Definition
A record of your borrowing and repayment history, kept by the three big credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
The story
It lists your loans and cards, balances, and any late payments, collections or bankruptcies. Credit scores are calculated from it. You can get free reports from all three bureaus every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site, and dispute anything that's wrong.
Why markets watch it
Errors on a report can raise what you pay to borrow, so checking it is one of the simplest money habits.
Connects to
We explain why it moves markets. What you do with it is your call. Commentary and education only. Not financial advice. All terms