Merged Credit Report

A merged credit report consists of data from all three credit reporting agencies that collect consumer credit information: Equifax, Transunion and Experian. Each agency may have different information regarding a given consumer. Additionally, consumer credit scores may vary from each separate credit reporting agency; however, the merged credit report provides an all-inclusive snapshot of a borrower's credit outlook. Lenders typically average the credit scores obtained from all three credit reporting agencies. Before applying for a home loan, consumers may consider obtaining a personal copy from each reporting agency so that they can analyze the information provided on each report in order to determine if every entry is correct. For any entry that is incorrect, consumers can initiate disputes directly with the respective reporting agency. Correcting such errors can ultimately improve one's credit score.