credit bureau
credit bureau. An organization that compiles information on people’s creditworthiness and publishes it in the form of reports that are used chiefly by merchants and service providers who deal directly with customers. • The practices of credit bureaus are regulated by federal (and often state) law. Most bureaus are members of the Associated Credit Bureaus of America. Cf. CREDIT-REPORTING BUREAU. [Cases: Credit Reporting Agencies 1–4. C.J.S. Credit Reporting Agencies; Consumer Protection §§ 2–22.]