Other Credit Bureaus

More than 1000 local and regional credit bureaus exist in the United States, most of which are owned or under contract with the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, , and Equifax.

There are several dozen smaller credit bureaus throughout the United States, many serving specialized markets, but most credit grantors who report to them will probably also report to at least one of the three major credit bureaus as listed above. They are also sometimes referred to as consumer reportings agencies (CRAs).

There are also many local credit bureaus. Bankcardholders of America, a non-profit consumer education group, publishes a 'credit-check kit' that includes the name, address and phone numbers of legitimate credit bureaus across the country, as well as a pamphlet that explains in detail your rights under the FCRA. The kit costs two dollars and is available from:

Bankcardholders of America
560 Herndon Parkway Suite 120
Herndon, VA 22070

These are companies which own databases of people who have somehow wronged a bank in the past. Very similar to a credit reporting agency, banks use these reporting services to review banking history. Once a negative listing on their database, it can be extremely difficult to ever get a checking, savings or other account for 5 years.

The ChexSystems network is made up of member banks and credit unions that regularly contribute information on mishandled checking and savings accounts to a central location. This information is shared among member institutions to help them assess the risk of opening new accounts. ChexSystems neither approves nor declines new account openings. Those decisions are entirely up to each institution and their individual policies.