The Three Credit Bureaus
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs) in the United States. Each one independently collects credit data from lenders, creditors, and public records — and each produces its own credit report about you.
What's on Your Credit Report
Each credit report contains:
- Personal Information: Name, address history, date of birth, Social Security number (partial)
- Account History: All open and closed credit accounts, payment history, balances, limits
- Hard Inquiries: Credit applications from the past 2 years
- Public Records: Bankruptcies (remain 7–10 years)
- Collections: Accounts sent to collections (remain 7 years)
Why Your Reports Differ
Not every lender reports to all three bureaus. Your credit card issuer might report to Experian and Equifax but not TransUnion. This means your three reports — and your three scores — can be different. Check all three annually at AnnualCreditReport.com.
How to Get Your Free Reports
Under the FCRA, you're entitled to one free report per bureau per year at AnnualCreditReport.com. During and after COVID-19, weekly free reports became permanently available. Always use the official site — not third-party services that charge fees.
How to Read Your Report
Look for negative items: late payments, collections, charge-offs, and hard inquiries. Any inaccurate item can be disputed. Under FCRA Section 611, bureaus must investigate disputes within 30 days. Learn how in our dispute errors guide.
CreditRise AI can analyze your credit report and identify all disputable errors automatically. See how it works.