Did you know there are more than three credit reporting agencies? Sure, you’ve heard of Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, but what about Innovis? Smaller agencies can do just as much damage to your ability to get a good deal on credit as their bigger brethren. Learn how to pull your credit report from Innovis, inside.
Innovis can actually trace their relevance to everybody’s favorite vanguard of responsible finance, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The mortgage backers ordered their partner organizations to report mortgage payments to Innovis back in 2001.
Unlike the other bureaus, Innovis lives almost exclusively to build mailing lists that creditors use to determine offers. If you don’t want to receive credit offers, call the one-stop opt-out number 888-5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688) and you’ll be taken off all four bureaus’ lists for two years.
To see what dirt Innovis is reporting to potential creditors, send in the following information:
Full name
Social Security Number
Date of birth (month/day/year)
Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill, lease arrangement or rental receipt
One copy of a legible government-issued identification card, such as a driver’s license, state ID card, or military ID cardMail to:
Innovis
Attention: Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1358
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1358
The Fair Credit Reporting Act entitles you to one free Innovis credit report each year. For free credit reports from the other three credit agencies, don’t visit any site other than AnnualCreditReport.com.
Pulling Credit Reports – Make Sure And Include Innovis [Alabama Consumer Law Blog]
The credit report you don’t know about [Bankrate]
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Consumerist.