Q8: When can you order a credit report?

Demographic and experience categories Any time for any reason Only when you are taking out a loan Only when you have beenturned down for a loan Never Do not know
All respondents 70.9 ( 1.3) 7.6 ( 0.7) 6.5 ( 0.7) 1.3 ( 0.3) 13.7 ( 0.9)
AGE GROUP          
18 to 24 66.0 ( 4.6) 7.2 ( 2.2) 2.6 ( 1.1) 0.8 ( 0.8) 23.4 ( 4.2)
25 to 34 73.5 ( 2.9) 7.5 ( 1.6) 7.3 ( 1.5) 0.8 ( 0.6) 10.9 ( 2.1)
35 to 44 79.0 ( 2.7) 8.0 ( 1.8) 7.7 ( 1.8) 0.0 ( 0.0) 5.2 ( 1.2)
45 to 54 72.3 ( 2.8) 8.9 ( 1.8) 8.8 ( 1.7) 1.5 ( 0.9) 8.5 ( 1.7)
55 to 64 75.2 ( 3.1) 5.7 ( 1.7) 8.0 ( 2.0) 1.7 ( 1.0) 9.4 ( 1.9)
65 and older 60.1 ( 3.1) 8.0 ( 1.7) 2.3 ( 0.8) 2.8 ( 1.2) 26.9 ( 2.8)
INCOME          
Less than $25000 54.5 ( 2.3) 11.2 ( 1.4) 7.0 ( 1.1) 1.9 ( 0.7) 25.4 ( 2.0)
$25000 to $49999 73.5 ( 2.6) 7.9 ( 1.6) 6.4 ( 1.4) 1.5 ( 0.8) 10.8 ( 1.8)
$50000 to $74999 78.2 ( 2.8) 4.2 ( 1.4) 8.5 ( 1.8) 1.1 ( 0.8) 7.9 ( 1.9)
$75000+ 86.2 ( 2.3) 5.7 ( 1.5) 5.2 ( 1.4) 0.5 ( 0.5) 2.5 ( 1.1)
EDUCATION          
Less than high school 37.3 ( 3.6) 11.9 ( 2.2) 5.0 ( 1.5) 1.0 ( 0.6) 44.8 ( 3.7)
High school 62.9 ( 2.4) 10.1 ( 1.4) 8.5 ( 1.3) 2.7 ( 0.9) 15.7 ( 1.8)
Some post-secondary education 76.5 ( 2.3) 7.5 ( 1.5) 6.4 ( 1.2) 0.7 ( 0.5) 9.0 ( 1.5)
BA or more 85.1 ( 1.9) 3.7 ( 1.0) 5.1 ( 1.1) 0.5 ( 0.3) 5.7 ( 1.2)
ETHNICITY          
White 76.8 ( 1.5) 5.2 ( 0.8) 5.5 ( 0.8) 1.5 ( 0.4) 11.0 ( 1.1)
Black 65.7 ( 2.8) 9.3 ( 1.8) 10.4 ( 1.7) 0.3 ( 0.3) 14.3 ( 2.1)
Hispanic 47.6 ( 3.1) 15.9 ( 2.2) 8.3 ( 1.7) 1.1 ( 0.7) 27.1 ( 2.8)
Other 67.5 ( 5.9) 13.4 ( 4.7) 4.7 ( 2.3) 0.8 ( 0.8) 13.5 ( 3.9)
SEX          
Male 73.3 ( 2.0) 8.0 ( 1.2) 4.8 ( 0.9) 1.1 ( 0.5) 12.8 ( 1.5)
Female 68.8 ( 1.6) 7.2 ( 0.9) 8.1 ( 0.9) 1.5 ( 0.4) 14.4 ( 1.2)
EMPLOYMENT STATUS          
Actively employed (FT or PT) 76.6 ( 1.6) 6.9 ( 0.9) 7.0 ( 0.9) 0.9 ( 0.4) 8.6 ( 1.1)
Student 72.1 ( 6.9) 9.4 ( 4.3) 3.7 ( 2.8) 0.0 ( 0.0) 14.8 ( 5.1)
Not employed (homemaker, retired, unemployed) 59.9 ( 2.3) 8.9 ( 1.3) 5.4 ( 1.0) 2.3 ( 0.7) 23.4 ( 1.9)
Other 70.0 ( 6.1) 5.7 ( 2.7) 9.5 ( 3.5) 0.0 ( 0.0) 14.7 ( 5.4)
GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCE          
Resident of a free report state (CO, GA, ME, MD, MA, NJ, VT) 76.4 ( 2.5) 3.9 ( 1.1) 8.7 ( 1.7) 1.1 ( 0.7) 10.0 ( 1.7)
Resident of another state 70.1 ( 1.4) 8.1 ( 0.8) 6.2 ( 0.7) 1.3 ( 0.3) 14.3 ( 1.0)
FINANCIAL AND CREDIT REPORT EXPERIENCE          
Obtained a credit report 80.5 ( 1.4) 6.8 ( 0.9) 8.3 ( 1.0) 0.5 ( 0.3) 4.0 ( 0.7)
Did not obtain a credit report 57.9 ( 2.2) 8.7 ( 1.1) 4.0 ( 0.8) 2.3 ( 0.7) 27.1 ( 1.9)
           
Obtained credit score 82.8 ( 1.9) 6.5 ( 1.2) 6.7 ( 1.2) 0.5 ( 0.4) 3.5 ( 0.9)
Did not obtain credit score 65.1 ( 1.6) 8.1 ( 0.9) 6.4 ( 0.8) 1.7 ( 0.4) 18.8 ( 1.3)
           
Disputed information on credit report 79.3 ( 2.6) 6.2 ( 1.6) 9.2 ( 1.7) 0.4 ( 0.4) 5.0 ( 1.5)
Did not dispute credit report information 69.1 ( 1.4) 7.9 ( 0.8) 5.9 ( 0.7) 1.5 ( 0.4) 15.7 ( 1.1)
           
Had an auto or mortgage loan 75.4 ( 1.4) 7.1 ( 0.8) 7.2 ( 0.8) 1.2 ( 0.4) 9.0 ( 0.9)
Did not have an auto or mortgage loan 55.8 ( 2.9) 9.0 ( 1.4) 4.1 ( 0.8) 1.5 ( 0.6) 29.5 ( 2.6)
           
Was a victim of identity theft 72.8 ( 3.7) 8.3 ( 2.4) 6.7 ( 1.9) 0.3 ( 0.3) 11.8 ( 2.7)
Was not a victim of identity theft 70.7 ( 1.3) 7.5 ( 0.8) 6.5 ( 0.7) 1.4 ( 0.4) 14.0 ( 1.0)
           
Obtained credit report due to an adverse action 74.8 ( 4.2) 3.2 ( 1.6) 17.0 ( 3.6) 1.7 ( 1.3) 3.3 ( 1.4)
Did not obtain credit report due to an adverse action 70.6 ( 1.3) 8.0 ( 0.8) 5.5 ( 0.6) 1.2 ( 0.3) 14.7 ( 1.0)

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