Poll
Question:
Post-name-change U.S. members only: Does your old name appear on any of your credit reports?
Option 1: I've never obtained a credit report before (since changing my name)
votes: 0
Option 2: Yes, and I changed my name before ever having any entries on the report
votes: 0
Option 3: No, and I changed my name before ever having any entries on the report
votes: 0
Option 4: Yes, and my name change took place more than 10 years ago
votes: 0
Option 5: No, and my name change took place more than 10 years ago
votes: 0
Option 6: Yes, and I do not fit into any of the above categories
votes: 1
Option 7: No, and I do not fit into any of the above categories
votes: 1
With a recent discussion on one of the forums on Susan's about credit reports and your old/new names, I thought I'd do a little survey to see what our personal experiences have been on this issue. Notes:
This is based on the last time you saw your credit report (do not obtain one just for answering here).
Do not participate in the poll if you are not living in the U.S. (you can still answer in a reply though, but please mention that you're from outside the country).
What I mean of ever having any entries is, in addition to credit, if anything else that you know of (at any point in time even if they've fallen off due to age) ever got on your report (other than due to fraud by someone else) before your name change then those options do not apply to you (essentially those options apply to those who transitioned prior to or immediately after the start of adulthood before anything got on their reports). For example, someone from the thread that inspired this post mentioned that the record of him getting his driver's license (in his original female name) is the only thing that spoiled his credit report (note that not all cases of getting a driver's license will put it on your report, but some states/jurisdictions might give that information out, so this applies only if you've seen it on the report); in this case this transman would select one of the options from the other categories (since there was a prior record of some kind on there).
The reason I have separate choices for those who are more than 10 years post-name-transition is after that time most entries (but not necessarily names associated with them) fall off the report.
If multiple options apply to you (e.g. you both changed your name as a teenager and it's now been more than 10 years ago) then answer the one higher on the poll (in that case the one applying to never having prior records).
If your old name is on some (but not all) of the reports from the various credit rating companies, answer "Yes" with the appropriate choice and explain in a post.
Also, there are probably few if any that this will apply to, but if you were adopted or had some other kind of non-trans-related name change prior to adulthood or having any entries as described above (not due to marriage), in your case does your (original, not pre-transition) birth name show up as well or not (not in the poll, but explain in a post)?