Credit Reporting
The Big Three
Equifax, Experian, TransUnion maintain credit files on virtually every American adult.
Data Collected
- Payment history on all credit accounts (cards, mortgages, auto, student loans)
- Outstanding debts and credit utilization
- Account opening/closing dates
- Public records: bankruptcies, liens, judgments, court filings
- Collections accounts
- Hard and soft inquiries
- Employment history (Equifax Workforce Solutions)
- Historical addresses
- Demographic data
Specialty Bureaus (CFPB lists dozens)
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions: Real estate transactions, property ownership, lien/judgment/bankruptcy records, professional licenses, criminal history, insurance claims (auto, homeowners — amounts, dates, circumstances), historical addresses, phone records, utility records, license plates, employment history, known associates. Used by law enforcement (ICE contracts via Accurint).
- Equifax Workforce Solutions: Employment and income verification.
- ChexSystems: Checking/savings account history — bounced checks, account closures, fraud flags.
- CLUE (LexisNexis): Insurance claims history. Insurers check before issuing.
- Innovis: Fourth credit bureau.
Equifax Breach (2017)
147 million Americans exposed: names, SSNs, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers. $700M settlement.
Sources
- https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/
- https://raburnkaufman.com/blog/beyond-the-big-three-lexisnexis-innovis-and-other-hidden-credit-reports/
- https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/credit-reports-and-scores/consumer-reporting-companies/
- https://www.inc.com/inc-masters/lexisnexis-risk-solutions-knows-more-about-you-than-you-know-about-them.html