All they need is your social security number - and that isn't hard to get any more.

From that they can determine many things to some degree of accuracy.

For instance, they'll see how many different addresses you've used over the past 7 years, how many new accounts you've opened, how many times you've gone shopping for major purchases, and even who you might have helped out by co-signing a loan.

The top portion of a credit report includes names, nicknames, old and current addresses, Social Security number, birth date, and current and previous employers.

Thus, a prospective employer looking at your credit report will see if you've been job-hopping. That's something you'd rather they didn't know, because it will definitely hurt your chances of being hired. He or she will also see if you move from city to city with regularity - and if you do, will weigh the odds of you leaving after they invest the time to train you in a new position.

They'll know if you pay your income tax on time, because the report will show any tax liens, along with bankruptcies and judgments.

They'll even know if you've changed spouses, because your credit report shows who shared responsibility for each debt.

Looking at your financial life gives people an impression of you, and of how you conduct your life in general. Of course that's nobody's business - but it's a fact.

Strangely enough, the Big Three credit bureaus don't always have the same information, because they compile their data independently of each other. That's one reason why it's important for you to obtain a credit report that shows the findings from Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.

Usually, when a lender pulls your credit report he or she will find that the big Three have each assigned a different score - sometimes as much as 40 points apart. Some lenders will act based on the middle score, while others will go with the lowest score.

Because of this discrepancy, it's in your best interests to know what information each credit bureau has - and is sending out in response to inquiries. (Remember, if you find an error on your credit report, you need to notify each of these credit bureaus, not just one.)

Conversely, if you've been a victim of identity fraud, you can contact one and it will notify the others.

Get your free credit report today - see if the world has an accurate picture of who you really are.