When it comes to personal loans or lines of credit, you might assume that these accounts always impact your credit score. Pay a bill on time — or not — and this activity will appear on your report.
While many lenders typically report account activity to credit bureaus, not all financial institutions follow this rule.
That’s good to know if you take out a line of credit for the express purpose of building credit. In some cases, it might only serve as extra cash on standby, available in an emergency when you’re short on cash. In other cases, it’s a safety net and a credit builder.
And sometimes, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
There are various reasons why lenders may choose not to report account activity, and understanding these factors can provide valuable insights into the lending landscape. Here are five times your financial institution may not share your account activity.
New or Small Lenders
Smaller lenders, such as local community banks or credit unions, may not always have the resources or systems in place to report account activity to every major credit bureau. This could be due to technological limitations or a lack of integration with credit reporting agencies.
Despite these restrictions, these smaller lenders may still report to at least one major credit bureau. This means your account with them may generate a score with just one bureau.
Online Direct Lenders
Online direct lenders may not report account activity to the major bureaus as part of their business model. They might have their own internal credit assessment methods or rely on alternative data sources instead. Online direct lenders may instead report to smaller credit reporting agencies.
Limited Reporting
Lenders may not report account activity if the borrower has a very limited credit history or if the lender itself does not typically report to credit bureaus. Cash advances, payday loans, or rent-to-own agreements may not be reported to credit bureaus by some lenders.
Reporting Thresholds
Some financial institutions have reporting thresholds in place, where they only report account activity once a certain level of delinquency or default has been reached. This means that minor late payments or sporadic missed payments may not be reported unless they exceed the lender’s reporting threshold.
Informal Personal Loans
Loans from the Bank of Friends and Family, commonly known as informal personal loans, operate under the radar of the major bureaus. These personal loans usually lack the formal lending contracts that come with other borrowing options.
The Takeaway:
Not every financial institution reports all account activity to the major bureaus, which means not every online loan or line of credit will affect your score in the way you might think.
Regardless of how your lender shares account activity, you should always aim to repay what you owe. This will protect your score if your lender only shares information when you default. Plus, lenders may still pursue collections or take legal action to recover unpaid debts. Keep this in mind the next time you borrow.
