What is a credit report  什麼是信用報告 ?

Your credit payment history is recorded in a file or report. These files or reports are maintained and sold by "consumer reporting agencies" (CRAs). One type of CRA is commonly known as a credit bureau. You have a credit record on file at a credit bureau if you have ever applied for a credit or charge account, a personal loan, insurance, or a job. Your credit record contains information about your income, debts, and credit payment history. It also indicates whether you have been sued, arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy.

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您的信用支付歷史記錄在文件或報告中。這些文件或報告由“消費者報告機構”(CRA) 維護和出售。一種類型的 CRA 通常被稱為信用局。如果您曾經申請過信用或收費賬戶、個人貸款、保險或工作，則您在徵信機構有一份信用記錄。您的信用記錄包含有關您的收入、債務和信用支付歷史的信息。它還表明您是否被起訴、逮捕或申請破產。

Do I have a right to know what's in my report 我是否有權知道我的報告中的內容 ?

Yes, if you ask for it. The CRA must tell you everything in your report, including medical information, and in most cases, the sources of the information. The CRA also must give you a list of everyone who has requested your report within the past year-two years for employment related requests.

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是的，如果你要求的話。 CRA 必須告訴您報告中的所有內容，包括醫療信息，以及在大多數情況下信息的來源。 CRA 還必須向您提供一份在過去一年至兩年內因就業相關要求而要求您報告的所有人的名單。

What is credit scoring 什麼是信用評分  ?

Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. Information about you and your credit experiences, such as your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points -- a credit score -- helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when due.  信用評分是債權人用來幫助確定是否給予您信用的系統。關於您和您的信用經歷的信息，例如您的賬單支付歷史、您擁有的賬戶數量和類型、逾期付款、催收行動、未償債務和您的賬戶年齡，是從您的信用申請和您的信用中收集的報告。債權人使用統計程序將這些信息與具有相似特徵的消費者的信用表現進行比較。信用評分系統為每個有助於預測誰最有可能償還債務的因素評分。總分——信用評分——有助於預測您的信用度，即您償還貸款並在到期時付款的可能性。

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The most widely use credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac Company, Inc. Your score will fall between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk).   使用最廣泛的信用評分是 FICO 評分，它由 Fair Isaac Company, Inc. 開發。您的評分將介於 350（高風險）和 850（低風險）之間。

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Because your credit report is an important part of many credit scoring systems, it is very important to make sure it's accurate before you submit a credit application. To get copies of your report, contact the three major credit reporting agencies:   由於您的信用報告是許多信用評分系統的重要組成部分，因此在提交信用申請之前確保其準確非常重要。要獲取您的報告副本，請聯繫三大信用報告機構：

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Equifax: (800) 685-1111
Experian (formerly TRW): (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
Trans Union: (800) 916-8800
These agencies may charge you for your credit report.

這些機構可能會就您的信用報告向您收取最費用。

You are entitled to receive one free credit report every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This free credit report may not contain your credit score and can be requested through the following website  您有權每 12 個月從每個全國性的消費者信用報告公司（Equifax、Experian 和 TransUnion）收到一份免費信用報告。此免費信用報告可能不包含您的信用評分，可通過以下網站索取 : https://www.annualcreditreport.com

What type of information do credit bureaus collect and sell 徵信機構收集和出售什麼類型的信息 ? 

Credit bureaus collect and sell four basic types of information :

徵信機構收集和出售四種基本類型的信息  :

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• Identification and employment information  身份和就業信息
  Your name, birth date, Social Security number, employer, and spouse's name are routinely noted. The CRA also may provide information about your employment history, home ownership, income, and previous address, if a creditor requests this type of information.  您的姓名、出生日期、社會安全號碼、雇主和配偶的姓名通常會被記錄下來。如果債權人要求此類信息，CRA 還可能提供有關您的工作經歷、房屋所有權、收入和以前的地址的信息。

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• Payment history   支付歷史
  Your accounts with different creditors are listed, showing how much credit has been extended and whether you've paid on time. Related events, such as referral of an overdue account to a collection agency, may also be noted.  列出了您在不同債權人處的帳戶，顯示已提供多少信用以及您是否按時付款。還可以記錄相關事件，例如將逾期賬戶轉介給收款機構。

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• Inquiries  查詢
  CRAs must maintain a record of all creditors who have asked for your credit history within the past year, and a record of those persons or businesses requesting your credit history for employment purposes for the past two years.  CRA 必須保留過去一年內要求您提供信用記錄的所有債權人的記錄，以及過去兩年出於就業目的要求您提供信用記錄的個人或企業的記錄。

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• Public record information  公共記錄信息
  Events that are a matter of public record, such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, or tax liens, may appear in your report.   屬於公共記錄事項的事件，例如破產、止贖或稅收留置權，可能會出現在您的報告中。

Why is credit scoring used 為什麼使用信用評分 ?

Credit scoring is based on real data and statistics, so it usually is more reliable than subjective or judgmental methods. It treats all applicants objectively. Judgmental methods typically rely on criteria that are not systematically tested and can vary when applied by different individuals.

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信用評分基於真實數據和統計數據，因此通常比主觀或判斷方法更可靠。它客觀地對待所有申請人。判斷方法通常依賴於未經系統測試的標準，並且在被不同的人應用時可能會有所不同。

How is a credit scroring model developed

信用評分模型是如何開發的 ? 

To develop a model, a creditor selects a random sample of its customers, or a sample of similar customers if their sample is not large enough, and analyzes it statistically to identify characteristics that relate to creditworthiness. Then, each of these factors is assigned a weight based on how strong a predictor it is of who would be a good credit risk. Each creditor may use its own credit scoring model, different scoring models for different types of credit, or a generic model developed by a credit scoring company.

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a credit scoring system may not use certain characteristics like -- race, sex, marital status, national origin, or religion -- as factors. However, creditors are allowed to use age in properly designed scoring systems. But any scoring system that includes age must give equal treatment to elderly applicants.

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為了開發模型，債權人隨機選擇其客戶樣本，如果樣本不夠大，則選擇類似客戶的樣本，並對其進行統計分析以識別與信用相關的特徵。然後，根據對誰是良好信用風險的預測因素的強弱，為這些因素中的每一個分配一個權重。每個債權人可以使用自己的信用評分模型、針對不同類型的信用使用不同的評分模型或由信用評分公司開發的通用模型。 根據《平等信用機會法案》，信用評分系統不得將某些特徵（例如種族、性別、婚姻狀況、國籍或宗教）用作因素。但是，債權人可以在設計合理的評分系統中使用年齡。但任何包括年齡在內的評分系統都必須平等對待老年申請人。

How reliable is the credit scoring system 

信用評分系統的可靠性如何 ? 

Credit scoring systems enable creditors to evaluate millions of applicants consistently and impartially on many different characteristics. But to be statistically valid, credit scoring systems must be based on a big enough sample. Remember that these systems generally vary from creditor to creditor.

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Although you may think such a system is arbitrary or impersonal, it can help make decisions faster, more accurately, and more impartially than individuals when it is properly designed. And many creditors design their systems so that in marginal cases, applicants whose scores are not high enough to pass easily or are low enough to fail absolutely are referred to a credit manager who decides whether the company or lender will extend credit. This may allow for discussion and negotiation between the credit manager and the consumer.

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信用評分系統使債權人能夠一致、公正地評估數百萬申請人的許多不同特徵。但要在統計上有效，信用評分系統必須基於足夠大的樣本。請記住，這些系統通常因債權人而異。

儘管您可能認為這樣的系統是武斷的或沒有人情味的，但如果設計得當，它可以比個人更快、更準確、更公正地做出決策。許多債權人設計了他們的系統，以便在邊緣情況下，分數不夠高而容易通過或低到絕對不及格的申請人會被轉介給信貸經理，後者決定公司或貸方是否會提供信貸。這可以允許信用管理者和消費者之間的討論和協商。

What can I do to improve my score 

我可以做些什麼來提高我的分數 ? 

Credit scoring models are complex and often vary among creditors and for different types of credit. If one factor changes, your score may change -- but improvement generally depends on how that factor relates to other factors considered by the model. Only the creditor can explain what might improve your score under the particular model used to evaluate your credit application   信用評分模型很複雜，而且通常因債權人和不同類型的信用而異。如果一個因素發生變化，您的分數可能會發生變化——但改進通常取決於該因素與模型考慮的其他因素的關係。只有債權人可以解釋在用於評估您的信用申請的特定模型下什麼可以提高您的分數。

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Nevertheless, scoring models generally evaluate the following types of information in your credit report 儘管如此，評分模型通常會評估您的信用報告中的以下類型的信息 :

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• Have you paid your bills on time? Payment history typically is a significant factor. It is likely that your score will be affected negatively if you have paid bills late, had an account referred to collections, or declared bankruptcy, if that history is reflected on your credit report  你按時付帳了嗎？付款歷史通常是一個重要因素。如果您延遲支付賬單、將賬戶轉為收款或宣布破產（如果該歷史記錄反映在您的信用報告中），您的分數可能會受到負面影響 .

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• What is your outstanding debt? Many scoring models evaluate the amount of debt you have compared to your credit limits. If the amount you owe is close to your credit limit, that is likely to have a negative effect on your score  你的未償債務是多少？許多評分模型會根據您的信用額度來評估您的債務金額。如果您欠的金額接近您的信用額度，則可能會對您的分數產生負面影響.

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• How long is your credit history? Generally, models consider the length of your credit track record. An insufficient credit history may have an effect on your score, but that can be offset by other factors, such as timely payments and low balances  你的信用記錄有多長？通常，模型會考慮您的信用記錄的長度。信用記錄不足可能會影響您的分數，但這可以被其他因素抵消，例如及時付款和低餘額.

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• Have you applied for new credit recently? Many scoring models consider whether you have applied for credit recently by looking at "inquiries" on your credit report when you apply for credit. If you have applied for too many new accounts recently, that may negatively affect your score. However, not all inquiries are counted. Inquiries by creditors who are monitoring your account or looking at credit reports to make "prescreened" credit offers are not counted 你最近申請了新的信用嗎？許多評分模型通過在您申請信用時查看您的信用報告上的“查詢”來考慮您最近是否申請過信用。如果您最近申請了太多新帳戶，可能會對您的分數產生負面影響。但是，並非所有查詢都被計算在內。監控您的賬戶或查看信用報告以提供“預先篩選”的信用報價的債權人的查詢不計算在內 .

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• How many and what types of credit accounts do you have? Although it is generally good to have established credit accounts, too many credit card accounts may have a negative effect on your score. In addition, many models consider the type of credit accounts you have. For example, under some scoring models, loans from finance companies may negatively affect your credit score 您有多少和什麼類型的信用賬戶？雖然建立信用賬戶通常是好的，但過多的信用卡賬戶可能會對您的分數產生負面影響。此外，許多模型會考慮您擁有的信用賬戶類型。例如，在某些評分模型下，金融公司的貸款可能會對您的信用評分產生負面影響.

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Scoring models may be based on more than just information in your credit report. For example, the model may consider information from your credit application as well: your job or occupation, length of employment, or whether you own a home  評分模型可能不僅僅基於您的信用報告中的信息。例如，該模型可能還會考慮您的信用申請中的信息：您的工作或職業、工作時間或您是否擁有房屋.

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To improve your credit score under most models, concentrate on paying your bills on time, paying down outstanding balances, and not taking on new debt. It's likely to take some time to improve your score significantly  要在大多數模型下提高您的信用評分，請專注於按時支付賬單、償還未清償餘額，而不是承擔新的債務。可能需要一些時間才能顯著提高您的分數 .

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What happens if you are denied credit or don't get the terms you want  如果您的信用被拒絕或沒有得到您想要的條款，會發生什麼 ? 

If you've been denied credit, or didn't get the rate or credit terms you want, ask the creditor if a credit scoring system was used. If so, ask what characteristics or factors were used in that system, and the best ways to improve your application. If you get credit, ask the creditor whether you are getting the best rate and terms available and, if not, why. If you are not offered the best rate available because of inaccuracies in your credit report, be sure to dispute the inaccurate information  如果您的信用被拒絕，或者沒有獲得您想要的利率或信用條款，請詢問債權人是否使用了信用評分系統。如果是這樣，請詢問該系統中使用了哪些特徵或因素，以及改進應用程序的最佳方法。如果您獲得信貸，請詢問債權人您是否獲得了最優惠的利率和條款，如果沒有，請詢問原因。如果由於信用報告不准確而沒有為您提供最優惠的利率，請務必對不准確的信息提出異議。

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If you are denied credit, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act requires that the creditor give you a notice that tells you the specific reasons your application was rejected or the fact that you have the right to learn the reasons if you ask within 60 days. Indefinite and vague reasons for denial are illegal, so ask the creditor to be specific. Acceptable reasons include: "Your income was low" or "You haven't been employed long enough." Unacceptable reasons include: "You didn't meet our minimum standards" or "You didn't receive enough points on our credit scoring system."  如果您的信用被拒絕，《平等信用機會法》要求債權人向您發出通知，告知您申請被拒絕的具體原因，或者如果您在 60 天內提出要求，您有權了解原因。不明確和模糊的拒絕理由是非法的，所以請債權人具體說明。可接受的原因包括：“您的收入低”或“您的工作時間不夠長”。不可接受的原因包括：“您沒有達到我們的最低標準”或“您沒有在我們的信用評分系統中獲得足夠的分數”。

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If a creditor says you were denied credit because you are too near your credit limits on your charge cards or you have too many credit card accounts, you may want to reapply after paying down your balances or closing some accounts. Credit scoring systems consider updated information and change over time.  如果債權人說您被拒貸是因為您的簽賬卡信用額度太低，或者您的信用卡賬戶過多，您可能需要在支付餘額或關閉某些賬戶後重新申請。信用評分系統考慮更新的信息和隨時間變化的信息。

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Sometimes you can be denied credit because of information from a credit report. If so, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the creditor to give you the name, address and phone number of the credit reporting agency that supplied the information. You should contact that agency to find out what your report said. This information is free if you request it within 60 days of being turned down for credit. The credit reporting agency can tell you what's in your report, but only the creditor can tell you why your application was denied.  有時，您可能會因為信用報告中的信息而被拒絕信用。如果是這樣，公平信用報告法要求債權人向您提供提供信息的信用報告機構的名稱、地址和電話號碼。您應該聯繫該機構以了解您的報告內容。如果您在被拒絕信用後 60 天內提出請求，則此信息是免費的。信用報告機構可以告訴您報告中的內容，但只有債權人可以告訴您申請被拒絕的原因。

Fair Credit Reporting Act  公平信用報告法

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designed to help ensure that CRAs furnish correct and complete information to businesses to use when evaluating your application.  《公平信用報告法》(FCRA) 旨在幫助確保信用評級機構向企業提供正確和完整的信息，以供企業在評估您的申請時使用。

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Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act:

您根據《公平信用報告法》享有的權利：

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• You have the right to receive a copy of your credit report. The copy of your report must contain all of the information in your file at the time of your request.  您有權收到您的信用報告副本。您的報告副本必須包含您提出請求時文件中的所有信息。

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• You have the right to know the name of anyone who received your credit report in the last year for most purposes or in the last two years for employment purposes.  您有權知道在過去一年（出於大多數目的）或在過去兩年（出於就業目的）收到您的信用報告的任何人的姓名。

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• Any company that denies your application must supply the name and address of the CRA they contacted, provided the denial was based on information given by the CRA.  任何拒絕您申請的公司都必須提供他們聯繫的 CRA 的名稱和地址，前提是拒絕是基於 CRA 提供的信息。

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• You have the right to a free copy of your credit report when your application is denied because of information supplied by the CRA. Your request must be made within 60 days of receiving your denial notice.  當您的申請因 CRA 提供的信息而被拒絕時，您有權獲得一份免費的信用報告副本。您必須在收到拒絕通知後 60 天內提出請求。

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• If you contest the completeness or accuracy of information in your report, you should file a dispute with the CRA and with the company that furnished the information to the CRA. Both the CRA and the furnisher of information are legally obligated to reinvestigate your dispute.  如果您對報告中信息的完整性或準確性提出異議，您應該向 CRA 和向 CRA 提供信息的公司提出爭議。 CRA 和信息提供者都有法律義務重新調查您的爭議。

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• You have a right to add a summary explanation to your credit report if your dispute is not resolved to your satisfaction.  如果您的爭議沒有得到您滿意的解決，您有權在您的信用報告中添加摘要說明。

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