Specialty consumer reports reveal your secrets - beyond credit reports
While it's important to check your credit reports regularly, there is a lot more information about you that's floating around in various sources. You need to be aware of what's out there and how it can affect you.
When it comes to personal information, your credit report is just the tip of the iceberg. Insurers, landlords, banks and other companies have access to additional personal data about you, and if that information is wrong, you're in trouble.
These reports, known as specialty consumer reports, provide background information that such companies use to decide if they want to do business with you. Companies use these reports to try to quantify the risks involved in their business dealings, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (www.privacyrights.org), a consumer rights organization.
Among the information in these reports are your current and past medical conditions, residential and tenant history, check-writing history and homeowner and car insurance-claim history. While not every American has a report, many do, and it pays to find out if the information collected on you is accurate.
Fortunately, the same act of Congress that gives you free access to your credit report covers these reports. Just like the credit reports, you can get one free report per year from each specialty-reporting company, provided a report exists.
More from Bankrate.com
When it comes to personal information, your credit report is just the tip of the iceberg. Insurers, landlords, banks and other companies have access to additional personal data about you, and if that information is wrong, you're in trouble.
These reports, known as specialty consumer reports, provide background information that such companies use to decide if they want to do business with you. Companies use these reports to try to quantify the risks involved in their business dealings, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (www.privacyrights.org), a consumer rights organization.
Among the information in these reports are your current and past medical conditions, residential and tenant history, check-writing history and homeowner and car insurance-claim history. While not every American has a report, many do, and it pays to find out if the information collected on you is accurate.
Fortunately, the same act of Congress that gives you free access to your credit report covers these reports. Just like the credit reports, you can get one free report per year from each specialty-reporting company, provided a report exists.
More from Bankrate.com
posted by Dave at 11:39 AM
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