Specialty reporting agencies, as the name implies, gather information for specific industries. They often gather more detailed information than the big-three credit bureaus do in areas such as gambling, checking accounts, medical claims, insurance, and rental and employment history.
If you’re being checked out because you’re applying for a loan, insuring your car, finding a new apartment, or being considered for a promotion at work, the person reviewing your application has the option to request a report from a specialty agency in addition to a traditional credit report from one of the big-three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).
Among the better-known specialty report providers are the following:
ChoiceTrust, which sells its C.L.U.E. products based on your auto and homeowners insurance claims history, as well as information for background employment and rental checks
The Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which accumulates and sells your medical-insurance claims history report
ChexSystems, SCAN, and TeleCheck, all of which keep records of bounced checks and sell various check-verification products
Many people aren’t aware of these specialty reporting agencies or the fact that you have the right to request and obtain free copies of your credit reports from these agencies annually, just as you do with the traditional credit bureaus. Some reports contain only negative information, or they may have absolutely no information about you at all.
It’s a good idea to get your free report annually just to make sure that the information in the report is yours and is accurate. You may not be aware that one of these databases is being checked because they aren’t as top of mind as the three main credit bureaus.
Call any bureau you want a report from and ask how to order a free copy.
Category | Bureau Name | Phone Number |
---|---|---|
Casinos | Global Cash Access (Central Credit) | 888-898-8021 |
Checking accounts | Certegy | 866-543-6315 |
ChexSystems | 800-428-9623 | |
Early Warning Services | 800-325-7775 | |
SCAN | 800-262-7771 | |
TeleCheck | 800-366-2425 | |
Employment | Accurate Background | 800-784-3911 |
American DataBank | 800-200-0853 | |
EmployeeScreenIQ | 800-235-3954 | |
First Advantage | 800-321-4473 | |
GIS | 800-265-4917 | |
HireRight | 800-381-0645 | |
Infocubic | 877-360-4636 | |
Intellicorp | 866-202-1436 | |
Lexis Nexis | 866-312-8075 | |
Pre-employ.com | 800-300-1821 | |
Trak 1 Technology | 918-779-7000 | |
Verifications Inc. | 877-884-1313 | |
The Work Number | 866-604-6570 | |
Identity | ID Analytics | web only |
Insurance | C.L.U.E. Auto History | 866-312-8076 |
C.L.U.E. Homeowners’ History | 866-312-8076 | |
Insurance Information Exchange | 866-560-7015 | |
ISO’s A-Plus Auto and Property Databases | 800-709-8842 | |
Medical information | Medical Information Bureau (MIB) | 866-692-6901 |
Supplementary credit report | Innovis | 800-540-2505 |
L2CInc. | 866-268-7156 | |
Payday lending | Clarity Services | web only |
Prescription drugs | DataX | web only |
Factor Trust | 866-910-8497 | |
Microbilt | 877-772-2123 | |
Milliman | 877-211-4816 | |
Teletrack | 877-309-5226 | |
Rental information | Accufax | 800-256-8898 |
Advantage Tenant | 800-894-9047 | |
American Tenant Screen | 800-888-1287 | |
Contemporary Information Corp. | 800-288-4757 | |
Micobilt | 877-772-2123 | |
Resident History Report | 877-448-5732 | |
Core Logic Safe Rent | 888-333-2413 | |
Leasing Desk | 866-934-1124 | |
LexisNexis Resident History | 866-312-8075 | |
National Tenant Network | 800-228-0989 | |
Property tax filings | Tenant Data Services | 800-228-1837 |
CoreScore Credit Report | 877-532-8778 | |
Utilities | National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange | 866-343-2821 |
Included in the growing list of companies that report on you are those that specialize in your rental history, workers’ compensation claims, prescription drug purchase history, and gambling history.
Until recently, use of prescription drug use databases was unheard of. Insurers’ use of these databases was first publicized when the Federal Trade Commission sued two owners of drug databases. Like the Medical Information Bureau reports, these reports are used when you’re seeking private health, life, or disability insurance. Rx drug databases can go back as far as five years, detailing drugs you’ve used as well as dosages and refills.