Credit Report

The typical consumer's credit report includes four basic types of information:

Identifying information includes your name, current and former addresses, Social Security number, date of birth and employment history. This information is gathered from credit applications you have completed; accuracy depends on how clearly and completely you've filled out the forms when applying for credit.
Credit information details each of your accounts, including date opened, loan amounts, credit limit, current balances, monthly payment amounts and payment patterns. It also contains information about whether anyone besides you (such as a spouse) is responsible for paying on the account. Credit information is provided by companies who do business with you.
Public record information consists of federal district bankruptcy records, state and county court records, tax liens, and monetary judgments. In some states, overdue child support payments are also included.
Inquiries are the names of people or companies who have obtained a copy of your credit report for any reason. This information comes from the credit reporting agency. Per federal law, it remains available for as long as two years.