Credit Reporting

Let's take on the fundamentals of the credit reporting system. From the big three credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, to your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, this article will help you navigate the credit report maze.

The credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian are the three national credit reporting agencies that keep records on consumers. The reporting agencies work with lenders, creditors, insurers and employers to update and distribute your information to the appropriate institutions. Here's an example of how the system works:

1. When you apply for a new credit card the creditor requests a copy of your financial history from the reporting agencies. This causes a “hard inquiry” to be recorded on your credit report.

2. The creditor uses your credit reports and scores along with income and debt information to determine what rates to offer.

3. You start to use the new credit card and the creditor reports your activities to the credit reporting agencies about every 30 days.

4. The credit reporting agencies update your credit report as they receive new information from creditors or lenders.

5. Your credit profile changes based on your financial activity. The next time you apply for a credit card or loan, the process repeats.


Your Credit Report

Your credit report is divided into six main sections: consumer information (address, birthday and employment), consumer statement, account histories, public records, inquiries and creditor contacts. When you open a new account, miss a payment or move, these sections are updated with new information. Old negative records will stay on your credit report for 7-10 years. Positive records can remain on your credit report longer. Not all creditors report to all three agencies and the agencies obtain their data independently so your reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian could be substantially different from each other. That's why it's important to check your three credit reports every 6-12 months to ensure that the information is accurate and up-to-date.

Correcting Inaccuracies

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumers are protected from having inaccurate information on their credit reports. If you find an inaccurate record on your report, try contacting the creditor or lender associated with the mark first. These companies can usually correct the mistake and send an update to the credit reporting agencies. If you can't make progress this way, you can also dispute the inaccuracy directly with the credit reporting agencies.

Working the System

Keeping your credit reports healthy will improve your credit scores and help get you the best rates on major purchases. We recommend that you check your credit reports every 6-12 months or at least 3 months before a major purchase in order to guard against damaging inaccuracies and identity theft. Routine check-ups along with paying your bills on time, keeping your credit card balances below 35% of their limits and correcting any negative inaccuracies will help you maintain a healthy credit profile.

Labels: credit, credit bureaus, credit report, credit reporting agencies, credit scores

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The Truth About Credit Reporting Agencies

For starters, let's put aside the idea that the credit reporting agencies exist to ensure the safe keeping of your private financial data. The credit bureaus are not official government agencies and they do not create your credit reports for your benefit. They are not in the business of making sure your credit reports are accurate and they do not willingly provide you with a yearly copy of your credit reports.

What the credit bureaus are is something much different from what most people believe. Put simply, the credit bureaus are massive, for profit corporations who make money by selling your information. They sell it to creditors, employers, insurance companies, marketers, and even back to you.

The big three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, all trace their ancestry to small, local investigative companies. These early credit bureaus would collect every bit of seemingly relevant information they could about a person including employment history, marital status, age, race, religion, testimonials, and any other information they could get their hands on. They would then provide this information to creditors who used it to determine whether or not a person was worthy of a loan and how much interest they would be required to pay.

Over time, the credit bureaus grew and merged until the credit reporting system moved from one with many local credit bureaus to the current system of three major nationwide credit bureaus. As this happened, the large credit bureaus became so powerful that it became necessary for them to be regulated. This resulted in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) being passed to protect you from the growing power of the credit bureaus.

Credit scores had become increasingly important and it was the credit bureaus that had full control over the information used to create these scores. The problem was that the credit bureaus, as is the case today, are primarily motivated to collect your information and then sell it off. This meant that even though the credit bureaus were the definitive source for your credit information, they had no motivation to ensure its completeness or accuracy. They merely took the information they were provided, added it to your credit reports, and sold it off.

The FCRA was passed to add accountability to the credit reporting process. The credit bureaus were no longer able to collect whatever they wanted and to not tell you what was on your credit reports. As a result of the FCRA, you have a right to a free yearly copy of your credit reports (see AnnualCreditReport.com) and you have the right to dispute the accuracy of the items in your credit reports. While this does not mean the credit bureaus now make sure your reports are accurate, it does give you recourse when the credit bureaus unfairly report your credit history.

Unfortunately, however, the FCRA did not eradicate all the problems of the credit reporting system. The credit bureaus are still enormous corporations with enormous power. They are also still primarily motivated by the money they make by selling your credit information. Providing you with credit reports and investigating credit disputes is something they are forced to do and not something they were willing to do on their own. As such, the credit bureaus do what they can to avoid these practices.

Specifically as it relates to credit repair, the credit bureaus have developed a full arsenal of tactics to keep from investigate disputes. These tactics range from general propaganda, to strong-arm tactics, to methods of questionable legality.

How many times have you heard that credit repair is impossible, the only way to improve your credit is to wait seven years, and any company who offers to repair you credit is a scam? It is surprising so many people believe some or all of these statements when not a single one is true. This misinformation is the best friend of the credit bureaus as it dissuades so many people from even attempting to dispute their credit. No wonder the credit bureaus are so quick to promote this flawed perception.

Knowing the history and the motivations behind the credit bureaus is your tool to understanding the nature of the credit reporting system. When you know the true persona of the credit bureaus, you can then see why you are granted access to your credit reports, why you have the right to repair your credit, and why it can be beneficial to have a credit repair expert working on your side.

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