So what is a credit report anyway? Simply put, a credit report is a snapshot of your credit history (credit and loan applications, credit cards, loans and mortgages) and contains your history of making or not making payments on time. It is also contains a limited set of public information about you.

One of the first steps to truly understanding your credit and your credit report is to get a good feel for what makes up your FICO credit score.  The main thing you need to know is that your FICO credit score is made up of five major components each with their own weight and impact on your score.  From the graph and explainations below, you will see how the different components affect your credit score:

What information goes on my credit report?  Many people have an unrealistic view of what a credit report actually contains.  They think that it mysteriously contains intimate information about their personal life like how much they drink.  If you ever wondered what goes on my credit report, let me clarify by outlining the major bits of information that make up your credit report:

With the ongoing credit crunch, credit takes on an ever increasing importance.  In the course of my short lifetime, the uses of credit reports has grown and become more intertwined with my daily choices and options.  I outline the the main viewers of your credit report and why each one is important:

Below you will find the contact information for the three credit agencies ( three credit reporting agencies or an individual credit agency).