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Credit Report FAQs

How do I place a state law security freeze on my other credit files?

To place a security freeze on your credit file at other credit reporting agencies you must contact them directly. When you request a security freeze on your Equifax credit file under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze procedures, it is not shared with any other credit reporting agencies.

How do I request a new Lender Personal Identification Number (LPIN)?

When you request a temporary lift of your security freeze for a specific credit grantor/report user we provide you a 4 digit Lender Personal Identification Number (LPIN) which you must provide to the specific credit grantor/report user. This enables the security freeze to be temporarily lifted for a specific credit grantor/report user. If you requested that we lift your freeze for a specific grantor you must provide the credit grantor/report user that you want to be able to receive your Equifax credit report with this LPIN for it to use to receive access to your Equifax credit file. If you lose your LPIN, you may call us at the telephone number listed on your confirmation letter to request a new LPIN. You may also request a new LPIN in writing. Please follow the procedures listed under requesting a Temporary Lift and clearly note on your request that you lost your previous LPIN. Please send your request along with proof of your identity to the address below.

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348

As an alternative to a security freeze under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program is Equifax Credit Watch with Equifax Credit Report Control™. With Equifax Credit Report Control you may create Specific Company Unlock 4-digit PINs easily online with your paid subscription. The 4-digit PINs allow one-time access to your Equifax credit report. Please see Equifax Credit Report Control™ FAQS FAQs for more information about using Equifax Credit Report Control to provide specific company access to your Equifax credit report.

How do I request a new state law or Equifax voluntary Security Freeze Confirmation Number?

When you initially request that a state law security freeze be placed on your Equifax credit file you are provided with a security freeze confirmation number which helps facilitate any future actions requested by you regarding the security freeze on your Equifax credit file. If you lose your security freeze confirmation number you must write to us and include the various items listed under Security freeze on Equifax credit file. Please send your request along with proof of your identity to the address below.

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348

Click State Freeze Requirements and Fees to see the fees for your state associated with placing a security freeze.

How do I permanently remove a state law or Equifax voluntary security freeze on my Equifax credit file?

You can request that a security freeze be permanently removed.

Submitting a Security Freeze Request:

Online

You may make a Security Freeze Request by clicking here or visiting https://www.freeze.equifax.com

Phone

You may make a Security Freeze Request by calling 1-800-685-1111

Mail

You may make a Security Freeze Request in writing by mail

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348

To submit your Security Freeze Request via mail, please submit the following personal ID information: your complete name, including any suffix (e.g. Jr., Sr., etc.), complete address, Social Security number and date of birth.

To permanently remove a security freeze, you must submit all of the following along with the required personal ID information:
- 10 digit personal identification number (PIN)
- Two (2) forms of identification (e.g. pay stub with address and utility bill)

Charges for Security Freeze Request:

The charges for a Security Freeze Request on your Equifax credit file vary by state. Please click here for the fees associated with your state.

If submitting your request by mail, please include payment by check, money order, or major credit card for the appropriate fees. For VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express payment, please include your name as it appears on the card, the card number and the expiration date.

What is a Security Freeze?

You have the right to place a security freeze on your Equifax Credit File under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program. A security freeze will limit us from reporting your Equifax credit file to third parties, such as credit grantors or other companies and agencies, except those exempted by law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program or those for whom you contacted us and requested that we temporarily lift the security freeze. For a complete list of exceptions see Security Freeze Exceptions. To determine the fees for placing, requesting a temporary lift, or removing of a security freeze, please click State Freeze Requirements and Fees.

Only you can request a security freeze be placed on your Equifax credit file and only you can request the security freeze be removed or temporarily lifted. A security freeze will remain on your Equifax credit file until you request the security freeze be permanently removed or you request a temporary lift of the security freeze for a specific credit grantor/credit file user or date range.

A security freeze will require you to plan ahead for all your credit applications as you will need to contact us to request that we temporarily lift your freeze to allow us to report your Equifax credit file to the credit grantor you identify. Under the laws of most states and the Equifax voluntary security freeze program, it may take up to three business days to process your request to temporarily lift the security freeze. It may take longer if you have lost the security freeze confirmation number which we provided to you when you first requested the security freeze be placed on your Equifax credit file. You may not be able to request a temporary lift of a security freeze during non-business hours or on weekends. A security freeze may hinder your ability to immediately obtain credit to make major purchases. Accordingly, if you are credit active and apply for credit on a regular basis and have a security freeze on your Equifax credit file you need to be especially mindful of the need to plan ahead and contact us in advance to request a temporary lift of the security freeze on your Equifax credit file. An alternative for people concerned about fraud but who are not victims, or people who have been victims but have resolved the problem, is a credit monitoring service. Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold, alerts you of key changes in your credit file within 24 hours so you can take action quickly to stop any further fraud without the inconvenience of freezing and it will not prevent credit grantors from accessing your credit file.

An alternative to a security freeze under state law is with Equifax Credit Report Control™. This online subscription product provides you the ability to easily lock and unlock access to your Equifax credit report online and alerts you of key changes in your credit report within 24 hours so you can take action quickly to stop any potential fraud or unauthorized activity. You may lock and unlock your Equifax credit report for a period of time - or even for specific companies - when applying for loans, credit cards or insurance. Together with Equifax Credit Watch, Equifax Credit Report Control is the most effective product to prevent identity theft from ruining your credit.

What are state law and Equifax voluntary security program exceptions to a security freeze?

There are various exceptions to a security freeze, including those which vary by state law, and those under the Equifax voluntary security freeze program. However, some common exceptions are the following:

Companies that have a current account or relationship with you, and collection agencies acting on behalf of these companies
State or local agencies including law enforcement, child support agencies, trial courts pursuant to a warrant or subpoena
Credit monitoring companies
Companies that sell credit reports to consumers
Federal government agencies as permitted under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act

As stated above, there may be other exceptions under specific state security freeze laws and the Equifax voluntary security freeze program.

How do I place a state law security freeze on my Equifax credit file?

You can request that a security freeze be placed on your Equifax credit file, as applicable under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program.

Submitting a Security Freeze Request:

Online

You may make a Security Freeze Request by clicking here or visiting https://www.freeze.equifax.com

Phone

You may make a Security Freeze Request by calling 1-800-685-1111

Mail

You may make a Security Freeze Request in writing by mail

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348

If you are an identity theft victim and are requesting a security freeze you must also include a copy of a police report, Identity Theft report, or other government law enforcement agency report, such as a DMV report.

Charges for Security Freeze Request:

The charges for a Security Freeze Request on your Equifax credit file vary by state. Please click here for the fees associated with your state.

What are some options to placing a security freeze on my credit file?

Fraud Alert. If you are credit active and want to require that credit grantors verify your identity before approving credit in your name, a free option that works well for millions of consumers is to place a fraud alert on your credit file. Select What happens when I activate a fraud alert? to learn more about fraud alerts.

Credit File Monitoring. If you want to monitor activity on your credit file, but do not want to limit your ability to have your credit file provided and make credit purchases at will, another option is to enroll in our credit monitoring service, Equifax Credit Watch™ Gold. Equifax Credit Watch will alert you to key changes to your credit file within 24 hours so you can stop fraud before it causes major damage. You now have the option to include Equifax Credit Report Control™ with your Equifax Credit Watch subscription, providing you the ability to locak and unlock access to your Equifax credit report quickly and easily online. For more information about Equifax Credit Report Control, see Equifax Credit Report Control™ FAQS.

Together with Equifax Credit Watch credit file monitoring, Equifax Credit Report Control is, we believe, the most effective product to prevent identity theft from ruining your credit.

How do I request a temporary lift of a state law or Equifax voluntary security freeze on my Equifax credit file?

You can request that a security freeze be temporarily lifted for a specific party or parties, or specific period of time, as applicable under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program.

Submitting a Security Freeze Request:

Online

You may make a Security Freeze Request by clicking here or visiting https://www.freeze.equifax.com

Phone

You may make a Security Freeze Request by calling 1-800-685-1111

Mail

You may make a Security Freeze Request in writing by mail

Equifax Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, Georgia 30348

To temporarily lift a security freeze, you must submit all of the following along with the required personal ID information:
- 10 digit personal identification number (PIN)
- Date range, if your state allows for a date range lift, (e.g. March 15 - March 21) for the temporary lifting of the security freeze, or
- Proper information regarding the third party to receive your credit report (e.g. Sears), if your state allows for a party(ies) lift.

Charges for Security Freeze Request:

The charges for a Security Freeze Request on your Equifax credit file vary by state. Please click here for the fees associated with your state.

How do I obtain my American file if I am a resident from another country or I am becoming an American resident?

You must first determine if you have an American file. If the companies in which you currently do business with are not reporting members of Equifax U.S., then you do not have an American file.

In order to establish an American file you can apply for credit with American companies who are reporting members of Equifax. Most major credit card companies e.g. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover are reporting members of Equifax.

How do I merge my Canadian file with my American file due to dual citizenships?

You cannot merge your Canadian and American files. You must maintain separate credit files from each country due to various laws and/or provinces.

How can I add a consumer statement to my file?

If you cannot resolve a disputed item, you have the right to file a brief statement with the consumer reporting agency, free of charge, explaining the nature of your disagreement. The consumer reporting agency may limit your statement to not more than 100 words if it provides you with assistance in writing a clear summary of the disagreement. Your statement will become part of your credit file, and will be included each time your credit file is accessed, for as long as the disputed item remains in your credit file.

How long do you keep my credit information?

Payment in full does not remove your payment history. The length of time information remains in your credit file is shown below:

Credit Accounts

Accounts paid as agreed remain on file for up to 10 years from the date of last activity (DLA)
Accounts not paid as agreed remain on file for seven years from the DLA

Collection Accounts

Remain on file for seven years from the DLA

Public Records

Judgments remain on file for seven years from the date filed, whether satisfied (paid) or not
Paid tax liens remain on file for seven years from the date released (paid)
Unpaid tax liens remain on file indefinitely
Bankruptcy
Chapters 7, 11, and non-discharged or dismissed chapters 12 and 13 remain on file for 10 years from the date filed
Discharged chapters 12 and 13 remain on file for seven years from the date filed

New York State Residents Only (must be current resident)

Satisfied judgments remain five years from the date filed
Paid collections remain five years from the date of last activity
All other purge rules as noted above apply

California State Residents Only (must be current resident)

Paid or released tax liens remain on file seven years from the date released or 10 years from the date file
Unpaid or unreleased tax liens remain 10 years from the file date
All consumer-initiated inquiries for the purpose of obtaining a loan and/or benefit remain on the file for two years
All other purge rules as noted above apply

Will my spouse's name and information appear on my report?

You and your spouse each have your own separate credit file. The credit reporting companies maintain credit files on individual U.S. residents only. They do not maintain joint files for spouses. Only accounts that are in both names will show on both reports. Any account for which you are a co-signer will also show up on your report.

Who can see my Equifax Credit Report?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) specifies who can see your Equifax Credit Report. Businesses must have a "permissible purpose," as defined in the federal law, to obtain your credit file.

Otherwise, only you and those you give written permission to can access your credit file. Your neighbors, friends, co-workers and even family members cannot access your Equifax credit file unless you authorize it. Some examples of those who can access your credit file are:

Credit grantors, when you apply for credit
Collection agencies, when they need it to collect a debt
Insurance companies, to underwrite insurance
Employers, but only with your permission

Any company that receives a copy of your Equifax Credit Report will be listed under the 'Inquiries' section of your report. If you become aware that your credit file has been obtained outside the FCRA guidelines, contact:

Equifax, Inc.
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348

How can I dispute inaccuracies on my Equifax Credit Report™?

As stated in the FCRA, you have the right to dispute information that you feel is being reported incorrectly on your Equifax Credit Report™. You are able to initiate an online investigation immediately or you can contact our dispute center at the toll-free number listed at the top of your Equifax Credit Report™. You must have a current copy of your Equifax Credit Report™ and your ten-digit confirmation number to complete this process online, which is found at the top of your Equifax Credit Report™.

To initiate an online investigation, click here. Your investigation requests are covered by the FCRA.

Additionally, you can dispute inaccuracies via US mail by writing to:

Equifax Information Services, LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

How can I check the status of my dispute?

Within a month of your inquiry, the credit reporting company should notify you of the results of its investigation and provide you with a new credit report free of charge. Examine it carefully to ensure that the inaccuracies have been fixed or removed.

If the error has been fixed, you can have the credit reporting company send the corrected report to anyone who received the inaccurate report in the past six months (two years in the case of employers).

If you find an inaccuracy with one credit reporting company, you may want to get your credit report from the other two agencies to see if their reports contain the same error. After you've corrected an error with one agency, the other agencies should eventually receive the corrected information. But for prompt correction, it's best to contact each of the three agencies individually yourself:

To initiate an online investigation, click here. Your investigation requests are covered by the FCRA.

Equifax 1-800-685-1111
Experian 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion 1-800-916-8800

How do I update the personal information within my credit file?

Contact each of your creditors and make sure that they have your personal information correct in their records. As your creditors report information to Equifax, the current information in your file will be updated. If you forget to update your personal information with any one of your creditors, they will continue to report incorrect information to Equifax. Equifax will then update your personal information to reflect your outdated or incorrect information. Updating your personal information with your creditors first will ensure that information reported to Equifax by your creditors is correct. After contacting your creditors, you may also contact the dispute center and request that your personal information be updated or corrected.

To initiate an online investigation, click here. Your investigation requests are covered by the FCRA.

What happens when I activate a fraud alert?

Within 24 hours, an alert will be placed on your credit file with all three major credit reporting agencies. The three credit reporting agencies work together so that when you request an alert through one of the agencies, your alert request is sent to the other two agencies automatically. Each of the credit reporting agencies will send you a current copy of your credit report by mail. The reports should arrive in one to two weeks. All three agencies will also remove your name from all pre-approved credit card and insurance offer lists for two years.

What are the drawbacks of a fraud alert?

The only potential drawback to activating a fraud alert would occur when you attempt to open a new account. You would need to be available at either your work phone number or home phone number in order to approve opening the new credit account. If you are not available at either of those numbers, the creditor may not open the account.

Fraud alerts will not necessarily prevent someone else from opening an account in your name. A creditor is not required by law to contact you if you have a fraud alert in place. Fraud alerts can legally be ignored by creditors. If you suspect that you are or have already been a victim of identity theft, fraud alerts are only a small part of protecting your credit. You also need to pay close attention to your credit report to make sure that the only credit inquiries or new credit accounts in your file are yours.

How do I set up a fraud alert?

To set up a fraud alert, simply call our Consumer Fraud Division at 1-888-766-0008. You will be presented with an automated voice response system that will ask you to input your personal information. This process should only take a few minutes.

If you prefer, you may also write to the Consumer Fraud Division at the following address:

Equifax Consumer Fraud Division
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

How can I remove a fraud alert off my file?

A written request is required to remove a fraud alert from your file. You may write to Customer Service at the following address:

Equifax Consumer Fraud Division
PO Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

Please be sure to include your name, social security number, current and previous addresses, date of birth, and telephone number.

How does a fraud alert work?

A fraud alert is a notice added to your credit file that alerts creditors that you may be a victim of fraud, including identity theft and requires creditors using the file to take certain steps to verify your identity prior to establishing any new credit accounts in your name, issuing a new card on an existing account, or increasing the credit limit on an existing account, if requests for any of these actions are made. The purpose of this notice is for the creditor to confirm that the request is not the result of identity theft. If the creditor cannot verify this, the request should not be satisfied. There are two types of fraud alerts: an initial fraud alert that lasts for 90 days, and an extended fraud alert that lasts for 7 years.

An initial 90 day fraud alert indicates to anyone requesting your credit file that you suspect you are a victim of fraud. When you or someone else attempts to open a credit account in your name, increase the credit limit on an existing account, or obtain a a new card on an existing account, the lender should take steps to verify that you have authorized the request. If the creditor cannot verify this, the request should not be satisfied. You may also request one additional free credit file disclosure.

An extended fraud alert is similar to an initial 90 day alert, except that it lasts for 7 years, and to verify your request a creditor must contact you on the telephone number(s) you provide to Equifax when you requested the extended fraud alert. A valid police report showing that you have been a victim of identity theft is required to place an extended fraud alert. Also, you may request two additional free credit file disclosures, and your name is removed from prescreened offers of credit or insurance for 5 years.

An active duty alert is also available to persons on active military duty and is similar to an initial 90 day alert, except that it lasts 12 months and your name is removed from prescreened offers of credit or insurance for 2 years.

For any of these alerts, you will receive a confirmation when the alert is added to your credit file.

How else can I access my Equifax Credit Report™?

There are two ways to order your Equifax Credit Report™ other than online -- by phone or by mail.

To order by phone: You can order by phone by contacting us at 1-800-685-1111. You will be asked to enter information into our interactive telephone system and to pay with a credit card. Your Equifax Credit Report™ will be mailed to you within three days.

To order by mail: You can order a copy of the information on your Equifax Credit Report™ by writing to:

Equifax Information Services, LLC
Disclosure Department
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374

Please include the following information when writing, and enclose payment of $10.50 (check or money order) with your order:

Full name (including Sr., Jr., III, etc.)
Social Security number
Current and previous addresses for the past five years
Date of birth
Signature
Phone number

Important note: Credit information is maintained on an individual basis. If you are married, the information contained in your spouse's credit file may not match identically the information in your credit file because certain accounts may have been established in your name or your spouse's name only. You may only request a copy of your own credit file.

To learn more about your credit rights, including when you are entitled to receive a free copy of yours, Click here.

How long can I access my Equifax Credit Report™ after purchase?

For your convenience, your Equifax Credit Report™ is available to you for 30 days after the date of purchase. Your Equifax Credit Report™ is a snapshot of your credit file as of the date of purchase and is not updated during the 30 day viewing period.

Who is eligible for a free copy of an Equifax Credit Report™ ?

Under the FCRA, the following persons are entitled to a free consumer file disclosure:

Persons that are unemployed and intend to apply for employment within 60 days.
Persons receiving public welfare assistance.
Persons who believe their consumer file contains inaccurate information due to fraud.
Persons that have been the subject of adverse action, such as denial of credit or insurance, within the past 60 days.

If you live in one of the following states, you are entitled to receive a free credit report by mail.

Colorado
Georgia (2 per year)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Jersey
Vermont

The federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) will allow you to get one free credit report annually beginning on or after December 1, 2004. That free report will be available online. Under the FACT Act, federal free disclosure will be phased in on a regional basis, so you may not be able to receive your free report for several months after that date. And, the system may change because the federal regulations are not final yet. Check the Equifax Personal Solutions website for more information as it becomes available.

What items may be included in the Equifax Credit Report™?

Your Equifax Credit Report™ includes identifying information, trade line information, inquiry information, public record and collection information.

Identifying information includes information that is used to identify you such as your name, address, social security number, date of birth and employment information. This information is not used in scoring. Updates to this information come from information you supply to lenders.
Trade lines are your credit accounts. Lenders report on each account you have established with them. They report the type of account (bankcard, auto loan, mortgage, etc), the date you opened the account, your credit limit or loan amount, the account balance and your payment history.
Inquiry information contains information about companies that have requested and/or viewed your credit information within the last two years.
Public Record and/or Collection Information - Your credit file may contain public record information such as judgments, tax liens, garnishments and bankruptcies. Your credit file may also contain collection account information from professional services e.g. doctors, hospitals, cable companies etc. that have been turned over to an outside collection agency. Not all credit files contain public record and/or collection information.

How do I obtain a free copy of my Equifax Credit Report™ ?

Online

Under the FACT Act amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are entitled to one free credit file disclosure in a 12 month period. To request this free annual disclosure you may contact the Central Source on-line at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also contact the Central Source to request this free annual disclosure by calling toll free (877) FACTACT or by using the mail request form available at the central source website by clicking the following link www.annualcreditreport.com.

By Mail

If you live in one of the following states, you are entitled to receive a free credit report by mail.

Colorado
Georgia (2 per year)
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Jersey
Vermont

If you currently reside in one of these states, you may order your free credit report by calling 1-800-685-1111. All other states are required to pay the $11.00 fee with the exception of Connecticut - $5, Minnesota - $3; California - $8, and Montana - $8.50.

Additionally, if you meet one of the FCRA requirements below, you are entitled to one free credit report via U.S. mail.

Persons that are unemployed and intend to apply for employment within 60 days.
Persons receiving public welfare assistance.
Persons who believe their consumer file contains inaccurate information due to fraud.
Persons that have been the subject of adverse action, such as denial of credit or insurance, within the past 60 days.

Your free credit report can be ordered by calling Equifax at 1-800-685-1111.

If you prefer, you may also request your free credit report by writing to Equifax at the following address:
Equifax Information Services, LLC
Disclosure Department
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374

Can I access my Equifax Credit Report™ online free of charge?

Free copies of your Equifax Credit Report™ are not available online. To access the information in your credit file online you must purchase an Equifax Credit Report™. The Equifax Credit Report™ will provide you with immediate access to the information in your credit file in a user friendly formatted manner.

Click here to order your Equifax Credit Report™ now.

What is in my Equifax Credit Report™ that's preventing me from obtaining credit?

Equifax does not grant or deny credit. Therefore, we do not know what's in your credit file that may prevent you from obtaining credit. Each credit grantor has established criteria for making credit decisions. Your credit may appear perfect, but having too much credit or too many outstanding balances are examples of why your request for credit may have been declined.

Sometimes the decision is not even based directly on the credit file. For instance, you may not have been at your current residence or in your present job long enough. If you have questions about why you were not approved for credit, you may want to contact the credit grantor who turned you down and ask them for an explanation.

Why do I need a report confirmation number in order to speak to the dispute center?

The confirmation number allows our customer service center to access your credit file without asking you to provide all of your identifying information. The confirmation number is required to initiate an online dispute of your credit file information. Please keep this number in your records.

Are inquiries disputable?

Inquiries are a matter of fact and are not routinely removed from your Equifax Credit Report™ Under the FCRA, a credit reporting company must retain a record of companies who have accessed the credit file. Equifax's guideline is to retain most inquiries for two years, although some are maintained for just one year. For more information about credit inquiries, click here.

How long is a confirmation number valid for?

A confirmation number is valid for a period of 60 days. If you need to initiate a dispute or contact the dispute department, you will need to obtain a current copy of your Equifax Credit Report™ .

Account Information

The 'Account Information' section displays information about the credit accounts in your Equifax credit file, including the company name, partial account number, type, date opened, credit limit or loan amount, balance, date reported, and any delinquencies or comments.

To see the full account information, including contact information for the creditor and payment history, select the 'Expand' button.

Credit Inquiries

The 'Inquiries' section lists the name of a creditor or authorized user who has accessed your Equifax Credit Report™ . Each inquiry is posted to your credit file so you know who has obtained a copy of it. There are two main types of inquiries -- hard and soft.

Hard Inquiries
Hard, or voluntary, inquiries are generated when you authorize a company to request a copy of your credit report.

Soft Inquiries
Soft, or involuntary, inquiries are generated for a number of different reasons. These inquiries reflect either your request for your own credit report or a company considering you for an offer of credit, such as a credit card solicitation. These inquiries do not appear on the credit report that lenders see. They are displayed here for informational purposes only. The different types of soft inquiries are:

PRM. A promotional inquiry in which your name and address were provided to a person who then gave you a firm offer of credit or insurance, such as a preapproved direct mail credit card offer. These inquiries remain on your file for 12 months.
AM or AR. An Account Monitoring or Account Review inquiry in which one of your creditors performs a periodic review of your account. These inquiries remain on your file for 12 months.
Equifax, ID, ACIS, or UPDATE. Internal inquiries, which indicate Equifax's activity in response to your contact with us, for either a copy of your credit report or a request for research. These inquiries will remain on your file for 24 months.

Credit Summary

The 'Credit Summary' section includes the overall number of credit accounts and loans you've held over the last seven years. It includes active, inactive, and closed accounts. To see additional credit file information, select any of the other pages listed in the 'Credit Summary' section.

Mortgage Accounts
Includes all of your mortgage accounts.

Installment Accounts
Includes all accounts with fixed terms and regular payments.

Revolving Accounts
Includes all accounts that have no time limit on them, such as credit cards.

Other Accounts
Includes all other types of accounts.

Open Accounts
Includes all accounts that have been reported within the last 90 days.

Closed Accounts
Includes all accounts reported as having been closed by either you or the creditor.

Accounts in Good Standing
Includes open accounts that are not currently overdue and closed accounts on which you owe no money.

Accounts Currently Past Due
Includes accounts with a currently overdue amount.

Negative Account History
Includes accounts from the past seven years that were not paid as agreed.

Inquiries Within Past 12 Months
Includes hard inquiries, sometimes called voluntary inquiries, that were made to your credit file over the past 12 months.

Disputing File Information

If you believe that any of the information found on this report is incorrect, you may launch an investigation. For any of these investigation methods, you will need a current copy of your credit report and your report confirmation number. This number can be found at the top of your report.

Online Disputes
You may initiate a dispute online regarding the following information:

Credit accounts
Former address information
Collection accounts
Judgments
Liens
Garnishments
Bankruptcies

Disputes by Mail
Write to:
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. BOX 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

If you would like to dispute or change your name or date of birth, you'll need to send a copy of your driver's license reflecting this change. If you want to dispute or change your current address, you'll need to send a copy of your driver's license or a utility bill reflecting this change.

If you want to dispute your Social Security number, you'll need to send a copy of your Social Security card or a W-2 form.

Different states have different State Disclosure requirements when delivering credit information. Click here to also see Federal Disclosures requirements.

By Phone
To dispute information found in your Equifax Credit Report™, please click Section 7 - Dispute File Information within your report. You will find the telephone number for the dispute center. Be sure to have your report confirmation number available when you call. This number can be found at the top of your report.

Personal Information

The 'Personal Information' section of your Equifax Credit Report™ includes your name, Social Security number, date of birth, current and previous address, employment history, and more. You, your creditors, or other sources report this information to Equifax.

Each source may report this information differently, which could result in variations of your name, address, Social Security number, or other pieces of information. The items in 'Personal Information' are not used in scoring, but information that is unfamiliar -- not merely out of date or misspelled -- may indicate possible credit fraud or identity theft.

Printer-Friendly Report

Your Equifax Credit Report™ is also available to you in a convenient printer-friendly version. Simply select 'Printer Friendly Report' in the left column of the Equifax Credit Report™ page, then select 'Print This Page' at the top of the new page that appears.

Public Records

The 'Public Records' section reports the presence of several types of items on your credit report, including accounts that have been turned over to a collection agency, matters of public record, bankruptcies, and similar items. Such information can damage your credit score.

The different types of items that may appear in the 'Public Records' section of your Equifax Credit Report™ are:

Collections
This section lists seriously delinquent accounts that have been turned over to a collection agency. Such accounts are considered closed. But because collection agencies, like creditors and lenders, can report information to credit reporting agencies, a new version of the account (reported by the collection agency) may eventually appear on your credit report. This information has a very negative effect on your credit rating, so it is important to contact the agency promptly to try to correct it if it is incorrect.

Bankruptcy
A legal agreement in which a consumer is declared fully or partially unable to repay debts. In return for full or partial release from those debts, the consumer may sacrifice some property or agree to a payment plan. There are two different types of bankruptcy for consumers: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.

Garnishments
A legal proceeding in which money that would normally be paid to you (such as your paycheck) is applied directly to the payment of a debt instead.

Foreclosures
The legal process by which a creditor may sell mortgaged property to pay a defaulted mortgage.

Tax Liens
The federal, state, or local government's claim to your real or personal property for the payment of unpaid taxes. A tax lien filed against you normally appears in the public records section of your credit report.

Financial Counseling
A voluntary method of debt restructuring in which a person makes a lump sum payment to a financial counseling agency who distributes the funds to creditors. Consumers in financial counseling may have an arrangement to pay all or part of their consolidated debt. Although it negatively impacts a credit rating, it is less negative than bankruptcy.

Lawsuits or Judgments
A court verdict that requires a person to fulfill an obligation -- to pay a debt, for example. When a judgment has been satisfied, the consumer has fulfilled its requirements and is no longer liable. Information about judgments is recorded in the public records section of a credit report.

Miscellaneous Items
This section indicates the presence of one or more of the following types of items on your credit report. These items in themselves do not necessarily affect your credit.

Consumer Statement. This item may appear if you've contacted Equifax and placed a consumer statement on your file to explain an unresolved dispute.
Financial Statements. Public records regarding personal property that has been seized in connection with an unpaid loan.
Marital Items. Legal information regarding divorces and annulments.
Nonresponsibility Statement. A statement you've filed claiming that you are not responsible for a particular debt.
SSN or Address Verification Request. This item appears if your address or Social Security number meet criteria that have placed their validity or accuracy in question. The item may indicate that your reported address or SSN is too new to have been verified.

Why is an account balance in my file incorrect?

The account balance reported is the balance on the date the source reported the information. Credit grantors supply information on a periodic basis, so the balance shown may not be the balance you know it to be today.

Why is one of my accounts showing up more than once on my Equifax Credit Report™ ?

There may appear to be duplicate accounts reporting in your Equifax Credit Report™ . Because some credit grantors issue both revolving and installment accounts using similar account numbers.

Another reason why an account may appear to be reported twice is because when you move, some credit grantors transfer your account to different locations and issue a new account number. Student loans are not considered duplicate accounts. They are reported according to disbursement of funds under the same or similar account numbers, usually the social security number. Please review your file carefully to ensure that there are no duplications in your file.

What is an authorized user?

An authorized user is someone authorized by the contractually responsible party to use an account. The credit account history of the responsible party is reported on both credit files. Please contact the credit grantor(s) if you wish to have your name and account permanently removed as an authorized user from your Equifax Credit Report™ .

Why are accounts included in bankruptcy still reporting on my Equifax Credit Report™ ?

Inclusion of accounts, collection or public record items in bankruptcy does not automatically remove it from the credit file. All items included in the bankruptcy remain on file seven years from the date of last activity.

What is a co-signer?

A co-signer is the person responsible for repaying a debt if the borrower defaults. In essence, a co-signer guarantees repayment of the loan. A creditor could suggest a co-signer for the primary borrower to help them obtain the loan if they have no credit history or the credit history does not meet the creditor's criteria or if the income does not meet their income requirement.

If you co-signed for someone else, you are legally liable for the repayment of that debt. If the primary borrower does not pay, you may have to pay up to the full amount of the debt, including late fees or collection cost, which increases the original loan amount. In addition, if the primary borrower makes late payments, not only will the creditor contact you -- in most cases they will report this information on both credit files, which is why it's important to only co-sign for someone you can trust to pay the bill on time.

Co-signing affects your credit score, as well as your debt-to-income ratio, even if the primary borrower is making all the payments. This could also affect your ability to obtain a personal loan. Prior to co-signing, be sure you can afford to repay the debt. And in circumstances in which you pledged property to secure the loan, make sure you understand the consequences of possibly losing the secured property if the loan is in default.

Always ask the creditor to agree to notify you if the primary borrower misses a payment. This will give you an opportunity to address the situation or make back-payments without having to repay the entire debt immediately. You should secure this notification in writing.

What is a Report Confirmation Number and how do I use it?

Your Report Confirmation Number can be found at the top of your Equifax Credit Report™ . It is used to provide you access to our DisputeCenter or to help you initiate an online dispute of your file information. This number allows Equifax to access your credit file without asking you to provide us with all of your identifying information. Please keep this number for your records.

Some consumers may not receive a confirmation number. This indicates that your credit report is affiliate-owned. Affiliate credit reports are included in the Equifax database, but the affiliate controls the territory in which you reside. In instances where an affiliate maintains ownership of your credit report, you must initiate any request to dispute information directly with the appropriate affiliate office by contacting them at the telephone number listed at the bottom of your online credit report.

There is trade information missing from my Equifax Credit Report™ , how do I correct this?

Not all creditors report to all three credit reporting agencies. There are some creditors that report to only one of the three credit reporting agencies. Check with your creditor(s) to find out if they report to all three credit reporting agencies.

Why is my last reported employment out of date?

What is shown as your last reported employment is actually the last employment reported by your credit grantors. Employment information is typically reported from applications for credit and is not regularly updated. This information is not used by credit grantors or employers in making their decisions, but is used for demographic purposes only.

Why is an account I paid in full still on my report?

Payment in full does not remove your payment history. View the length of time information remains in your Equifax Credit Report™ .

Are there fees associated with security freezes?

Yes, generally there are fees, which vary by state, for placing a security freeze, temporarily lifting a security freeze, and removing a security freeze. However, in general, there are no fees to place, temporarily lift, or remove a security freeze if you are a victim of identity theft. You must provide proof of your status as a confirmed identity theft victim by including a copy of a police report, identity theft report, or other government law enforcement agency report, such as a DMV report. Click State Freeze Requirements and Fees to determine the fees for your state.

An alternative to a security freeze under state law or the Equifax voluntary security freeze program is Equifax Credit Report Control™, available as an option for Equifax Credit Watch™ subscribers for one annual fee.