Credit Report
Also called: credit file, credit history report
A credit report is the record a bureau holds on you: accounts, balances, payment history, inquiries, public records. The score is derived from it, so errors on the report are errors in the score — and roughly one in five reports contains a material one. You're entitled to free copies, and disputing an item forces the bureau to investigate within about 30 days. Most negative items age off after seven years; a Chapter 7 bankruptcy after ten.