Understand your credit, in plain language
Independent, source-cited guides to how credit scores, reports, checks, monitoring, freezes, locks, credit profiles, and identity theft actually work — with no sales pitch.
Browse the eight credit topics
Credit Score
A credit score is a number a statistical model produces after reading the contents of a consumer credit report at a particular moment. Because lenders use different models and each credit reporting company keeps its own file, one person can hold several different scores at the same time.
credit-reportCredit Reports
A credit report is a record of a consumer's credit history, compiled by nationwide credit reporting companies. Federal law governs what may be included, who may access it, and how errors are disputed.
credit-checkCredit Checks: How Inquiries Work on a Credit Report
A credit check is a request to see the information held in a consumer's credit file, and it leaves a record called an inquiry. The rules about who may request a file, and how that request appears on a report, come from federal and state law.
credit-monitoringCredit Monitoring: How It Works and What Alerts Show
Credit monitoring is a notification service that watches for changes in consumer credit files. This guide explains where the data comes from, what alerts do and do not show, and how monitoring relates to credit reports, security freezes, and federal rights.
credit-freezeCredit Freezes
A credit freeze, also called a security freeze, restricts access to a consumer's credit report at each nationwide credit reporting company. This pillar explains the mechanics of security freezes, how they differ from fraud alerts and credit locks, and what federal law requires.
credit-lockCredit Locks
A credit lock is a service offered by some national credit reporting companies that restricts access to a consumer's credit report. It is separate from a security freeze, which is a right established under federal law.
credit-profileCredit Profiles
A credit profile is the record that national credit reporting companies maintain about a consumer's borrowing and repayment history. It is used by lenders, landlords, and others to evaluate applications.
identity-theftIdentity Theft
Identity theft is the unauthorized use of another person's personal information to commit fraud or other crimes. Federal law gives consumers specific rights and reporting channels when it happens.
Start with these guides
Credit Bureau Fraud Alert: How It Works
A credit bureau fraud alert is a statement added to a consumer's credit file that asks anyone who uses the report to verify identity before extending credit. Federal law sets how long each type of alert lasts and requires the nationwide credit reporting companies to share an alert with each other.
Credit Fraud Alert: Definition, Duration, and How It Works
A credit fraud alert tells lenders to confirm an applicant's identity before opening new credit in that person's name. This guide explains how each type of alert is placed, how long it lasts, and how it differs from a security freeze.
Credit Fraud: What It Is and How It Is Reported
Credit fraud is the unauthorized use of a credit account or credit identity. It can appear as unfamiliar charges, new accounts, or incorrect information on a credit report.
Fraud Alert on Credit Report: What It Is and How Long It Lasts
A fraud alert is a notice added to a credit file that asks businesses to confirm identity before opening new credit. It is free, time-limited, and different from a credit freeze.
Credit Agency Fraud Alert: What the Term Means and How Alerts Work
A fraud alert is a notice a consumer asks to have added to a credit file, and the phrase credit agency fraud alert is commonly used as shorthand for it. There is no single federal credit agency that issues these notices; they are handled by the three nationwide credit reporting companies.
Fraud Alert vs Credit Freeze: How Each One Works
A fraud alert adds an identity-verification step to a credit file, while a credit freeze restricts access to that file. Both are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, but they differ in scope, duration, and effect.
Credit terms, defined
- 3 Credit Bureaus The 3 credit bureaus are the three largest nationwide consumer reporting companies in the United States: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- A Credit Utilization Ratio A credit utilization ratio is the amount of revolving credit a consumer is using divided by the total revolving credit available to them, usually expressed as a percentage.
- A Good Credit Score A good credit score is a relative label for a score that meets or exceeds a particular lender's or scoring model's threshold for a specific purpose, not a single universal number.
- Annual Credit Report The Annual Credit Report is the free file disclosure that the nationwide consumer reporting companies must provide to consumers upon request, coordinated through AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Business Credit Check A business credit check is a review of a company's credit report, typically performed by lenders, suppliers, or landlords to evaluate the business's financial reliability and payment history.
- Credit Builder A credit builder is a financial product or account that reports a consumer's payment activity to credit reporting companies, typically used to establish a credit history.
- Credit Builder Card A credit builder card is a type of credit card, often secured or with a low credit limit, marketed to consumers with limited or no credit history, which may report account activity to national credit reporting companies.
- Credit Builder Loan A credit builder loan is an installment loan in which the borrowed funds are held in a savings account or similar account and released to the borrower after the loan is repaid, with payments typically reported to national credit reporting companies.
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