How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
June 2014
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and modifications, if any.
All names in the text, or on the sample reports and screens shown in this document, are of fictitious persons
and entities. Any similarity to the name of any real person, address, school, business or other entity is purely
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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
About this document......................................................................................................... 1
Credit Report Sections ...................................................................................................... 2
Identification Information Section .................................................................................................................. 2
Identity Scan Warning Section ....................................................................................................................... 3
Report Summary Section .............................................................................................................................. 3
Public Records Section.................................................................................................................................. 5
Bankruptcy ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Judgment ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Tax Lien.................................................................................................................................................. 7
Collection Information Section....................................................................................................................... 8
Trades Section ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Inquiries Section ........................................................................................................................................ 11
Messages Section ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Consumer Statement and Consumer Assistance Contact Sections ...................................................................... 11
Appendix A: Sample of Equifax Credit Report.................................................................... 12
Appendix B: Codes and Description .................................................................................. 15
ECOA Codes ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Portfolio Types.......................................................................................................................................... 15
Rate/Status Codes used in Payment History ................................................................................................... 16
How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
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Introduction
An Equifax Credit Report provides information about the financial history of an individual. This report helps you
to predict possible risk stemming from financial problems that can lead to failure in maintaining property or
cause distractions, which may lead to the submission of fictitious claims or inflated legitimate claim amounts.
Note: The sections in this report appear based on the subject’s financial history. For example, if a
subject has no Public Records/Legal Items on record, that section will not appear in the report.
About this document
This document explains how to read and interpret the information present in an Equifax Credit Report. This
document includes screenshots from a sample report and contains fictitious information.
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How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
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Credit Report Sections
Identification Information Section
This section displays information about the subject including name, SSN, and addresses.
1) File Date – The date when the records were obtained through Equifax
2) FILE SINCE – The date the file was established
3) File Activity Date – The date of most recent activity on file
4) Applicant Provided SSN – Social Security Number provided by the subject
5) SSN Match – Indicates if the SSN provided by the subject matches with the SSN present in the
Equifax database
6) Inquiry SSN Issued Date – The date when the SSN was issued
7) Inquiry SSN Issued State – The state where the SSN was issued
8) SUBJECT NAME – Name of the subject
9) FORMER NAMES – Other names of the subject
10) CURRENT ADDRESS – Current address of the subject
11) First Reported – Year and month when the subject started residing at this address
12) Last Reported – The date when the subject stopped residing at this address
13) FORMER ADDRESS(ES) – Former addresses of the subject
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Identity Scan Warning Section
This section displays warnings related to the subject’s identity.
Report Summary Section
This section displays payment history.
1) PUBLIC RECORDS – The total number of public records present on file
2) COLLECTIONS – The total number of collection agency accounts present on file
3) ACCTS – The total number of trade line accounts present on file
4) HIGH CREDIT RANGE – Highest credit range present on file
5) MOP RATES – Manner of Payment Rates. This may include the below fields:
a. Too new to rate; Approved but not used
b. Pays account as agreed
c. Not more than two payments past due
d. Not more than three payments past due
e. Not more than four payments past due
f.
At least 120 days or more than four payments past due
g. Collection account
h. Included in Chapter 13
i.
Repossession
j.
Charge-off
k. Other
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6) RATE HIST – This provides a summary of historical delinquencies. This may also include
additional fields listed in MOP Rates.
a. Not more than two payments past due
b. Not more than three payments past due
c. Not more than four payments past due
d. At least 120 days or more than four payments past due
e. Collection account
f.
Repossession
g. Charge-off
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How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
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Public Records Section
This section displays details about the subject’s public records information on file with Equifax. This may
include Bankruptcy, Judgment, or Tax Lien.
Bankruptcy
This section displays the subject’s Bankruptcy details.
1) This indicates the type of public record
a. Bankruptcy
b. Judgment
c. Tax Lien
2) COURT CUST NUM – The customer number assigned by the court
3) FILING DATE – The date when the bankruptcy was filed or reported
4) TYPE – Type of filing (Individual or Business)
5) HOW FILED – How the bankruptcy was filed (individual, joint, or spouse)
6) CASE NUMBER – Number assigned to the case
7) DISP DATE – The date of disposition
8) CURRENT INTENT / DISP – Type of bankruptcy and description
9) PRIOR INTENT – Prior type of bankruptcy
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How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
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Judgment
This section displays the subject’s Legal Item (judgment) details.
1) Type of public record
2) COURT CUST NUM – The customer number assigned by the court
3) FILING DATE – The date when the legal item was filed or reported
4) TYPE – The type of judgment given by the court
5) AMOUNT – The amount owed by the subject
6) DATE SATISFIED – The date when the legal item was satisfied
7) CASE NUMBER – Number assigned to the case
8) STATUS – Current status of the legal item
9) DATE VERIFIED – The date when the information was verified
10) Consumer Narrative – This indicates specific account conditions
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How to Read an Equifax Credit Report
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Tax Lien
This section displays the subject’s Legal Item (judgment) details.
1) Type of public record
2) COURT CUST NUM – The customer number assigned by the court
3) FILING DATE – The date when the tax lien was filed or reported
4) CLASS – Creditor classification
5) AMOUNT – The amount of the lien
6) DATE RELEASED – The date when the lien was released
7) CASE NUMBER – Number assigned to the case
8) LIEN STATUS – Current status of the lien
9) DATE VERIFIED – The date when the information was verified
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Collection Information Section
This section displays details about the subject’s collection information on file with Equifax.
1) DATE REPORTED – The date when the collection was reported
2) AGENCY NUMBER – The collection agency’s number
3) CLIENT – Collection agency’s client name
4) DATE ASSIGNED – The date when the collection was assigned
5) ECOA – Account designator (see Appendix B for a list of ECOA Codes)
6) STATUS – The status of the collection
7) DATE FIRST DELINQ – The date of the first delinquency
8) AMOUNT OWED – The amount the subject originally owed
9) CLASS – Creditor classification
10) DATE LAST PYMT – The date when the last payment was made
11) BALANCE OWED – The balance owed by the subject
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Trades Section
This section displays details about the subject’s trade activities.
1) CREDITOR NAME – This indicates the name of the creditor
2) MEMBER NUM – Equifax member number for the creditor
3) PORTFOLIO TYPE – This field displays the portfolio type. See Appendix B for a full listing of Portfolio
Types.
4) DATE RPTD – The date when the account was last reported
5) DATE OPENED – The date when the account was originally opened
6) DATE CLOSED – The date when the account was originally closed
7) ECOA – Account designators (see Appendix B for a list of ECOA Codes)
8) RATE / STATUS – Rate and status of the account
9) DFD/DLA – Date of First Delinquency or Date of Last Activity
10) HIGH CREDIT – Highest outstanding balance or the original amount
11) CREDIT LIMIT – Highest available credit limit
12) BALANCE AMT – The account balance
13) PAST DUE AMT – The past due amount
14) LAST PYMT – The date when the most recent payment was done
15) MAJ DEL – The date when the major delinquency was first reported
16) ACCT TYP – This indicates the type of account held.
Examples of types of accounts:
a) Auto
b) Lease
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c) Auto Lease
d) Unsecured
e) Credit Card
f)
Home Improvement
g) Mortgage Identification Number (if real estate)
h) Debt Buyer Account
i)
Charge Account
j)
Education Loan
17) ACT PYMT – The actual payment amount
18) SCH PYMT – The scheduled payment amount
19) ACCT STATUS – The status of the account
a) Paid and Closed
b) Closed
c) Transfer/Sold/Paid
d) Lost/Stolen
e) Paid
f)
Refinanced
g) Transfer/Sold
20) CHARGE OFF AMT – The charge-off amount
21) BALLOON AMT – The balloon payment amount
22) 30 DAY DEL – The number of times the subject was late by 30 days
23) 60 DAY DEL – The number of times the subject was late by 60 days
24) 90 DAY DEL – The number of times the subject was late by 90 days
25) PYMT HST – Payment history on the account for last 24 months
See Appendix B for a full listing of Rate/Status Codes used in Payment History
26) Comments Section – Final comment on the trade account
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Inquiries Section
This section displays the details of credit inquiries (request for a credit report) on this subject and provides the
company name, member ID, and the inquiry date.
Messages Section
This section provides messages related to the subject or his/her account verification.
Consumer Statement and Consumer Assistance Contact Sections
This section provides a disclaimer to the subject and the Equifax contact information.
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Appendix A: Sample of Equifax Credit Report
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Appendix B: Codes and Description
ECOA Codes
Codes
Description
ATH USR or A
Authorized user
BEHALF or B
On behalf of another person
CO MAKR or C
Co-Maker
INDIVID or I
Individual account
JOINT or J
Joint account
MAKER or M
Maker
SHARED or S
Shared
TERMNTD or T
Terminated
UNDESIG or U
Undesignated
Portfolio Types
Code
Description
C
Line of Credit (payment amounts based on the outstanding balance)
I
Installment (fixed number of payments)
M
Mortgage (fixed number of payments—usually for real estate)
O
Open account (entire balance is due upon demand)
R
Revolving (payment amounts based on the outstanding balance)
Blank
No Portfolio type available
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Rate/Status Codes used in Payment History
Code
Blank
Description
Not populated based on the Date Open (payment history will only be populated for
each of the months that the account has been open)
* (asterisk)
Rate/Status was not available for that month
0
Too New to Rate; Approved but not used
1
Current account; paid as agreed
2
Pays 30-59 days past due; not more than 2 payments past due
3
Pays 60-89 days past due; not more than 3 payments past due
4
Pays 90-119 days past due; not more than 4 payments past due
5
Pays 120 or more days past due; more than 4 payments past due
6
Collection account
7
Included in Chapter 13 bankruptcy
8
Repossession or foreclosure
9
Charged Off account
E
Zero balance and current account
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