Equifax Reports

How to read an Equifax Credit Report

CONSUMER ASSISTANCE,
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Telephone (800) 685-1111

HOW TO READ AND UNDERSTAND AN EQUIFAX CREDIT REPORT FROM THE TOP

1. The Heading is at the very top right of the report. It contains the Credit Bureau's information. The Credit Agency, their address, their phone number, and the date the report was inquired upon.

EQUIFAX Credit Profile Report
EQUIFAX
PO Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
1-800-685-1111
Date Reported: 5/5/2003
PERSONAL INFORMATION

2. The next section of the report is the applicant's personal information. This includes the Consumer's name, social security number, up to three different addresses, date of birth (if available), and telephone number (if available).

Name: John q. Public
SSN: ???-??-????
On File Since: 10/1/1988

Address: 10209 W. Hillsborough Ave
Tampa Fl, 33615
Reported On: 12/01/2003

Reported via A/R tape, but different from inquiry

Address: 10209 W. Hillsborough Ave
Tampa Fl, 33615
Reported On: 12/01/2003

10209 W. Hillsborough ave
Tampa Fl. 33615

04/21/2001
Reported via A/R tape, but different from inquiry

Address: 10209 W. Hillsborough Ave
Tampa Fl 33615

Reported On: 04/01/1998

10209 W. Hillsborough Ave
Tampa Fl 33615

Reported via A/R tape, but different from inquiry

Date of Birth: ??/??/????
Phone: 555-0000

Check the addresses against those submitted in the application.
Do they match?

The addresses are located below the applicants name with the most current address directly below the applicants name and chronologically listed from there.

The employment and birth date information are located to the right of the applicant's addresses and above the summary score.

Former addresses and employment information is inputted when a consumer applies for credit.

Therefore it can or cannot be a definitive verification of the last three residences or jobs.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

3. This section of the report is the applicant's employment information. This includes the company name, date hired (if available), income (if available), occupation (if available), and separation date (if available).

Company Name: Tampa Electric Co.
Date Hired: 12/10/1998
Income: $???,???
Occupation: Clerk
Separation Date:

Check the employment history against those submitted in the rental application. Do they match? The employment history may not necessary have the most current information. Former addresses and employment information is inputted when a consumer applies for credit. Therefore it can or cannot be a definitive verification of the last three residences or jobs.

REPORT SUMMARY

4. Here is the overall summary of the applicant's credit history. This will tell you the total number of accounts the applicant has, accounts that are still currently active or negative or too new to be rated, accounts that are past due or paid off, person(s) that have inquired upon the applicant's credit history, accounts that are in collections or public records, total amount still owed, and a breakdown of the amount.
Total # of Trades: 14
Current Trades: 8
Unrated Trades: 1
Curr Neg Trades: 5
Hist Neg Trades: 3
No. of Accts Paid: 5
Curr Past Due: 4
Amount Past Due: $5,442
30 Days: 0
60 Days: 0
90+ Days: 1
Inquiries: 3

SCORECARDS

5. The score summary, Equifax/Beacon, is above the applicants credit and trade information and is the overall rating of the applicant's credit.

Up to four factors are disclosed and are displayed in order based on their relative impact on the final score. Generally scores exceeding 625 are considered by banks as worthy of loans. The lowest scores are in the low 400's and the highest scores close to 850 (Very few). Scores between 600 and 700 are very common and considered very good. Most tenant applicants will fall between 550 and 650 credit scores. Scores below 575 are considered a risk, and usually warrant further documentation or higher security deposits if the landlord proceeds.

(Note: No Hit means that the consumer has no credit history whatsoever and nobody has even inquired upon their credit history)
Scorecard: BEACON 96
Score: 676
Reasons: Serious delinquency, and public record or collection filed
Amount owed on delinquent accounts
Proportion of balances to credit limits is too high on bank revolving or other revolving
Time since delinquency is too recent or unknown

COLLECTIONS

6. Identifies consumer accounts that have been transferred to a professional debt-collecting firm. Collection information includes the name of the collection agency providing the information, collector's kind-of-business designators, and the consumer's account number with the collection agency. Also included is the date the amount was charged off by the original creditor, date the information was verified, the original dollar amount of collection, the balance owed as of date verified or closed, name of the original creditor, and an explanation of current account status as reported by the collection agency.

CRYSTAL SPRINGS

Unpaid Subject has not satisfied debt.

9/1/2000
11/1/2000

403YC02185
22048B

$378
$378

VERIZON COMM

Unpaid Subject has not satisfied debt.
COLLECTION ACCOUNT

12/1/2001
6/1/2001

180YC04534
34566952

$197
$197
SOUTHERN BELL RE

8/1/1999
10/1/1996
401YC14209
1026091
$117
$0

Account Disputed Merchant and consumer disagree on various particulars regarding merchandise, terms of agreement or amount owing.

Name of the creditor
Type of service
Status of the account
Notes on the account
Date the account was reported
Last verified date on the account
Member number associated with the account
Account number for the account
Date the account was closed
Original amount that is owed
Current balance as of the verified date
Verifies that the account has been closed

PUBLIC RECORDS

7. If there are any civil actions with dollar amounts awarded, they will appear below the score summary in a field named Public Records. Public Records information consists of bankruptcies, liens, and civil actions against a consumer. This information will include; the reporting account's name and number, original filing date with court, status date if status is satisfied, released, vacated, discharged or dismissed, amount and type of public record, certificate or docket number, and code describing the consumer's association to the public record item per the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Also provided is the plaintiff name; liability and asset amounts for bankruptcies only, voluntary indicator for bankruptcies only.

Legal Item Judgement

95412490

2/1/2000

826VC00014

John Jones

$5,456

Federal Tax Lien $11,024 1/1/1997 180VS00067

Type of the record
Type of court
Docket number associated with record
Type of disposition
Date the record was reported
Date the record was paid
Type of account

Member number associated with record
Name of the plaintiff
Name of the attorney

Total amount that is owed
Amount of assets
Amount for liability

TRADE LINES

8. Under the trade lines portion of the credit report, creditors report the amount of loans and credit cards with payment histories. The name of the creditor is in the left column, the credit amount information in the center column, and the payment history is in the right column.

Burdines/497DC02009

Revolving or Option (open-end account)
(9)Bad debt; placed for collection; skip
CHARGED OFF ACCOUNT
3/1/1998
4/1/2003

$1,284
$1,284
$0

$1,284
$1,284
$0

$1,284

IndividuFIRSTMERIT/901BB02223
10000000002296261
Installment (fixed number of payments)
(4)not more than four payments past due

5/1/1998
4/1/1999

$3,722
$3,722

32*********

Individual

GMAC/906FA00034
084901663158
Installment (fixed number of payments)
(1)Pays account as agreed
AUTO

9/1/2002
5/1/2003
Joint
Name of the company
Date the account was opened
Most amount the consumer can owe
Currently still owes
Minimum monthly payment
Number of times 30 days late
Number of times 60 days late
Number of times 90+ days late
Account number with the company
Date the account was last reported
Most amount the consumer has owed
Amount that is past due
Number of months repaid
Payment pattern (Left being the most current)
Type of account
Kind of business of the company
Amount that was charged off
Original amount owed
Date the account was closed
Payment terms made with the company
Notes about the account
Users on the account

PAYMENT HISTORY

9. On the far right hand side of the report is the consumer payment history for the past 24 months. These codes reflect the monthly status of an account and are displayed for balance reporting loans. Collections and charge-offs are not graded.

These codes stand for:

  • * Current
  • N Current account/zero balance-no update tape received
  • 0 Current account/zero balance-reported on update tape
  • 1 30 days past the due date
  • 2 60 days past the due date
  • 3 90 days past the due date
  • 4 120 days past the due date
  • 5 150 days past the due date
  • 6 180 days past the due date
  • 7 Bankruptcy Chapter 13 (Petitioned, Discharged, Reaffirmation of Debt Rescinded)
  • 8 Derogatory, e.g. foreclosure proceeding, deed in lieu
  • 9 Bankruptcy Chapter 7, 11, or 12 (Petitioned, Discharged, Reaffirmation of Debt Rescinded)
  • G Collection
  • H Foreclosure
  • J Voluntary Surrender
  • K Repossession
  • L Charge-off
  • B Account condition change, payment code not applicable
  • - No history reported for that month
  • No history maintained

INQUIRIES

10. This portion of the report is named inquiries. This is a list of companies that have inquired about the applicant's credit, usually for the purpose of extending new or additional credit. Numerous inquiries lower the applicant's summary score by about two points per inquiry.

6/27/2002
11/27/2001
6/20/2001
ATTENTION
HFC
ASSOC/CITI
163YC00673
155FP01739
458ON05282

Date the report was obtained Name of the company that inquired upon the report Company's subscriber number

WARNING MESSAGES

11. The last portion of the report is called warning messages. This is a list of messages that have to do about the applicant's credit, social security number, name, and/or address.

SAFESCANNED:

Your inquiry has gone through our SAFESCAN data base.

INQR Subject's SSN is 055-62-5886;year issued: 1978;state: NY

Safescan is an optional fraud system.

Confirming the social security number; the year and state of residence when the social security number was issued.

12. Remember, if you have any questions or need assistance, please call us 626 798-6670. Our customer service is available 6AM to 6PM Monday through Saturday and 10AM to 4PM Sundays PST.

13. The Three Credit Reporting Agencies are;

EQUIFAX, CONSUMER ASSISTANCE, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 Telephone (800)685-1111;
EXPERIAN, CONSUMER ASSISTANCE, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013-0036 Telephone (888)397-3742; and
TRANS UNION CORP, CUSTOMER RELATIONS, 2 Baldwin Pl., P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022 Telephone (800) 888-4213