Editor's choice: Experian Credit Report

- Free FICO Score
- Credit alerts and monitoring
- Report & score updated every 30 days
Your credit score is one of the most important pieces of information lenders use when deciding whether to lend you money. This powerful number takes into account your financial history and helps determine your borrowing power, so it’s vital you take steps to ensure that your credit score is as high as possible.
But do you know what factors are taken into account when calculating credit scores, not only in the US but in other countries around the world? Let’s take a closer look at how different countries score credit to get a better understanding of credit reporting.
The comprehensive credit reporting system in the US ensures that your positive and negative financial history is included, with on-time payments reported alongside judgments and bankruptcies. There are three national credit agencies that handle credit reporting in the USA:
The agencies use this data to create your FICO score, which was introduced by the Fair Isaac Corporation. The score is calculated based on the following components:
The vast majority of banks and credit providers use the FICO system to generate a score between 300 and 850 — anything above 720 is considered to be an excellent score. In April 2017, the average national credit score in the US reached 700, an all-time record.
The three credit reporting agencies collect information differently, so FICO scores can vary depending on which bureau provides the information used to calculate the score.
Ready to know more about the three credit bureaus?
When you apply for a home loan or another form of financing in Australia, the lender will check your credit score and request a copy of your credit report from a credit reporting agency. There are four credit reporting agencies, Equifax (formerly Veda), Dun and Bradstreet, Experian and the Tasmanian Collection Service, that collect your financial information and collate it into a credit report.
However, as each credit reporting agency collects financial information differently, each one has its own system for determining your credit score. For example, Equifax uses the Equifax Score system to rate all credit-active individuals with a score out of 1,200 (a score of 833 or above is considered excellent), while Experian uses your financial data to calculate a credit score out of 1,000.
The data used to calculate your credit score can also differ slightly between agencies but will include the following:
Up until March 2014, credit reporting in Australia only used negative reporting. However, the introduction of positive or comprehensive credit reporting means lenders can now make a more balanced assessment of consumers’ borrowing history by accessing information about current accounts and payment history.
Just like the USA, the UK has three main credit reporting agencies: Callcredit, Equifax and Experian. They also collect financial data in line with a comprehensive credit reporting system, ensuring that positive borrowing information, such as making payments on time and in full, is included alongside any black marks.
However, each agency uses its own scoring system to develop your credit score:
With this in mind, your borrowing power in the UK varies depending on the reporting agency and also on each individual credit provider’s lending criteria.
Canada has two main credit reporting agencies that collect and assess your financial information: Equifax of Canada Inc. and TransUnion Canada. Canadian credit reports contain information about every loan you’ve taken out in the past six years, including how much you owe, whether you make your payments on time and the credit limit on each account.
Credit scores in Canada range from 300 up to 900. The formula the credit reporting bureaus use to calculate your score is secret, but 27% of the population has a score between 750 and 799.
According to TransUnion, 650 is an important credit score to keep in mind. Score less than this and you may have trouble having credit applications approved.
In China, there’s currently a public registry that was originally created by the People’s Bank of China. However, since a significant portion of the population doesn’t have a traditional credit history, the Chinese government has plans to take the concept of credit scoring a few steps further.
Plans are currently underway to build an all-encompassing social credit system that rates each citizen’s trustworthiness in all aspects of life. This will combine a person’s financial information with their social, legal and political history to create a single number that ranks each person.
The system isn’t expected to be implemented until 2020, but the government is currently assessing eight social credit score programs being developed by Chinese companies as part of state-approved pilot projects.
India’s credit reporting system is still under development. The government of India and the Reserve Bank of India created the Credit Bureau Information India (CIBIL) in 2000 to collect records of each individual’s loan and credit card payments. It has since partnered with TransUnion and collects information on home loans, car loans, personal loans and credit cards to generate a score between 300 and 900.
The CIBIL takes into account positive information when calculating your score, including a month-by-month record of your loan payments for up to three years. The agency reports that 79% of approved loans go to people with a CIBIL TransUnion score of 750 or more.
However, several other private agencies have also emerged in more recent times, including Equifax India, Experian India, Highmark and SMERA, each of which has its own scoring system.
If you’re looking for a broker comparable to Vanguard, check out these five contenders.
Thinking of switching from TD Ameritrade? Here are 5 apps like TD Ameritrade that offer valuable benefits.
Our picks of the best overwater stays in the Land of Smiles from budget-friendly to luxurious.
This guide will show you step-by-step instructions on how to buy the Reserve Rights (RSR) token as well as a list of exchanges you can trade it on.
This guide will show you step-by-step instructions on how to buy the Curve (CRV) token as well as a list of exchanges you can trade it on.
Acorns alternatives offer lower fees and more investment options. Learn more.
Hanna Andersson’s Organic Cotton Long John is comfortable and available in family sizes. Here’s what I thought of the fit, and details on sustainability.
Find in-stock face masks for wildires, smoke and dust, see our top picks and read tips for using respirator smoke masks.
The Chairman of Dubai’s IBC Group has pledged a whopping $4.8 billion into Bitcoin, as Microstrategy purchases another $1 billion of BTC.
This guide will show you step-by-step instructions on how to buy the Maker (MKR) token as well as a list of exchanges you can trade it on.