GLOSSARY
Glossary: the terms, in plain language
Authorized user
Someone the primary cardholder adds to an existing credit card account. They may get a card in their name, but the account still belongs to the primary cardholder, who generally remains responsible for the bill.
Covered in: How authorized user accounts work
Co-signer
A person who agrees to repay a loan if the borrower doesn't. A co-signer's old accounts don't transfer to the borrower's report.
Covered in: Authorized user vs co-signer
CPN
A "credit privacy number" or "credit profile number" sold as a new credit identity. The FTC warns these schemes can involve stolen Social Security numbers.
Covered in: 7 red flags
Credit bureau
A nationwide consumer reporting company. The three are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each keeps its own file on you.
Covered in: Free credit reports
Credit report
The account information a bureau holds about you. Different from a credit score.
Covered in: FICO vs VantageScore
Credit score
A number a scoring model calculates from the information in one credit report at one time. You have many scores from different models, versions and bureaus.
Covered in: FICO vs VantageScore
Credit-builder loan
A loan where funds are usually held while you make payments, then released under the agreement.
Covered in: Secured cards and credit-builder loans
CROA
The federal Credit Repair Organizations Act. Among other things, it bars covered credit repair organizations from charging before the promised service is fully performed.
Covered in: 7 red flags
Date opened
The opening date reported for an account entry. For an authorized user, it may not be the date you were added.
Covered in: How to read an AU account on your report
Debt-to-income ratio (DTI)
Monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income. Lenders decide which obligations and income count.
Covered in: Mortgages
Desktop Underwriter (DU)
Fannie Mae's automated underwriting system. Its current guide says it considers authorized user tradelines in its credit risk assessment.
Covered in: Mortgages
Hard inquiry
A credit check made when you apply for credit, which scoring models may consider. Checking your own report is not a hard inquiry.
Covered in: Auto loans
High balance
The highest amount owed on an account. Not the same as the credit limit.
Covered in: How to read an AU account on your report
Issuer
The bank or institution that issues and services the credit card and decides what it reports to credit bureaus. A store name or payment-network logo doesn't tell you who the issuer is.
Covered in: Issuer policies
ITIN
Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, issued by the IRS for federal tax purposes to eligible people who can't get a Social Security number. It doesn't authorize work or change immigration status.
Covered in: New to U.S. credit
Joint account holder
A person who shares responsibility for a credit account's debt. On a joint credit card, either holder can be required to repay the full balance.
Covered in: Authorized user vs joint account
Piggybacking
Being added to someone else's credit card account so its information may appear on your report. Used for both family additions and paid placements on strangers' accounts.
Covered in: Piggybacking credit explained
Primary cardholder
The person who owns the credit card account and is responsible to the issuer for paying it, including an authorized user's purchases.
Covered in: Risks for the account holder
Regulation B
The CFPB rule implementing the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, including rules about authorized users and spousal credit history.
Covered in: Is buying tradelines legal?
Responsibility field
The part of an account entry that shows your relationship to it, such as individual, joint or authorized user.
Covered in: How to read an AU account on your report
Scoring model
The formula that turns report information into a score, such as FICO Score 8, FICO Score 9, VantageScore 3.0 or 4.0.
Covered in: FICO vs VantageScore
Secured credit card
A credit card backed by a cash deposit. You still owe the monthly bill; the deposit doesn't pay it.
Covered in: Secured cards and credit-builder loans
Thin file
A credit file with too little information for a scoring model to produce a score. A missing score is not a score of zero.
Covered in: New to U.S. credit
Tradeline
An account entry on a credit report. A credit card can be a tradeline; so can a loan.
Covered in: Is buying tradelines legal?
Underwriting
A lender's review of whether a loan meets the applicable requirements. A score is one input.
Covered in: Mortgages
Utilization
The share of available revolving credit being used: reported balance divided by credit limit.
Covered in: Utilization calculator