Credit Report vs Credit Score

A credit report is the raw file: your accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries, and public records. A credit score is a number computed from that file. The report is the ingredient list; the score is the taste test.

Why it matters

Scores get the attention, but reports hold the facts. A score can only be as accurate as the report underneath it. When something is wrong, you fix the report, and the score follows.

Key facts

• You have three major reports (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and many possible scores computed from each.
• Reports contain data; scores are models' opinions about that data.
• Errors live in reports, not scores. Dispute the report entry, and every score using it updates.
• Lenders often see both: the score for a quick cut, the report for the story.
• Checking your own report is free and does not hurt any score.

In practice

1. Read your reports before you ever look at a score; the score is a summary, not the record.
2. When a score drops and you do not know why, go line by line through the underlying report.
3. Keep copies of your reports with dates; they are your paper trail in any dispute.