What is a credit report?

Your credit report is a record of how you have borrowed and repaid, compiled by the nationwide credit reporting agencies from data that lenders and collectors voluntarily send in.

Quick takeaways

Furnishing data is voluntary, so reports differ.
Always review all three reports.
The report is the source; the score is the summary.

What it contains

Identifying information, account histories with balances and payment records, public records such as bankruptcies, collection accounts, and a list of who has pulled your file.

Why the three differ

Reporting is voluntary, so a lender may report to one bureau, two, or all three. An error can sit on one report and not the others, which is why you check all three.

How it gets used

Lenders, landlords, insurers and some employers use it, with permissible purpose. Your score is calculated from it, so report accuracy is the foundation of everything.

Want someone to look at your actual reports?

Start the free intake and a Knox specialist will walk your file with you — what can be challenged, what should stay, and what to do next. No cost, no obligation.