Credit bureaus get their information in three primary ways.
The first way is from creditors and other companies that consumers do business with. These companies generally send credit bureaus regular updates about their customers' payment history. Creditors may not do business with every credit bureau, however, which explains why credit reports (and credit scores that are based upon them) can vary among the "big three" credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
The second source of data found in credit reports is public records. Public records are the source of data such as court judgments, liens, and bankruptcy.
The third source of data is information provided by consumers themselves, such as information provided to request a free credit report (for example, mailing address) or apply for credit (for example, name of employer).
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