Review Your Credit Report: Key Public Records & Insights

An annual report with a pen laying on top of it, illustrating the process of reading an annual credit report.

Reading Your Annual Credit Report – Public Records and Inquiries

Understanding what’s in your credit report is a smart step toward better financial health. One of the most important parts of your report is the section on public records and credit inquiries. These entries can have a real impact on your credit score, so it’s important to check them carefully every time you check your credit.

Public records and inquiries are usually found near the end of your annual credit report, though each credit bureau organizes reports a little differently. This section might be short, but it can tell lenders a lot about your financial past.

Public Records on Credit Report

The public records on your credit report include court-related information tied to your finances. These entries can lower your Fico score and make it harder to qualify for loans or new credit.

Common types of public records include:

  • Bankruptcies
  • Tax liens
  • Court judgments
  • Foreclosures
  • Wage garnishments
  • Lawsuits
  • Unpaid child support

These items are reported by government agencies and legal systems. Traffic tickets and criminal records are not included; only financial matters are listed here.

How Long Do Public Records Stay?

The length of time these records stay on your report varies:

  • Bankruptcy: up to 10 years
  • Foreclosure: 7 to 10 years
  • Judgments: 7 years after satisfaction (with potential renewals)
  • Tax liens: 7 years after payment, or forever if unpaid
  • Student loans: 7 years after federal repayment begins

It’s always better to have no public records at all. But if you’ve had financial troubles, keeping this section accurate and up to date is important. Once a public record expires, the credit bureaus are supposed to remove it automatically, but you should still confirm it's gone.

Details Found in Public Records

Each public record on your credit file includes several data points. These usually include:

  • Type: Like bankruptcy, lien, or judgment
  • Status: Whether it’s open, closed, or satisfied
  • Date filed: When the issue began
  • Closing date: When it was resolved (if applicable)
  • Court name: The court that handled the case
  • Amount: The dollar value tied to the record
  • Reference number: ID for tracking the case
  • Remarks: Extra notes from the court or consumer

In a bankruptcy case, you might also see:

  • Liability amount: How much you were responsible for
  • Exempt amount: What the court ruled you didn’t have to pay
  • Asset amount: Your assets used in the case

If you spot a mistake, you can dispute the record. For help with that, Credit.org offers a free Consumer Guide to Good Credit, and free credit counseling to help you take action.

A credit history report and score showing financial information and creditworthiness.

Credit Inquiries Explained

The credit inquiries section of your credit report shows who has looked at your credit file and when. This part is often labeled something like “Requests for Your Credit History.” These entries are important because they can impact your credit, especially if you’re applying for loans or credit cards.

Every time a company checks your credit, an inquiry is added to your report. Some of these inquiries matter for your credit score, while others don’t.

Hard Credit vs. Soft Inquiries

There are two types of credit checks:

  • Hard credit inquiry (or hard pull): Happens when you apply for a mortgage, auto loan, or credit card. This type of credit check can lower your fico score slightly, but only for a short time.
  • Soft inquiry (or soft pull): Happens when you check your credit, get pre-approved offers, or have your credit reviewed by a potential employer. Soft inquiries do not affect your score.

Understanding the difference between a hard credit check and a soft inquiry is important. Too many hard pulls in a short period can make you seem like a credit risk to lenders.

How Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score

Inquiries fall under the “new credit” category, which makes up about 10% of your credit score, according to most credit scoring models. One or two inquiries are not a big deal. But if you have several credit card applications or loan applications in a short time, your score could take a hit.

A hard credit pull stays on your report for two years, but its effect on your score drops after a few months.

If you’re applying for the same type of loan—like shopping around for a car—multiple inquiries within a short window (usually 14 to 45 days) are counted as a single inquiry. This is called rate shopping and it won’t hurt your score much.

Recognizing Problem Inquiries

In some cases, an unfamiliar hard inquiry could mean someone tried to open credit in your name. That’s a red flag for fraudulent accounts or identity theft. If you don’t recognize the name of a company listed in your inquiry section:

  • Contact the company to ask why they checked your credit
  • File a fraud alert or security freeze
  • Dispute the inquiry with the credit bureau
  • Check for any public records or new accounts tied to your name

When to Check Your Credit Report

It’s a good idea to check your credit report at least once per year. Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can request a free copy of your annual credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax). Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to access your reports without paying.

Right now, the credit bureaus are offering free weekly reports, making it easier to spot errors or fraud fast.

If you’re planning to apply for credit—such as a loan or credit card—check your report in advance to clear up any issues that could lower your score.What to Do About Inquiries

If you want to clean up your credit file, here are some smart steps to take:

  1. Avoid applying for credit unless necessary
  2. Group similar applications (auto loans, mortgages) into one time frame
  3. Monitor your Fico score for sudden drops
  4. Dispute any errors you find in your credit inquiries section
  5. Use a trusted agency like Credit.org for help understanding your report

Reading the Rest of Your Credit Report

To learn more about the other sections of your credit report, check out:

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re reviewing public records or managing hard credit pulls, every part of your credit report tells a story. If you want to improve your score, start by understanding how inquiries and records affect it.

Checking your report regularly helps you catch errors, avoid surprises, and take control of your financial future. And remember, if something doesn’t look right, you have the right to dispute it and fix the problem.

Credit.org can help, through our Credit Report Review service, and one-on-one credit counseling from a certified professional.

Jeff Michael
Article written by
Jeff Michael is the author of More Than Money, a debtor education guide for pre-bankruptcy debtor education, and Repair Your Credit and Knock Out Your Debt from McGraw-Hill books. He was a contributor to Tips from The Top: Targeted Advice from America’s Top Money Minds. He lives in Overland Park, Kansas.
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