Credit reporting agencies, also called credit bureaus, have taken on the task of compiling detailed credit histories on individual consumers. Consumer credit histories contain such personal information as identity, credit accounts, payment habits, and public record information. Credit bureaus make their money by selling individual consumer credit reports to creditors, such as banks, finance companies, retailers, and others, who use the credit reports to determine the creditworthiness of a potential customer.

The management of consumer credit reports by credit reporting agencies is closely regulated by such federal laws as the Fair Credit Reporting Act. These laws help to ensure the integrity of the information contained in consumer credit files, gives consumers the right to contest incorrect information contained in their reports, and limits access to consumer's credit files to only those with a legitimate business reason to view the files.

The information contained in a consumer's credit file regarding identity, credit, and other financial data is gathered from creditors that have worked with the consumer in the past. Public record information is retrieved directly from the court systems. There are three major credit bureaus in the United States: Equifax: (800) 685-1111 Experian (formerly TRW): (888)EXPERIAN (397-3742) Trans Union: (800) 916-8800