FILE – This undated file photo provided by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, a columnist for personal finance website NerdWallet.com.
I thought I knew all about the information that consumer reporting agencies were collecting on me.
If I’d made too many returns at retail stores or bounced a check at a casino, that could show up in a database as well.
Loker says one of his clients lost a lucrative job offer because an employment screening company confused her with a drug smuggler.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains a list of consumer reporting agencies that’s currently 38 pages long.
Checking all those reports would be a monumental task, says consumer advocate Chi Chi Wu , a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.
The report you get back could be hundreds of pages long, detailing everything from traffic tickets and concealed weapons permits to the amount of every mortgage you’ve ever had, bankruptcies, tax liens, evictions and criminal records.
If you’re employed, check The Work Number, which is owned by Equifax and has current payroll data for more than 136 million jobs.
Government agencies also consult The Work Number files to fight unemployment fraud and determine eligibility for public benefits, among other uses.
If you plan to apply for individual life, health, long-term care or disability insurance, request your files from MIB and Milliman IntelliScript .
Some companies allow you to see your files online, but many require you to submit a form or call a toll-free number to request a report.
Freezes can involve some hassle since you’ll have to keep track of a password or PIN, and a freeze could slow down credit or other applications.
Speaking of credit bureaus: You’re currently allowed free weekly access to your credit reports through the end of the year.