Most consumers know that they’re entitled to a free copy of their credit report each year from the three major credit bureaus. But they may not know that in many cases, they are entitled to free, annual copies of reports issued by less well-known specialty consumer reporting companies, too.

These companies maintain a narrower range of information — for instance, your history of bouncing checks, or paying rent on time or filing insurance claims. Banks, for instance, may request a report from Chex Systems, which provides reports on checking-account closures, before approving an application for a new checking account. And a prospective landlord may seek a report from a service like CoreLogic Safe, which maintains information about landlord-tenant actions and court judgments.

Unlike with the major credit-reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), there isn’t a central Web site where consumers can go to obtain their annual report from the specialty reporting firms. You have to request it directly from each individual company.

But under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such companies are supposed to make it easy for customers to obtain the annual reports — for instance, by making a toll-free number available on the company’s Webs site and in public directories (like the Yellow Pages). The companies also must provide a streamlined system for handling consumer requests for copies of their reports.

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a bulletin and warned several such companies that they may be in violation of the law and that they should make sure they are in compliance or face possible action by the agency.

The agency looked at phone listings and Web sites and attempted to request reports. The review identified several problems, like companies that don’t list toll-free numbers—or those that do, but still don’t make it easy for consumers to request reports.

The bureau has compiled a list of about 40 consumer reporting companies, with contact information and helpful details about requesting reports. Some specialty firms, for instance, only provide free copies of your file if information included in it resulted in “adverse action” on an application you made.

But, the consumer agency notes, under federal law all consumer reporting companies must provide you with a copy of your report for a reasonable fee, and the current maximum is $11.50.

Have you ever requested a copy of your file from a specialty-reporting agency? Did the process work smoothly?

Article source: http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/how-to-get-copies-of-your-specialty-consumer-files/?partner=rss&emc=rss