Interpreting Sections of a Credit Report

1st Page Header of the Credit Report

File # to be used when calling us for questions concerning a specific report, Ordering information such as
Client, Client Address, Date ordered and Requestor

Applicant Information

This is the information entered into the Credit Report system, via the Web or by our Customer Service Rep. Always check for errors in the information entered in this section if no credit information is returned.

View Credit Interpretation PDF

View Credit Report Codes

Credit Bureau Report

Scores – Please see the supplied document on Credit Scoring. Credit Summary: A quick interpretation of the Total credit trade lines on the report Financial Summary: A calculated summary of payments, balances, and past due information, sorted by Type of account; (i.e.)

  • Mortgage: Mortgage Payment
  • Installment: Same monthly balances such as Car loans.
  • OPEN: Paid in full monthly balances such as AMEX, Utilities
  • Revolving: Percentage paid balances, such as Credit Cards
  • Edu: Education / School loans The Proposed Rent Section is populated if you use our Tenant Score Card Product.
Variations

Personal Information Comparison: Previous address listed at the credit bureau level, also Date of Birth and SSN. AKA – Also Known As: Represents variations in the name such as John, Johnnie, Jonathan Address Comparison: Previous Addresses for your Applicant listed at the bureau level Employment Comparison: Previous Employment list at the bureau level (rarely up to date)

Credit Report

Creditor: is the account holder/company name reporting

Opening Date/ Months Reviewed: When this account was opened

Reported Date: is when this account was last updated to the bureau

High Credit: Reflects the Amount available to the consumer or the most the account has been extended

Balance: Balance currently owing

Past Due Amt: The amount currently outstanding

Historical: The amount of time the account has gone 30,60 or 90 days late

Type Terms: Denotes: Mortgage, Installment, Revolving Open. Also the loan term in months, and payment amount

Present Status: the status of the account

As Agreed- The account is paid on time Delinq30, Delinq60.

Delinq90: Denotes account as 30, 60, 90 days late

Bankruptcy: Denotes the account was included in a Bankruptcy

Collection: The account is in collections / over 120 days late.

ECOA Codes: ECOA KEY: B = BORROWER; C = CO-BORROWER; S = SHARED; J = JOINT; U = UNDESIGNATED; A = AUTHORIZED USER

Late Date: If the account has been late, (if available) specific late dates are noted as to when the infraction occurred.

Remarks: The type of account/ original creditor

Public Records

Judgments, Liens, Bankruptcies. The Status is the most important part of this section. Check to see if it is satisfied (paid) if not satisfied, it is still owed

Prior Inquiries

Any time a credit is pulled an “inquiry” is placed on the credit report. This will tell you who and when looked at this credit report and possibly extended credit to the applicant.

Repository Remarks

This will show on consumer statements that are placed on the credit report. (i.e.) Victim of Fraud

Submission Results

The Credit bureau that this report came from

Repository Referral

Is the contact information for the credit bureau (s)

Here’s a breakdown of how long some of the negative information collected by the credit bureaus will likely stay on your credit reports.

  • Bankruptcy: Ten years from the date of filing for Chapter 7 filings, seven years for Chapter 13 filings and seven years for each record marked as “Included in BK”
  • Charge-Offs (when a creditor or lender writes off the balance of a delinquent debt, no longer expecting it to be repaid): Seven years
  • Closed Accounts: Seven years if the account was paid late, no expiration date if the account was always paid on time
  • Collection Accounts: Seven years from the last late payment on the original account
  • Inquiries: Two years
  • Late Payments: Seven years from the date of the late payment
  • Judgments: Seven years from the filing date if paid; longer if unpaid
  • Tax Liens: Fifteen or more years if left unpaid, seven years from the date the lien is paid

Credit Report Codes and Definitions

ECOA Inquiry and Account Designators

A = Authorized user of the shared account. Does not have responsibility for the account.

B = On behalf of another person. The subject has financial responsibility for an account which is used exclusively by another person.

C = Co-maker contractual liability

I = Individual account for sole use of customer

J = Joint contractual liability

M = Account for which subject is liable, but co-signer has liability if the maker defaults.

P = Participant in shared account which cannot be distinguished as C or A

S = Account for which subject is co-signer and becomes liable if maker defaults.

T = Relationship with account terminated.

U = Undesignated, or unknown.

X = Deceased

Z = Creditor reports as included in a bankruptcy

Type of Account

C = Check credit (line of credit)
I = Installment
M = Mortgage
O = Open account
R = Revolving
Z = Reported as included in Bunkruptcy

Date Reported Codes

A = Information reported automatically on accounts receivable tapes by credit grantor.
M = Information reported in paper form by credit grantor and manually entered by the bureau.
V = The credit reporting agency verbally or in writing contacted the credit grantor to obtain the updated information.

Status of Account

Current Manner of Payment (using payments past due or age from due date) Type of Account
Too new to rate: approved but not used 0
Pays (or paid) within 30 days of payment due date, or not over one payment past due 1
Pays (or paid) in more than 30 days from the payment due date, but not more than 60
days, or not more than two payments past due
2
Pays (or paid) in more than 60 days from the payment due date, but not more than 90
days, or not more three payments past due
3
Pays (or paid) in more than 90 days from the payment due date, but not more than 120
days, or four payments past due
4
Pays (or paid) in more than 120 days, or five or more payments past due 5
Making regular payments under debtor’s plan or similar arrangement 7
Repossession. (Indicate if it is a voluntary return of merchandise by the consumer 8
Bad Debt 9

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