Significance

• Your credit profile will include all of the creditors that you have credit with. There will be a record of how you pay them, as well as the balances and credit rating.
  
  

Identification

• Your credit profile will have information that identifies you, such as your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address and your employment.
  
  

Public Record

• Public record items are found on your credit profile as well. Any tax liens or judgments will appear at the bottom of your credit report.
  
  

Credit Inquiries

• Inquiries will appear when someone takes a look at your credit file. An inquiry can remain on a credit profile for about two years.
  
  

Types

• There are soft inquiries and hard inquiries. Soft inquiries appear when someone, such as a potential employer, pulls your credit report for purposes other than extending you credit. Hard inquiries appear when you apply for credit with various lenders.
  
  

Considerations

• Your credit profile can change from day to day and month to month. When creditors update your credit report, with new account information and history, your profile changes.