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In the U.S. there are several different credit bureaus, but only three that are of major national significance: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This trio dominates the market for collecting, analyzing, and disbursing information about consumers in the credit markets.
And in 1989 the most widely adopted credit score was created by the Fair Isaac Corporation and is now most often referred to by its acronym—FICO®. Banks and other lenders use credit scores to gain an analytics-based view into an individual’s financial picture.
Find out which of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion are used most commonly by card issuers when approving credit cards and loans. When you’re applying for a new credit card in the United States, the credit report that matters most to you is probably the one from Experian.
When I last checked my credit score, TransUnion scored me at 830 while my Equifax score was 802 – a difference of 28 points. Their credit reports were similar other than that a recent credit card inquiry for my Triangle World Elite Mastercard was not reflected on my Equifax (Borrowell) credit report.
Checking your free credit scores on Credit Karma doesn’t hurt your credit. These credit score checks are known as soft inquiries, which don’t affect your credit at all. Hard inquiries (also known as “hard pulls”) generally happen when a lender checks your credit while reviewing your application for a financial product.
If you simply want more control over your credit report and credit score, Experian offers the most bang for your buck in terms of personal credit monitoring and identity protection. However, TransUnion offers the most business-related products.
2 Experian has a slight edge over Equifax because it tends to track recent credit searches more thoroughly. Experian breaks down a credit report into sections, which include the following: Personal information including past addresses.
On AnnualCreditReport.com you are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. These agencies include Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Here are some red flags to watch for.