Experian Credit Report
A guide and sample credit report can be found on experian.com, the company’s official website. The Experian credit report contains ten key items:
Report number: This is a reference number assigned to each Experian subject. Customers can use this number to contact Experian for inquiries or assistance on their credit reports.
Index: Found only in online reports, this section contains links to various sections to help customers navigate through the report.
Potentially negative items: These are the factors most likely to have a negative effect on the person’s credit rating, such as bankruptcy filings, liens, and judgments. This is also where basic consumer information, such as name, address, account number, and social security number, is provided.
Accounts and statuses: This section lists all the accounts held by the customer, both current and closed. Details such as account name, balance, monthly payment, and status are also provided.
Accounts in good standing: The items in this section have a desirable status and may positively affect credit ratings. Not all creditors regularly report to Experian, so the information may be incomplete.
Account type: The account type (open, revolving, or installment) is used to assess the ‘balance’ between credit types held by the consumer. Most creditors prefer a balanced mix of various account types.
Inquiries: All parties who have requested or looked into a person’s credit history will be shown in the credit report. Experian classifies inquiries into two types: those resulting from transactions made by the customer and those initiated by other parties that are allowed by the FCRA (such as pre-approved offers).
Personal information: This includes all the information reported by the customer or his or her creditors. Any variations in the data, such as different social security numbers and addresses for one customer, will also be included so that customers can correct mistakes.
Address information: This lists the customer’s current and previous addresses. If the person has recently moved, the date and duration of stay at each address will also be provided.
Personal statement: This is where all statements personally added by the customer (and approved by Experian) will be shown. The statement(s) will be included in the report for two years.