Equifax Overview: Equifax is one of the three leading consumer credit reporting bureaus. Headquartered in Atlanta, Equifax was founded in 1899. Its major lines of business include:
- Consumer and business credit reports
- Portfolio management
- Fraud detection
- Decision support technology
- Business marketing tools
The calculation and reporting of FICO scores is the best-known output of the firm and its two major rivals.
Size: Equifax reports these figures as of September 30, 2008:
- Employees = 7,000
- Locations in 15 countries
- Annual Revenue (2007) = $1.8 billion
Positives: Equifax is one of the three major players in consumer credit reporting. It also has diversified into other lines of business information and analytics. The company has been solidly profitable.
Negatives: Like its major competitors, Equifax has a somewhat tarnished image regarding its responsiveness to consumers who dispute the credit data that it has on file for them. This has led to various regulatory problems over the years.
