What Is a Credit Bureau?

Credit bureaus, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, gather borrowing and payment information from banks, credit cards, utilities, and public records, then organize it into a single credit report for each consumer. They calculate a FICO or VantageScore from that data and deliver the report and score to lenders, insurers, landlords, and employers you authorize.

That flow gives you a standardized way to prove creditworthiness, spot mistakes, and control who sees your data. You can pull your free annual credit report, challenge inaccuracies, and add fraud alerts or freezes to protect against identity theft. The next section shows how bureaus collect the data they use.

• Equifax: the credit bureau that delivers most mortgage lenders your credit report, and lets you view a free annual report and dispute errors online.
• Experian: the credit bureau that many credit‑card issuers use for your credit report, and provides free credit monitoring plus a yearly report.
• TransUnion: the credit bureau that often supplies auto‑loan lenders your credit report, and offers a VantageScore and an online portal for disputes.

Credit bureaus gather the information that fills your credit report from a network of data furnishers who regularly send them updates.

1. Lenders and credit card issuers transmit account activity - opening dates, balances, payment history, and status - each month to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
2. Public record offices feed court judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies, which appear as the most severe negatives on your credit report.
3. Collection agencies report debts they purchase or service, adding charge‑off details and repayment progress.
4. Utility, telecom, and rent companies have begun sharing on‑time or missed payments, expanding the traditional credit picture beyond loans.
5. Employers and background‑check firms sometimes contribute verification data, though only with your consent and limited to identity confirmation.
6. Data‑aggregation services scrape alternative sources - such as subscription services or online marketplaces - and sell verified snapshots to the bureaus under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

These feeds combine nightly, creating the evolving credit report you can later review, dispute, or freeze.

You view a credit report by requesting it online, by phone, or by mail from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, and each report lists the same core categories that the bureaus use to calculate your score.

• Personal identifying information (name, Social Security number, date of birth, current and former addresses)
• Account summary for every credit card, loan, mortgage or line of credit (date opened, credit limit or original loan amount, current balance, payment status)
• Public records such as bankruptcies (stay up to 10 years), tax liens and civil judgments (generally 7 years)
• Collection accounts and charged‑off balances (reported for 7 years)
• Credit inquiries: hard pulls that may affect score and soft pulls that do not
• Account remarks (e.g., settled, re‑opened, disputed)
• Credit utilization and payment history trends (balance‑to‑limit ratios, on‑time or late payments)

For a step‑by‑step guide see the official consumer finance guide.

• Each credit bureau updates its credit reports at its own schedule, so a recent payment may appear on Experian but not yet on Equifax or TransUnion.
• Lenders often send data to only one or two bureaus; an account reported to Equifax but not to Experian creates mismatched information.
• Typos in a name, Social Security number, or address can cause a bureau to file an account under a duplicate file, resulting in divergent reports.
• Disputed or corrected items may be removed by one bureau faster than the others, leaving temporary gaps between reports.
• Different interpretation of status codes - such as 'closed' versus 'open' or varying late‑payment thresholds - produces inconsistencies across the three major bureaus.

Dispute any error on your credit report by contacting the responsible credit bureau directly.

1. Pull your reports - Use AnnualCreditReport.com to download the latest Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports.
2. Mark each inaccuracy - Highlight wrong balances, missed payments, or outdated personal info.
3. Collect proof - Gather bank statements, credit‑card letters, or payment receipts that show the correct data.
4. File the dispute - Submit online at each bureau's portal, or mail a written dispute with copies of your evidence. Include your name, address, a clear description of the error, and the supporting documents.
5. Wait for the investigation - The bureau must investigate within 30 days and send you a written outcome.
6. Review the result - If the item is corrected, verify that all three reports reflect the change. If not, request a re‑investigation and attach any additional proof.
7. Escalate if needed - Send a follow‑up letter to the bureau's compliance department, and consider filing a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (understand dispute rights).

After fixing inaccuracies, you'll move on to protecting your credit with freezes and fraud alerts.

A security freeze blocks Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion from releasing your credit report to any new creditor, while a fraud alert adds a verification step before anyone can view it.

• Contact each bureau individually online or by phone to request a freeze; provide your name, Social Security number, birthdate, and a PIN for future lifts.
• Set a free fraud alert (lasting 90 days) by calling one bureau; the alert automatically propagates to the other two.
• No fee applies for freezes or alerts under federal law; some states may allow a small charge, but the FTC prohibits it.
• Keep the PIN or password safe; you can lift a freeze temporarily for a specific lender or unlock it entirely whenever you choose.
• A freeze remains in place until you remove it; a fraud alert expires after 90 days unless you upgrade to an extended alert for victims of identity theft.

By freezing your credit and adding a fraud alert, you prevent unauthorized accounts from opening while still retaining the right to access your own credit reports whenever you need them. For detailed instructions, see the FTC guide on credit freezes.

Most negative items remain on your credit report for 7 years after the date of the last activity, while a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays for 10 years. The three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - apply the same timelines, so a 30‑day late payment that occurred on March 1 2020 will automatically disappear in March 2027, regardless of which bureau you check.

Add positive, reportable activity to your credit file and the three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - will record it, gradually raising your credit scores.

• Enroll in a rent‑reporting service so on‑time rent appears on your credit report.
• Request that utility providers (electric, water, internet) send payment data to the bureaus.
• Choose a secured credit card or a credit‑builder loan that explicitly reports to all three bureaus.
• Keep credit‑card balances below 30 % of your limits; the bureaus track utilization automatically.
• Pay student, auto, or personal loans on schedule; most lenders report these payments.
• Add employer‑provided benefits or professional licenses that some bureaus accept as positive tradelines.

Thin files and identity‑theft incidents are the two main reasons your three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) can show markedly different FICO or VantageScore numbers. A thin file lacks sufficient tradelines for a robust algorithm, so each bureau may pull a different data set; identity theft injects fraudulent accounts that often appear in only one bureau's file, creating a score gap.

For a thin file, imagine a recent college graduate who only has a student loan reported to Experian. Experian's VantageScore might calculate 720, while Equifax, having no active accounts, defaults to a low‑information score around 660, and TransUnion, with a single auto‑loan, lands near 680.

In an identity‑theft case, a fraudster opens a credit‑card that is reported to TransUnion but never reaches Equifax or Experian. TransUnion's FICO score could plunge to 580, whereas the other two bureaus remain near 710 because they never saw the fraudulent line. A fraud alert placed on one bureau's file can also freeze new activity there, leaving that bureau's score unchanged while the others dip.

Credit bureaus now incorporate rent, utility, medical, and business payment histories into your credit report, letting everyday bills help you build - or hurt - your credit score.

For example, Experian's RentBureau and Equifax RentView add on‑time rent from landlords or platforms like Cozy; TransUnion's SmartMove reports utility accounts such as electricity or water when you enroll. Medical claims flow from hospitals and collection agencies to all three bureaus, appearing as paid or delinquent items. Business credit lines, vendor payments or sole‑proprietor loans reported by lenders show up on personal credit files, giving you another avenue to demonstrate responsible borrowing.

These data points sit alongside traditional credit cards and loans, so paying them promptly can raise your score, while late payments can lower it.