“Specialty” Credit Reports: The Other Consumer Reporting Agencies Selling your Information

Everyone knows they have a credit score and most have an understanding that there are “major” credit reporting agencies that create credit reports from which these scores are derived. What many do not know is that there are speciality reporting agencies that exist, gathering different types of data and providing more narrow information. These specialized reports are used in the areas of employment, tenant screening, check/bank screening, medical, utilities, retail and gaming.

An entire list of these “specialty” credit reports can be found on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website. It’s good practice to look into these specialized reports if you have concerns about prior incidents or if you’re pursuing an important objective that might be influenced by the information one of these companies may have collected. Always keep in mind the fact that these companies are collecting and selling your data but they aren’t always accurate.