A credit bureau is a company that gathers and maintains information about an individual's or businesses' credit history. This information includes payment history, outstanding debts, and any public records related to bankruptcy or judgments. Credit bureaus use this data to create reports that are used by lenders, landlords, insurance companies, and other organizations to assess the risk of extending credit to a particular individual or business. The three major credit bureaus in the United States are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.