The latest list of consumer reporting companies was released by the federal consumer financial protection agency Thursday, which includes the three nationwide credit reporting companies as well as other companies that focus on certain market areas and consumer segments.
The 2019 list, released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), includes 51 companies in 11 areas: nationwide consumer reporting companies, employment screening, tenant screening, check and bank screening, personal property insurance, medical, low-income and subprime, supplementary reports (which supplements reports from other companies), utilities, retail, and “gaming.”
The listing notes that the companies use the information in the reports they develop to inform decisions about providing consumers with credit, employment, residential rental housing, insurance, and in other decision-making situations.
The bureau also pointed out that the 2019 list contains a number of changes from past lists released by the bureau, including:
- Information consumers need to request a report, including the latest company name and contact information from the three nationwide consumer reporting companies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) and the various specialty reporting companies, sorted by market area.
- Identity verification information about how consumer reporting companies verify consumers’ identities before they share reports. The types of questions the companies might ask to verify identity are also listed.
- Companies that provide free scores along with free reports.
- Information about how some of the companies on this list will limit third-party access to data if a consumer requests it through a security freeze.
Know your data: Our latest list of consumer reporting companies