Most consumers are aware of the three major credit reporting agencies. But Experian, Equifax and Transunion are not the only consumer reporting agencies collecting information about you.
There are roughly 400 specialty consumer reporting agencies, 40 of which may directly impact your financial viability. These specialty consumer reporting agencies collect, maintain and report information to creditors, employers, insurance companies, banks, landlords, utility companies, cell phone companies and more.
You might not know these reports exist unless you run into a problem, such as not getting a job, lease, insurance, or checking account, or when a utility company asks you to put down a deposit before starting service with you.
Specialty consumer reporting agencies collect about you when it comes to:
- Opening or using bank accounts (including writing or bouncing checks or overdrafts)
- Apartment rental payments
- Car insurance claims
- Homeowners and renters insurance claims
- Payday lending
- Utility payments
- Phone bill payments
- Employment
- Medical records or payments
You have the right to know what nationwide specialty consumer reporting companies are saying about you and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has made it easier to gain access. Until recently it was very difficult to gain access to reports maintained by specialty consumers agencies. Even more disturbing was the fact that it was virtually impossible to verify the accuracy of information reported. There was no consumer dispute process to correct mistakes or inaccurate information.
A new rule from the federal consumer watchdog agency (CFPB) recently changed how these non-traditional credit reports are regulated. It says specialty consumer reporting agencies are to provide, upon request of a consumer, a free annual disclosure of the consumer’s file, commonly known as a consumer report. These specialty reporting agencies must provide a “streamlined process” for consumers to obtain reports and a toll-free telephone number for consumer requests.
While consumers can conveniently get a free copy of their credit reports from the 3 major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months at www.annualcreditreport.com, the information compiled by other consumer reporting agencies is going to take a little more work.
You will have to order the specialty consumer reports individually from each reporting company. Not all companies are required to provide a free copy of your annual report, although under federal law all consumer reporting companies must provide you with a copy of your report for a reasonable fee.
List of Specialty Consumer Agencies
Here is a list of around 40 of the more commonly used specialty consumer reporting agencies. This list is not all-inclusive and is intended for information purposes only.
Nationwide consumer reporting companies
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
The big three providers of consumer credit reports.
Free report:
Each of these companies will provide one free credit report every 12 months if you request it. AnnualCreditReport.com will route you to any of the three companies you select. Each company will ask you a few detailed questions to authenticate your identity. They might be questions such as asking you to verify information about an existing or closed loan. The question could ask you to identify a street address where you have never lived and you would respond that it was not an address where you lived. The purpose of these questions is to protect the security of your information.
Website
AnnualCreditReport.com
Phone
877-322-8228 (Option 1)
Address
Annual Credit Report
Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
Employment screening
Accurate Background
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report if you request it.
Website
accuratebackground.com
Phone
800-216-8024
Address
Accurate Background, Inc.
Dispute Department 7515 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
Employment screening
American DataBank
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report if you request it.
Website
Americandatabank.com
Phone
800-200-0853
Address
American DataBank
110 Sixteenth Street,
8th Floor
Denver, CO 80202
Employment screening
backgroundchecks.com
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report if you request it.
Website
backgroundchecks.com
Phone
866-265-6602
Address
backgroundchecks.com
Attn: consumer relations department
P.O. Box 353
Chapin, SC 29036
Employment screening
Checkr
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company allows consumers to review their reports via its Applicant Portal.
Employment screening
First Advantage Corporation
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
FADV.com
Phone
800.845.6004
Address
First Advantage Consumer Center
P.O. Box 105292
Atlanta, GA 30348-5292
Employment screening
General Information Services, Inc. (GIS)
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
GenInfo.com
Phone
866-265-4917 (Option 1)
Address
General Information Services
Attn: consumer relations department
P.O. Box 353
Chapin, SC 29036
Employment screening
HireRight
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
HireRight
Phone
866-521-6995 (Option 1 followed by Option 1)
Address
HireRight, LLC
Attn: Consumers Department
14002 E. 21st Street, Suite 1200
Tulsa, OK 74134
Employment screening
Info Cubic
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Info Cubic
Phone
877-360-4636
Address
Info Cubic LLC
9250 E. Costilla Ave.,
Suite 525
Greenwood Village, CO 80112
Employment screening
IntelliCorp
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
IntelliCorp
Phone
866-202-1436
Address
IntelliCorp Records, Inc.
3000 Auburn Drive, Suite 410
Beachwood, OH 44122
Employment screening
OPENonline
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
OPENonline
Phone
888-381-5656
Address
OPENonline, LLC
Attn: Compliance
PO Box 549
Columbus, OH 43216-0549
Employment screening
Pre-employ.com
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Pre-employ.com
Phone
800-300-1821 (extension 199)
Address
Pre-employ
PO Box 491570
Redding, CA 96049
Employment screening
Sterling Talent Solutions
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
sterlingtalentsolutions.com
Phone
888-889-5248 (Option 3
followed by Option 2)
Address
Sterling Talent Solutions
ATTN: Consumer Reports
4511 Rockside Road
Independence, OH 44131
Employment Screening
Trak 1
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Trak-1.com
Phone
918-779-7000
Address
Trak-1 Consumer Report Request
7131 Riverside Parkway
Tulsa, OK 74136
Employment Screening
The Work Number
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
TheWorkNumber.com
Phone
866-604-6570 (Option 1)
Address
Equifax Workforce Solutions
ATTN: EDR
3470 Rider Trail South
Suite 337
Earth City, MO 63045
Tenant Screening
Contemporary Information Corp. (CIC)
Conducts background screening services for landlords and residential real estate management companies. Information includes eviction and criminal background data.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report pertaining to their national eviction record database every 12 months if you request it.
Website
CICreports.com
Phone
800-288-4757 (Option 5)
Address
CIC Reports Consumer Relations
42913 Capital Drive, Unit 101
Lancaster, CA 93535
Tenant Screening
CoreLogic Rental Property Solutions
Collects and reports comprehensive information about landlord-tenant actions (such as prior evictions), address history, public background check (to identify prior criminal and court judgments, including prior prison sentences, presence on government-managed sex offender and known terrorist databases).
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
rental.corelogic.com
Phone
888-333-2413 (Option 1)
Address
CoreLogic Rental Property
Solutions, LLC Consumer
Relations Department
P.O. Box 509124
San Diego, CA 92150
Tenant Screening
Experian RentBureau
Collects rent payment history data from property owners and residential real estate managers, electronic rent payment services and collection companies, and makes that information available to the multifamily housing industry through tenant screening reporting companies. Experian also includes some positive rent data it receives from Experian RentBureau in its standard credit reports.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
experian.com/rentbureau
Phone
877-704-4519
Address
Experian RentBureau
P.O. Box 26
Allen, TX 75013
Tenant Screening
First Advantage Corporation Resident History Report
Provides background screening services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
FADV.com
Phone
800-845-6004
Address
First Advantage Consumer Center
P.O. Box 105292
Atlanta, GA 30348-5292
Tenant Screening
LeasingDesk (Real Page, Inc.)
Provides data for tenant screening.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
RealPage.com
Phone
N/A
Address
Real Page, Inc.
LeasingDesk Screening
Consumer Relations
2201 Lakeside Blvd.
Richardson, TX 75082
Tenant Screening
Screening Reports, Inc.
Provides background screening services to the multifamily housing industry.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
ScreeningReports.com
Phone
866-389-4042
Address
Screening Reports, Inc.
220 Gerry Drive
Wood Dale, IL 60191
Tenant Screening
Tenant Data Services
Collects and provides rental performance history such as data on damages, unauthorized pets, lease violations and missed payments.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
TenantData.com
Phone
800-228-1837
(Option 6)
Address
Personal Report Request
Tenant Data Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5404
Lincoln, NE 68505-0404
Tenant Screening
TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
mysmartmove.com
Phone
888-387-1750 (Option 4) or
866-775-0961 (Option 4)
Address
TransUnion Rental
Screening Solutions, Inc.
Attn: Escalations Dept.
6430 South Fiddlers
Green Circle, Suite 500
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Check and bank screening
Certegy Check Services
Collects check writing histories and provides check screening services primarily for retail merchants and gaming establishments who accept checks as payment.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
AskCertegy.com
Phone
800-237-3826
Address
Certegy Check
Services Inc.
Attn: CFDR Request
P.O. Box 30046
Tampa, FL 33630-3296
Check and bank screening
ChexSystems
Provides account verification services primarily for financial institutions. Collects and reports data on checking account applications, openings, and closures, including reasons for account closure. When you apply for a new checking account many banks and credit unions will refer to this database to help inform whether to approve your new account.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
ConsumerDebit.com
Phone
800-428-9623
Address
ChexSystems, Inc.
Attn: Consumer Relations
7805 Hudson Road,
Suite 100
Woodbury, MN 55125
Check and bank screening
CrossCheck, Inc.
Provides check verification and guarantee services primarily for automotive sales and repair, building supply, home improvement, retail, medical, dental, and veterinarian industries.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
cross-check.com
Phone
800-843-0760
Address
Attn: Consumer Inquiry
Department
PO Box 6008
Petaluma, CA 94955-6008
Check and bank screening
Early Warning Services
Assists financial institutions, check acceptance companies such as retail merchants, payment processors and other financial
entities in detecting and preventing fraud associated with bank accounts and payment transactions.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Early Warning Services
Phone
800-325-7775 (Option 2)
Address
Early Warning Services, LLC
Attn: Consumer Services Department
16552 North 90th Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Check and bank screening
Global Payments Check Services, Inc.
Provides check screening and verification services for various consumer-facing industries.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Globalpaymentsinc.com
Phone
800-638-4600, x410
Address
Global Payments Check
Services, Inc.
Attn: FACT ACT Support
PO Box 59371
Chicago, IL 60659
Check and bank screening
TeleCheck Services
Assists retailers, financial institutions and other businesses in reducing fraud and other risks associated with accepting payments and opening accounts using check writing, and other checking account related information.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
FirstData.com/telecheck
Phone
800-366-2425
Address
Telecheck Services, Inc.
Attn: Resolutions
Department-FA
P.O Box 4514
Houston, TX 77210-4514
Personal property insurance
A-PLUS Property (by Verisk)
Collects and reports insurance claims and loss information data associated with homes or commercial buildings.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
A-PLUS property
Phone
800-627-3487 (Option 2)
Address
A-PLUS Consumer Inquiry
Center
545 Washington Boulevard, FL
22
Jersey City, NJ 07310-1686
Personal property insurance
C.L.U.E. Inc. (Personal Property & Auto Reports)
C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) collects and reports information on insurance coverage, losses associated with individuals and their personal property, as well as automobile insurance coverage and losses.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
personalreports.
lexisnexis.com
Phone
866-312-8076
Address
C.L.U.E. Inc. Consumer Center
P.O. Box 105295
Atlanta, GA 30348-5295
Personal property insurance
Drivers History
Provides reports to its insurance clients containing information and data collected from open public sources and governmental agencies regarding driving violations issued to specific individuals.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
DriversHistory.com
Phone
855-694-1555
Address
Drivers History Consumer Relations
P.O. Box 600
Woodlyn, PA 19094
Personal property insurance
Insurance Information Exchange (iiX)
Collects and reports motor vehicle records, including traffic violation data to insurance providers and prospective employers. The company also provides employment and education verification services.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
IIX.com
Phone
866-560-7015
Address
iiX
Attn: Valerie Coones
1716 Briarcrest Drive,
Suite 200
Bryan, TX 77802
Low-income and subprime
DataX
Collects and provides payment history regarding subprime consumers.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
DataX
Phone
800-295-4790 (Option 3)
Address
Data X, Ltd.
Attn: Customer Service 325
E. Warm Springs Road, Suite 202
Attn: Customer Service
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Low-income and subprime
CoreLogic Teletrack
Collects consumer information about, and provides data to, payday lenders, rent-to-own businesses, furniture stores that
offer financing, auto finance and leasing companies, high risk consumer finance businesses, subprime home lending businesses, subprime credit card issuers, banks, credit unions, cable/telecom companies and debt buyers/collectors.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Teletrack.com
Phone
877-309-5226
Address
CoreLogic Teletrack
P.O. Box 509124
San Diego, CA 92150
Attention: Consumer
Disputes Department
Low-income and subprime
Clarity Services
Collects and provides information on payday loans, installment loans, auto loans (and leasing), check cashing services, rent-toown transactions, telecommunication account openings, and financial services with an emphasis on the lower-income and subprime consumer market segments.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
ClarityServices.com
Phone
866-390-3118 (Option 1 for
security freeze; Option 4 for
report request).
Address
Clarity Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5717
Clearwater, FL 33758
Medical
Milliman IntelliScript
Collects information on your prescription drug purchase history. You may have a prescription report about you if you authorized the release of your medical records to an insurance company and that company submitted a request to Milliman.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
RxHistories.com
Phone
877-211-4816
Address
Milliman IntelliScript
15800 W. Bluemound Road,
Suite 100
Brookfield, WI 53005
Medical
MIB, Inc.
Collects information about medical conditions and hazardous avocations with your authorization. It reports this information to life and health insurance companies to assess your risk and eligibility during the underwriting of individual (rather than as a member of a group) life, health, disability income, critical illness, and long-term care insurance policies.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
MIB.com
Phone
866-692-6901
Address
MIB, Inc.
50 Braintree Hill Park, Suite 400
Braintree, MA 02184-8734
Low-income and subprime
FactorTrust
Collects loan performance information on nonprime consumers to provide predictive credit data, analytics and risk scoring solutions to short-term lenders, installment lenders, nonprime auto lenders (and leasing companies) and other subprime credit providers.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
factortrust.com
Phone
844-773-3321
Address
FactorTrust, Inc.
Attn: Consumer Inquiries
P.O. Box 3653
Alpharetta, GA 30023
Low-income and subprime
MicroBilt / PRBC
Provides consumer credit information, bill payment information, employment information, bank account data, property records, court judgments, address and phone information on low-income and subprime consumers to businesses that offer short term, rent-to-own, auto, retail and consumer finance lending.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
PRBC
Phone
888-222-7621
Address
MicroBilt / PRBC
Attn: Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 440693
Kennesaw, GA 30160
Supplementary reports
CoreLogic Credco
Collects and reports personal data such as property ownership and home loan obligation records; property legal filings and tax payment status; rental applications and collection accounts; consumer bankruptcies, liens, judgments, and child support obligations.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Credco.com
Phone
877-532-8778 (CoreLogic
Credco Consumer File
inquiries)
Address
CoreLogic Credco, LLC
P.O. Box 509124
San Diego, CA 92150
Supplementary reports
Innovis
Provides ID verification data to assist with fraud detection and prevention.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
Innovis.com
Phone
800-540-2505
Address
Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1640
Pittsburgh, PA 15230-1640
Supplementary reports
LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Collects information from public records and multiple proprietary data sources. This includes items such as real estate transaction and ownership data, lien, judgment, and bankruptcy records, professional license information, and historical addresses on file.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
personalreports.
lexisnexis.com
Phone
866-897-8126
Address
LexisNexis Consumer Center
Attn: Full File Disclosure
P.O. Box 105108
Atlanta, GA 30348-5108
Supplementary reports
SageStream (subsidiary of ID Analytics, LLC)
This reporting company collects information from, and provides supplementary consumer reports to, auto lenders, credit card issuers, retailers, utilities and mobile phone service providers among other service providers.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
SageStream
Phone
888-395-0277 (Option 1)
Address
SageStream, LLC
Consumer Office
P.O. Box 503793
San Diego, CA 92150
Utilities
National Consumer Telecommunications & Utilities Exchange
Collects information on new telecom and utility connect requests, account and payment histories, defaults, and fraudulent accounts associated with telecommunications, pay TV, and utility (electric, gas, water) services to help companies in the telecommunications
and utility industries identify high risk consumers.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
NCTUE.com
Phone
866-349-5185 (Option 1)
Address
NCTUE Disclosure Report
P.O. Box 105161
Atlanta, GA 30348
Retail
National Consumer Telecommunications & Utilities Exchange
Monitors and reports to merchants retail product return and exchange fraud and abuse.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
theretailequation.com
Phone
800-652-2331
Address
The Retail Equation
P.O. Box 51373
Irvine, CA 92619-1373
Gaming
VIP Preferred
Provides consumer data to assist casinos and other gaming establishments such as racetracks to manage the risk associated with check cashing settlement services to consumers.
Free report:
The company will provide one free report every 12 months if you request it.
Website
vippreferred.com
Phone
800-638-4600, x410
Address
Global Payments Gaming
Services, Inc.
Attn: FACT ACT Support
PO Box 59371
Chicago, IL 60659
