Why doesn’t every creditor report your history to all three credit bureaus? Because every time your creditors send data on you to a bureau, they have to pay a fee. Some lenders don’t think that this is worth the expense. Others don’t see themselves as lenders. They may order a credit report before approving your loan or credit card application, but they want to save as much as they can.
Typically, these nonreporters include
Credit unions: They look to save money where they can, so some may report to only one bureau and not all three.
Utilities: They don’t see themselves as lenders, so they don’t use credit reports to hook you up. They also usually don’t report unless you pay very late.
Tradespeople: They aren’t lenders, but liens or suits for old bills show on your credit reports because they can be found in public records.
Doctors and hospitals: They don’t see themselves as lenders, so they usually don’t pay to report unless they send a bill to an outside collector (collectors report you to the bureaus).
Local finance companies: They may not report to a bureau, but they may come visit you if you’re late.
Landlords: They don’t report to credit bureaus but may report to a rent bureau. Experian reports some rental history on its credit reports.
Insurance companies: They don’t report to the bureaus but may report to specialized bureaus like the Medical Information Bureau or C.L.U.E.