What Can Someone Find Out About You by Looking at Your Credit Report?

A copy of your credit report will include all of your personal information. Any information that you expect to give, or have given, to obtain credit in the past is normally available. This includes your full name, date of birth, social security number, phone number, address, and spouse's name.

Your name will also show any known aliases as well. This could include your maiden name, previous married name, or shortened versions of your name. Such as Rick, or Ricky, may appear for a man named Richard.

Your address will usually included any previous addresses as well, at least for the last few years. There could also be variations of your address such as ABC Street Apt. A, or ABC-A Street.

Your current employer, as well as any known previous employers, is often disclosed on your credit report. Where applicable, your spouse's employment information could appear as well. Unfortunately, this will provide creditors with the information they need to contact you at work, even if you are not allowed phone calls.

The largest part of your credit report will include all personal credit accounts with banks, retailers, credit card companies, and other lenders. This includes any that may have been paid off, or closed, in the previous seven years.

These accounts are listed by type. The information included with the account is the date you opened them, your credit limit or loan amount, any co-signers, and a payment history over the previous two years.

Most credit card companies will list your highest balance ever as well. Loan and credit card accounts that have a monthly payment may also show what your monthly monetary responsibility is.

Your utility companies may appear as accounts on your credit report. More cable, electric, water, phone, and gas companies are reporting your account as a credit account to all the credit bureaus each month.

The accounts section of you credit report will also provide any information related to any collection accounts or other delinquent or unpaid accounts. It is common for a debt collector to provide the same information to your credit report that the original creditor has. Therefore, the same account could appear on your credit report twice, with two different company names.

This type of information will normally remain on your credit report for seven years. However, a personal bankruptcy stays active on your credit report for ten years. Some reporting agencies may leave an inclusion on your credit report that states you have filed bankruptcy previously for a longer period than ten years.

Make sure to check with your state regulations regarding the time period these accounts and bankruptcies should stay on your credit report. While the general is seven years for personal accounts, your state may require derogatory accounts to be removed sooner.

Any court records could appear on your credit report as well. This includes tax liens, judgments, and bankruptcies. Normally, only monetary judgments will appear, but some of the reporting agencies will show any non-monetary judgments and liens as well.

Any type of court ordered payments, such as spousal or child support, that has been court ordered will also appear on your credit report as an account, usually a delinquent account. Most of the time it should appear as a monetary judgment, sometimes it could appear in a manner similar to a credit card.

The amount of your periodic payment, usually the monthly amount, will be listed. Your arrears, if any, will appear as well. Obtaining credit will an arrears balance may be difficult in some cases because these types of payments are considered 'jailable debts' by creditors.

Your credit report will also include the name of any company or person that has obtained a copy of your credit report. These inquiries usually stay on record for one to two years. These could include banks, credit card companies, utility companies, and auto insurance companies.

Many of these inquiries will only remain present for a year, although, many made for employment purposes will usually appear for two years.

Inquiries that were made for pre-approved credit offers, or made by yourself, will not appear to anyone who may view your report. These types of inquires are available only to you.

The credit bureaus obtain all information through your current accounts, such as loans and credit cards. Some of the information, normally your personal identifiers and employment, are obtained when you apply for new credit, even if it was denied.

Most credit companies, including banks and lenders, provide this information on a monthly basis in an effort to keep your credit report current. Debt collection agencies often report on a case-by-case basis, usually after the account has gone past a specified date without action.

Your credit report also includes the information that you have supplied directly to the credit bureaus. When an employer, name spelling, birth date, or employer is wrong on your report you can write or call the reporting agency to request the change.

Special consumer statements are also available on a credit report and are supplied by you. This is most often done by victims of identity theft; who want an extra layer of protection before any accounts being opened in their name.