with that many post and almost being here a year and you ask two easy questions in a row! you might want to visit the first two post listed here an read up.
Sorry dep_tx. I did try to find the answers in the newbie glossary, but had trouble navigating through the thread. Someone else asked about the nutcase letter without a reply.
You don't need to apologize to me, I was just making a suggestion. I am sorry if I came off abrasive. I believe most terminology questions are answered in the FAQ. A trade line is a record on a credit report that is intended to give a history of your dealings with the company that lists the trade line.