Generally, there are five types of information that your credit report reflects:

1. Personal Identification Information

• Your name, spouse's name, Social Security number, current and previous addresses, birth date, and current and previous employers
• This information comes from your past credit applications, so it is important to completely and honestly fill out forms every time you apply for credit

2. Public Records Information

• Includes bankruptcies, tax liens and monetary judgments, and - in some cases - overdue child support

3. Adverse/Collection Account Information

• Information that reflects non payment of a debt, supplied by either the original creditor or a collection agency

4. Credit Account Information

• Each of your accounts with banks, stores, credit card issuers and/or other sources
• Information includes date opened, amount, balance, monthly payment and payment pattern going back several years
• Some information is kept for as many as ten years

5. Inquiry Information

• Who requested and obtained copies of your credit report, usually within the past two years