Getting Credit Reports From Specialty Consumer Reporting Agencies

Besides the three nationwide credit reporting agencies, there are also a number of nationwide specialty credit reporting agencies (also called specialty consumer reporting agencies). Getting your report from one of these agencies involves a different process than if you are requesting a report from Equifax, Experian, or Transunion. 

(To learn more about credit reports and scores, and how to get them, see Credit Reports & Credit Scores.)

What Is a Specialty Consumer Reporting Agency?

A specialty consumer reporting agency keeps records on particular types of transactions, such as

• tenant histories
• insurance claims
• medical records or payments
• employment histories, or
• check writing.

How to Get a Report From a Specialty Consumer Reporting Agency 

In addition to your yearly free credit report from the regular nationwide credit reporting agencies, you are also entitled to a free credit report each year from each of the nationwide specialty credit reporting agencies.

To get your report, you must contact each agency individually—you may even need to call different phone numbers for different types of reports from the same agency. Unfortunately, you may not know which reporting agency a landlord, employer, or insurance company uses.

Major Nationwide Specialty Credit Reporting Agencies

Here are some of the main nationwide specialty credit reporting agencies and their contact information:

Lexis Nexis Personal Reports. For a tenant history report, call 877-448-5732, for an insurance claims report, call 866-312-8076, and for an employment history report, call 866-312-8075. To get all the information the agency has on you, mail in the request form available on its website at https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com.

Medical Information Bureau. For a medical history report if you have private health insurance, go to www.mib.com, click on “Consumers,” then on “Request Your MIB Consumer File,” or call 866-692-6901 or 866-346-3642 (TDD).

ISO. For an insurance claims report, go to www.iso.com, click on “Consumers: Order your free A-PLUS loss-history report” or call 800-627-3487.

Telecheck. For a check writing report go to www.telecheck.com or call 1-800-366-2425.

ChexSystems. For a check writing report go to www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/freereport.htm.

This is an excerpt from Credit Repair, by Margaret Reiter and Robin Leonard (Nolo).