US resident credit agency & information broker todo list
posted (updated )
This is a list of places you should have accounts to prevent fraud as well as information brokers and credit agencies you should freeze for both fraud and privacy reasons.
It's based on Brian Krebs' posts as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFBP) list of consumer reporting companies
- CFBP: List of consumer reporting companies last updated 2025 January
- Krebs on Security: Why & Where You Should Plant Your Flag
- Krebs on Security: Credit Freezes are Free: Let the Ice Age Begin
- Krebs on Security: Think You’ve Got Your Credit Freezes Covered? Think Again.
- Krebs on Security: How to Opt Out of Equifax Revealing Your Salary History
You also should log into all the stupid accounts every year or two, because they randomly unfreeze, or even sometimes delete your account.
Never give any of them money for anything, it's all free.
The descriptions of companies and the data they track are either directly or slightly edited from the CFPB list.
Places you must have accounts
Credit Reporting
Government
- SSA
- IRS
- state DMV/SOS
- USPS informed delivery
Companies
Even if you don't use the online account, make it so someone else can't.
- all your utilities
- all your financial institutions
Places you should place a freeze / opt out
Misc
- ChexSystems
- Used by financial institutions and lenders
- Provides data on checking account applications, openings, and closures, including reasons for account closure
- Chex Systems is owned by the eFunds subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (FNIS)
- NCTUE
- National Consumer Telecommunications and Utilities Exchange
- This consortium of member companies collects and shares information on new telecom and utility connect requests, paid-as-agreed and past-due account and payment histories including delinquencies and charge-offs, associated with telecommunications, pay TV, and utility (electric, gas, water) services
- Equifax Information Services is the contracted servicer that manages the NCTUE database on its members behalf. Equifax is not a member of the NCTUE
- opt out of pre-approved offers
-
ID thieves like to intercept offers of new credit and insurance sent via postal mail, so it’s a good idea to opt out of pre-approved credit offers.
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- LexisNexis Risk Solutions / LexisNexis C.L.U.E. & Telematics OnDemand /
SageStream LLC
- three things that combined sometime between 2025 January and 2026 Febuary
- Used by auto lenders, credit cards, retailers, mobile phone providers, insurance, financial institutions, healthcare providers, government agencies
- data about auto lenders, credit card issues, retailers, utitlies, mobile phone, several years of auto and personal property claims, Telematics OnDemand driving behavior, real estate transaction/ownership, lein, jusgement, bankrupcy, professional license
work history reporting
- Blend Insights
- Used by lenders
- Provides consumer permissioned employment, income and bank asset verification
- First Advantage Corporation
- Provides background screening and post-hire workforce monitoring services
- The Work Number
- Used by employers, government agencies (determine an applicant's eligibility for public assistance programs), and lenders
- Provides employment and income information, collected from employers and payroll processors
- Equifax Workforce Solutions, LLC (EWS), formerly known as TALX Corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equifax
More information reporting companies
It is probably also a good idea to go through the full CFBP list and request your reports to check for inaccuracies as they recommend.
You can submit a complaint to the CFPB against a consumer reporting company if they don't respond to a dispute in 45 days, or if they refuse to fix something.