Specialty Consumer Reports Track Your Employment, Insurance, Prescriptions and More

Your ability to write a check, buy insurance and get a job can all be influenced by “specialty” consumer reports that track your behavior, according to a new report from Consumer Action, a nonprofit group that advocates for consumer rights.

CA’s new Insider’s Guide to Specialty Consumer Reports explains:

~What information companies collect about you.
~How to check what’s in your specialty reports.
~How to correct errors in your specialty reports.
~Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
What Do They Know About You?

CA says specialty consumer reports were created so companies could check to see if you’re being truthful about things like your employment history or if you’re hiding health information from insurance companies.

The most common types of specialty reports are:

~Alternative credit history
~Check writing and bank account history
~Background and employment screening
~Insurance claims
~Medical and prescription history
~Residential tenant history
~Utilities payment history

Knowing what’s in your specialty consumer reports is important because companies use the information to make decisions about your finances and employment. Checking your reports and correcting errors ensures you’re treated fairly by the companies that use specialty reports to make decisions about you.

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