What are the three credit bureaus?

Answer: The three major credit bureaus in the United States are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

These entities play a significant role in the American financial system by collecting and maintaining credit information on individuals, which is used by lenders, creditors, and financial institutions to assess creditworthiness.

1. Equifax: Equifax is one of the largest credit reporting agencies globally. It gathers and maintains credit information on millions of consumers. Equifax provides credit reports and scores to individuals and offers various credit monitoring services.
2. Experian: Experian is another major credit bureau that operates internationally. It collects and compiles credit information on individuals, including credit reports and credit scores. Experian’s data and analytics services extend beyond credit reporting to include fraud detection, identity verification, and marketing services.
3. TransUnion: TransUnion is one of the oldest credit reporting agencies and is a major player in the credit information industry. Like Equifax and Experian, TransUnion provides credit reports, credit scores, and other related services to individuals and businesses.

Consumers are entitled to request a free copy of their credit report from each of these bureaus once a year through AnnualCreditReport.com. Monitoring these reports regularly helps individuals stay informed about their credit history and detect any inaccuracies that may impact their creditworthiness.