How to read your credit report.

Your credit report can feel like a wall of codes and dates. It is really just four kinds of information: who you are, what accounts you have, who has asked to see your file, and any public records. Once you know the sections, it gets much easier.

Personal information

Names, addresses, dates of birth, and sometimes employers. Errors here—an address that was never yours, a misspelled name, a wrong birth year—can be signs of mixed files or identity issues and are worth correcting.

Accounts (tradelines)

Each credit card, loan, or line of credit appears as a tradeline with a balance, credit limit, payment history grid, account status, and dates. Compare the same account across all three bureaus—balances, the Date of First Delinquency, and status should match. Inconsistencies are the most common, most fixable errors.

Inquiries

Hard inquiries (you applied for credit) can lower your score slightly and stay about two years. Soft inquiries (you checked your own credit, or a pre-approval) never affect your score.

Public records and collections

Bankruptcies and certain collections appear here. Check the dates carefully—most negative items can only be reported for about seven years.