Q12d: Is the following a source of information on your credit report: debt collectors?

Demographic and experience categories Yes No Do not know Refused
All respondents 79.0 ( 1.1) 9.5 ( 0.8) 11.3 ( 0.9) 0.2 ( 0.1)
AGE GROUP        
18 to 24 79.9 ( 3.6) 9.1 ( 2.8) 11.1 ( 2.5) 0.0 ( 0.0)
25 to 34 82.1 ( 2.7) 9.1 ( 2.2) 8.8 ( 1.9) 0.0 ( 0.0)
35 to 44 81.0 ( 2.7) 9.1 ( 1.9) 9.9 ( 2.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
45 to 54 85.4 ( 2.1) 7.1 ( 1.6) 7.5 ( 1.5) 0.0 ( 0.0)
55 to 64 80.3 ( 2.8) 11.0 ( 2.2) 8.8 ( 2.0) 0.0 ( 0.0)
65 and older 70.4 ( 3.0) 9.6 ( 2.0) 18.8 ( 2.5) 1.2 ( 0.9)
INCOME        
Less than $25000 74.0 ( 2.0) 9.1 ( 1.3) 16.9 ( 1.7) 0.0 ( 0.0)
$25000 to $49999 80.0 ( 2.4) 9.4 ( 1.8) 9.9 ( 1.8) 0.8 ( 0.5)
$50000 to $74999 84.4 ( 2.5) 12.2 ( 2.3) 3.4 ( 1.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
$75000+ 82.6 ( 2.6) 7.2 ( 1.7) 10.2 ( 2.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
EDUCATION        
Less than high school 59.2 ( 3.6) 14.8 ( 2.7) 26.0 ( 3.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
High school 78.4 ( 2.0) 8.6 ( 1.4) 12.6 ( 1.6) 0.3 ( 0.3)
Some post-secondary education 82.9 ( 2.1) 10.1 ( 1.8) 6.9 ( 1.3) 0.0 ( 0.0)
BA or more 82.9 ( 2.0) 7.7 ( 1.4) 9.1 ( 1.6) 0.3 ( 0.3)
ETHNICITY        
White 82.2 ( 1.4) 8.0 ( 1.0) 9.5 ( 1.1) 0.3 ( 0.2)
Black 81.8 ( 2.3) 9.9 ( 1.8) 8.3 ( 1.6) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Hispanic 65.0 ( 3.0) 13.7 ( 2.3) 21.3 ( 2.5) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Other 67.1 ( 6.0) 17.2 ( 5.0) 15.7 ( 4.3) 0.0 ( 0.0)
SEX        
Male 81.0 ( 1.8) 11.0 ( 1.4) 7.8 ( 1.2) 0.2 ( 0.2)
Female 77.4 ( 1.5) 7.9 ( 1.0) 14.5 ( 1.2) 0.2 ( 0.2)
EMPLOYMENT STATUS        
Actively employed (FT or PT) 84.5 ( 1.4) 8.0 ( 1.0) 7.4 ( 1.0) 0.1 ( 0.1)
Student 75.0 ( 7.3) 12.1 ( 5.8) 12.9 ( 5.3) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Not employed (homemaker, retired, unemployed) 69.7 ( 2.1) 11.3 ( 1.5) 18.7 ( 1.7) 0.3 ( 0.3)
Other 75.2 ( 5.7) 13.3 ( 4.9) 11.5 ( 3.8) 0.0 ( 0.0)
GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCE        
Resident of a free report state (CO, GA, ME, MD, MA, NJ, VT) 80.9 ( 2.3) 9.5 ( 1.8) 9.6 ( 1.6) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Resident of another state 78.7 ( 1.3) 9.5 ( 0.9) 11.5 ( 1.0) 0.2 ( 0.2)
FINANCIAL AND CREDIT REPORT EXPERIENCE        
Obtained a credit report 82.7 ( 1.4) 8.6 ( 1.1) 8.3 ( 1.1) 0.3 ( 0.2)
Did not obtain a credit report 74.0 ( 1.8) 10.7 ( 1.4) 15.3 ( 1.4) 0.0 ( 0.0)
         
Obtained credit score 82.4 ( 2.0) 9.0 ( 1.5) 8.6 ( 1.5) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Did not obtain credit score 77.4 ( 1.4) 9.7 ( 1.0) 12.6 ( 1.1) 0.3 ( 0.2)
         
Disputed information on credit report 83.5 ( 2.6) 7.8 ( 1.8) 8.7 ( 2.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Did not dispute credit report information 78.0 ( 1.3) 9.9 ( 0.9) 11.9 ( 0.9) 0.2 ( 0.2)
         
Had an auto or mortgage loan 82.0 ( 1.3) 8.5 ( 0.9) 9.3 ( 0.9) 0.2 ( 0.2)
Did not have an auto or mortgage loan 69.2 ( 2.6) 12.7 ( 1.9) 18.1 ( 2.0) 0.0 ( 0.0)
         
Was a victim of identity theft 82.8 ( 3.2) 7.7 ( 2.3) 9.5 ( 2.4) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Was not a victim of identity theft 78.6 ( 1.2) 9.7 ( 0.9) 11.5 ( 0.9) 0.2 ( 0.2)
         
Obtained credit report due to an adverse action 85.1 ( 3.5) 4.7 ( 1.8) 10.2 ( 3.1) 0.0 ( 0.0)
Did not obtain credit report due to an adverse action 78.5 ( 1.2) 9.9 ( 0.9) 11.4 ( 0.9) 0.2 ( 0.1)

Percent estimates totaling 100% within each demographic and experience category, with standard errors in parentheses
 
GAO-05-411SP Credit Reporting Literacy Survey Data
Full Report: GAO-05-223