The information that is contained in your credit report can be categorized in 4 groups: Personal Information, Credit History, Credit Inquiries, and Public Records.

Personal information: Your Name, Date of Birth (DOB), Current & Past Addresses, Name of Current & Past Employers, and Social Security Number (SSN).

Credit History: For every account that you have opened with a creditor (e.g. credit card company, bank, etc.) your credit report contains: the date the account was opened, the credit limit or amount of the loan, the balance, and a history that shows whether or not you’ve paid the account on time. Closed or inactive accounts stay on your report for 7 to 11 years from the date of their last activity, depending on whether you closed them while being in good standing or not.

Credit Inquiries: An inquiry is recorded whenever your credit report is shown to another party, such as a lender, credit card company, service provider, landlord, or insurer. Credit Inquiries remain on your credit report for up to 2 years. You can also opt out from allowing companies to look at your credit report without your permission.

Public Records: Most public record information stays on your credit report for 7 years. Matters of public record obtained from government sources such as courts of law — including liens, bankruptcies, and overdue child support — may appear on your credit report.

Once a year you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report. Make sure that you check your credit report, at least once a year, for any errors.