List of consumer reporting companies
Use this list to help you take advantage of your right to review the information in your consumer reports, and dispute possible inaccuracies with companies as needed.
The list includes the three nationwide consumer reporting companies—Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian—and several other reporting companies that focus on creating consumer reports for certain industries.
Market areas included on this list
Nationwide consumer reporting companies
There are three big nationwide providers of consumer reports: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Their reports contain information about your payment history, how much credit you have and use, and other inquiries and information.
Employment screening
Employment screening companies provide verification information such as credit history, employment, salary and education and professional license verification to employers and others.
Tenant screening
Tenant screening companies provide reports to landlords, property management companies, and others. If you are applying as a tenant for a residential property, a tenant screening report with negative information in it, such as past due rent or prior housing evictions, could result in a rejected lease application or a lease with tough conditions.
Check and bank account screening
Check and bank account screening companies collect and report data on checking account applications, openings, and closures as well as check screening services like check verification.
Personal property insurance
Personal property insurance reporting companies collect and report information on consumers’ home, auto, and personal property.
Medical
Medical consumer reporting companies share information on your medical data if you authorized the release of your medical records to an insurance company.
Low-income and subprime
Low-income and subprime reporting companies provide consumer information to companies that market and sell products and services specifically to lower-income consumers and credit applicants with impaired credit records.
Supplementary reports
The information that some consumer reporting companies sell is used to supplement other data, such as the credit data the nationwide consumer reporting companies sell about you. This information can include public records and ID verification data to help firms manage credit and fraud risks.
Utilities
These companies collect information associated with telecommunications, pay TV, and utility (electric, gas, water) services to help companies in these industries manage customer relations.
Retail
These companies collect information related to retail product return and suspected exchange fraud and abuse.
Gaming
These companies share consumer data associated with check cashing settlement services to assist gaming establishments such as casinos and racetracks with risk management.