Q15: Can non-payment of a credit card bill be reported on your credit report?

Demographic and experience categories Yes No Do not know
All respondents 92.1 ( 0.7) 1.8 ( 0.4) 6.0 ( 0.6)
AGE GROUP      
18 to 24 90.4 ( 2.6) 1.2 ( 0.7) 8.4 ( 2.5)
25 to 34 90.6 ( 1.9) 3.3 ( 1.2) 6.2 ( 1.4)
35 to 44 96.3 ( 1.2) 0.8 ( 0.4) 2.9 ( 1.2)
45 to 54 95.2 ( 1.3) 1.4 ( 0.8) 3.4 ( 1.0)
55 to 64 94.1 ( 1.5) 1.2 ( 0.6) 4.7 ( 1.4)
65 and older 86.6 ( 2.1) 2.6 ( 1.1) 10.8 ( 1.8)
INCOME      
Less than $25000 86.1 ( 1.6) 2.0 ( 0.5) 11.9 ( 1.5)
$25000 to $49999 93.7 ( 1.4) 2.5 ( 0.9) 3.8 ( 1.1)
$50000 to $74999 97.1 ( 1.0) 0.4 ( 0.3) 2.5 ( 1.0)
$75000+ 94.6 ( 1.5) 1.9 ( 0.9) 3.5 ( 1.3)
EDUCATION      
Less than high school 75.1 ( 3.2) 5.7 ( 1.7) 19.2 ( 2.8)
High school 92.6 ( 1.2) 2.3 ( 0.7) 5.1 ( 1.0)
Some post-secondary education 94.6 ( 1.2) 1.5 ( 0.6) 4.0 ( 1.1)
BA or more 95.1 ( 1.1) 0.4 ( 0.3) 4.5 ( 1.0)
ETHNICITY      
White 94.5 ( 0.8) 1.1 ( 0.4) 4.4 ( 0.7)
Black 94.3 ( 1.3) 1.6 ( 0.7) 4.1 ( 1.1)
Hispanic 81.8 ( 2.3) 4.3 ( 1.2) 13.9 ( 2.1)
Other 82.7 ( 4.9) 5.7 ( 3.3) 11.6 ( 3.9)
SEX      
Male 94.0 ( 1.0) 1.3 ( 0.5) 4.7 ( 0.9)
Female 90.4 ( 1.0) 2.4 ( 0.5) 7.2 ( 0.9)
EMPLOYMENT STATUS      
Actively employed (FT or PT) 94.6 ( 0.8) 1.1 ( 0.4) 4.3 ( 0.7)
Student 90.1 ( 4.2) 1.3 ( 1.3) 8.6 ( 4.0)
Not employed (homemaker, retired, unemployed) 87.5 ( 1.4) 3.1 ( 0.8) 9.4 ( 1.2)
Other 92.6 ( 2.5) 3.1 ( 1.6) 4.3 ( 1.9)
GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCE      
Resident of a free report state (CO, GA, ME, MD, MA, NJ, VT) 94.0 ( 1.3) 0.6 ( 0.4) 5.4 ( 1.2)
Resident of another state 91.8 ( 0.8) 2.0 ( 0.4) 6.1 ( 0.7)
FINANCIAL AND CREDIT REPORT EXPERIENCE      
Obtained a credit report 96.2 ( 0.7) 0.9 ( 0.4) 2.9 ( 0.6)
Did not obtain a credit report 86.5 ( 1.3) 3.2 ( 0.7) 10.3 ( 1.2)
       
Obtained credit score 96.7 ( 0.9) 0.7 ( 0.4) 2.7 ( 0.8)
Did not obtain credit score 89.9 ( 1.0) 2.4 ( 0.5) 7.7 ( 0.8)
       
Disputed information on credit report 96.9 ( 1.0) 0.0 ( 0.0) 3.1 ( 1.0)
Did not dispute credit report information 91.1 ( 0.8) 2.2 ( 0.4) 6.7 ( 0.7)
       
Had an auto or mortgage loan 95.3 ( 0.7) 1.2 ( 0.3) 3.5 ( 0.6)
Did not have an auto or mortgage loan 81.6 ( 2.1) 4.0 ( 1.0) 14.4 ( 1.9)
       
Was a victim of identity theft 93.6 ( 2.2) 1.7 ( 0.9) 4.8 ( 2.1)
Was not a victim of identity theft 92.0 ( 0.7) 1.8 ( 0.4) 6.2 ( 0.6)
       
Obtained credit report due to an adverse action 97.6 ( 1.1) 0.5 ( 0.5) 2.0 ( 1.0)
Did not obtain credit report due to an adverse action 91.6 ( 0.8) 2.0 ( 0.4) 6.4 ( 0.7)

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