# Credit Bureau

*Borrowing & Credit — Finicade finance glossary*

A credit bureau is a company that collects your borrowing history from lenders and sells it back to them as a report and score. The US has three majors — Equifax, Experian, TransUnion — and they don't hold identical data, because not every lender reports to all three. That's why your score differs by bureau and why a freeze has to be placed at each one separately. You are the product, not the customer, which is why accuracy is your job to police.

**Also known as:** credit reference agency, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion

**Related terms:** [Credit Report](https://finicade.com/glossary/credit-report), [Credit Score](https://finicade.com/glossary/credit-score), [FICO Score](https://finicade.com/glossary/fico-score), [Hard Inquiry](https://finicade.com/glossary/hard-inquiry)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/credit-bureau