The Three Bureaus

You apply for a car loan, and the lender says it checked your TransUnion report. The lender asks about a store card you never opened. You've only ever read your Experian report, and that card isn't on it. You and the lender weren't reading the same file.

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each keep their own credit file on you, so read all three reports and freeze each one; a fraud alert at one bureau reaches all three.

Why don't my three credit reports match?

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three nationwide credit bureaus: three separate companies, each with its own file on you. They build those files from what lenders and other companies send them. Those companies aren't required to report to every bureau, the CFPB says. So an account, a late payment or an error can show up in one file and not in another. Your scores can differ too; the CFPB says slightly different scores are normal.

That's why the FTC says to review all three reports. You can see each one free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. Credit Reports Decoded covers how to dispute a mistake with each bureau that shows it.

Which of my three scores counts for a mortgage?

For mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the lender uses credit reports from all three bureaus. For those sold to Fannie Mae, its Selling Guide tells lenders which score to use. If they have three scores for you, it's the middle one; if they have two, it's the lower one.

Example from that guide: one borrower's scores are 590, 605 and 648, so the score used is 605. That's not the average, about 614, and not the highest. A second borrower's scores are 661, 693 and 693, so that borrower's score is 693. With both on the loan, Fannie Mae uses the lower of the two, 605, to price the loan.

So before you apply for a mortgage, read all three reports, not just one.

Do I have to freeze my credit at each bureau?

Yes. A credit freeze must be placed at each bureau separately: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A fraud alert is the exception: place it with one bureau, and that bureau must tell the other two. The alert tells businesses to check with you before opening a new credit account in your name, but doesn't stop them from seeing your report.

Example: on March 2 you find a store card you never opened on your TransUnion report. That day you place a fraud alert with one bureau; it reaches all three and lasts one year. You freeze your credit online at all three bureaus: three requests, all free. By law, a bureau must place an online or phone freeze within one business day. You also report the card as identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. Then you use the report you get there to ask TransUnion to block the card from your file.

In June you apply for a credit card at your bank, which checks Experian. You lift the freeze at Experian only, as the FTC suggests, and put it back after the check. For an online or phone request, the bureau must lift it within one hour.

While a freeze is on, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you, the FTC says. A freeze doesn't affect your score. It also doesn't stop someone from taking over an account you already have, so keep reading your statements.

What can I do today?

• If you have US credit accounts: freeze your credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, online or by phone with each bureau. The FTC's page "Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts" links all three. Note how to lift each one later. Don't share your Social Security number or any other ID number with us.
• If you don't have any yet: ask the bank or credit union where you plan to open your first account which of the three bureaus it reports to.

Which freeze would you lift for a car loan?

You froze your credit at all three bureaus. Your credit union says it checks only TransUnion for car loans. What should you do before you apply?

• A. Lift the freeze at all three bureaus
• B. Lift it at TransUnion only, then put it back after the check ✅
• C. Place a fraud alert so the credit union can see your report

Why: a freeze is set at each bureau separately, so you lift only the one the lender checks and put it back afterward, as the FTC suggests; a fraud alert doesn't lift a freeze.

Where do these facts come from?

1. CFPB — "What is a credit report?" (last reviewed January 29, 2024). https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-credit-report-en-309/ · Verified 2026-10-17
2. CFPB — "Where can I get my credit scores?" (last reviewed October 19, 2023). https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/where-can-i-get-my-credit-scores-en-316/ · Verified 2026-10-17
3. FTC — "Free Credit Reports" (June 2026). https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/free-credit-reports · Verified 2026-10-17
4. FTC — "Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports" (April 2024). https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/disputing-errors-your-credit-reports · Verified 2026-10-17
5. Mortgage rules — Fannie Mae: Selling Guide B3-5.1-02, "Determining the Credit Score for a Mortgage Loan" (April 22, 2026), https://selling-guide.fanniemae.com/sel/b3-5.1-02/determining-credit-score-mortgage-loan; FHFA: "Credit Scores" (last updated October 2, 2026), https://www.fhfa.gov/policy/credit-scores · Verified 2026-10-17
6. FTC — "Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts" (August 2025). https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/credit-freezes-and-fraud-alerts · Verified 2026-10-17
7. US Code, 2024 edition (govinfo) — Fair Credit Reporting Act: FCRA §605A, 15 U.S.C. §1681c-1, "Identity theft prevention; fraud alerts and active duty alerts" (security freeze rules added May 24, 2018, Pub. L. 115-174), https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title15/html/USCODE-2024-title15-chap41-subchapIII-sec1681c-1.htm · Verified 2026-10-17
8. CFPB — "What do I do if I am a victim of identity theft?" (last reviewed July 30, 2026). https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-do-i-do-if-i-am-a-victim-of-identity-theft-en-31/ · Verified 2026-10-17