Dear Experian,

Is it possible not to have a report? I am a resident since 2003!

- NIC

Dear NIC,

It is very possible to not have a credit report.

There is a common misperception that a credit report is issued when you receive a Social Security number. In fact, a credit report is not created until you open a credit account for the first time.

If you have no credit accounts, or have opened an account or accounts with lenders that do not report the payment status to a credit reporting company, you will not have a credit report.

Because information is deleted over time, it is also possible to have had a report but for it to have been removed from Experian’s credit reporting system. This most commonly happens when a person moves out of the country.

They close accounts, or the accounts become inactive and after a period of years are deleted. When there are no longer any accounts remaining, there is no longer a credit report.

In order to establish a credit report, you need to apply for credit. It might be necessary to have someone cosign on your behalf or add you as a joint account holder because you have no credit history upon which to base a lending decision. Once a report is established for you, you will be on your way to qualifying for credit independently.

Just be sure to always pay your bills on time.

Thanks for asking.