What's on Your Credit Report
There's a ton of information on your credit report, which is why more and more organizations are using it as a character reference. These are the major categories in the order in which they appear on your credit report:

Personal Information
This is all of the information (based on your credit applications) that makes you…you. This can include any name under which you have applied for credit: Joseph, Joe, Little Jo-Jo from ‘round the way, etc. This also is where you'll see a list of your current and recent addresses, your Social Security number, date of birth, and current and previous employers.

Credit History
This is where the majority of information is recorded. It lists all of the credit accounts opened in your name (or names) for which you have been an authorized user for the last 7-11 years. Each of those accounts has its own details, which are supplied by the creditors. These details include the date the account was opened, the credit limit (for credit cards or lines of credit) or the amount of the loan (auto, mortgage, student, etc.), the payment term (number of months you had to pay back the loan), any current balance due, and your payment history (on time or late) for the last seven years or since you opened the account, whichever is shorter.

This section will also include any "collections accounts" you may have. Other than bankruptcy, collections is the second worst thing to have on your credit report. When your loan goes to collections, it means you were so bad at paying back your debt that the lender has sold your debt at a discount to a collection agency and has washed their hands of you. If you have any collections on your credit history, it's essential to get them cleared up as soon as possible.

Inquiries
Every time someone checks your credit report, the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) record it in this section of your report. This could be a lender (Capital One), a service provider (Verizon), landlord or an insurance provider. These inquiries can remain on your report for up to two years.

This area of your credit report is usually divided into two sections. The first contains inquiries based on an application submitted in your name. This could be a loan application, cell phone company, insurance agency, etc. Those in the second category are "soft" inquiries and are usually done when companies are trying to generate a list of people to whom they will send a pre-approved loan offer or some other type of direct mail. (Click here for information on how to opt out of unsolicited credit offers.)

Public Record Information
Information obtained from government sources like the court system will appear in this section. This will include liens, bankruptcies, and judgments against you. If a judge orders you to pay money to someone, it could show up here.

Things NOT Found on Your Credit Report

• Checking or savings account information.
• Any reference to your gender, ethnicity, political views, etc.
• Any information older than 10 years.