed you credit report and on what date. They are added to your credit report when anyone (a creditor, collector, or consumer) obtains a copy of it, and even when you review it. There are two types of inquiries, hard and soft. Hard inquiries are normally the result of a consumer applying for some sort of credit card or a loan. Hard inquiries remain on your credit reports for 24 months. Soft inquiries are the results of credit card pre-approvals and account management activities by your existing creditors. When you request a copy of your credit report or monitor your own credit file, a soft inquiry is placed on your credit report. Soft inquiries remain on your credit report for 6 months.
Collections - A collection is a record of a 3rd party company attempting to collect a defaulted or delinquent debt. Collection accounts include the name of the original creditor, the balance due, the date the collection was assigned, the collection agency name, and account number.
Public records - Public record information is data included in the U.S. public record's system, and is readily accessible to anyone who wants to see it. Not all public record data is included on your credit report. The data is limited to tax liens, bankruptcies, and judgments.