Do you have a question about consumer credit? You may find an immediate answer by using the search engine. If you can't find what you're looking for, please fill out the form, being as specific as possible.
Please note: The Ask Experian team cannot respond to each question individually. However, if your question is of interest to a wide audience of consumers, the Experian team will include it in a future column.
Our policies
The information contained in this column if for educational purposes only and is not legal advice.
You should consult your own attorney or seek specific advice from a legal professional regarding
your particular situation.
Please understand that Experian policies change over time. Column responses reflect Experian policy at the time of writing. While maintained for your information, archived responses may not reflect current Experian policy.
Credit Advice
Topics addressed on March 2, 2011:
Updating employer listing on your credit report
Dear Experian,
How does an employer report a job history to Experian?
- BZI
Dear BZI,
Employers don’t report job histories to Experian or the other national credit reporting companies.
In fact, the employer listing on a credit report is not an employment history at all. Rather, the employers shown in your credit report are provided by your lenders when they first report the information from your credit application.
Because the employer listing is updated only when you apply for new credit and is not provided to Experian in all cases, it is not meant to be an employment history. The employer listing does not affect credit scores or play a direct role in the lending process. For example, it likely would have no bearing at all in an automated credit application process.
Rather, it may be used as an additional identification tool. For example, a potential employer could match the employers you list in a job application to those listed in your credit report, helping them verify your identity and the information in your job application.
So, you don’t need to worry about updating the employment listing on your report. The next time you apply for credit, you will probably be asked to list your current and previous employers on the application. When the new account is approved, the new employer may be added to your credit history when the account is reported.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team