Save money on insurance: Consumer Web Site of the Week
Maryland residents can review their credit reports from each of the three credit reporting bureaus twice a year. But what about the other organizations keeping tabs on your habits, including your insurance claims, your employment record and your rental history?
I first learned about Coverage Loss Underwriting Exchange, or CLUE, Reports, from Kiplinger.com's new Insurance Center, with lots of tools and information about how to save on insurance.Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you're entitled to not only the credit reports but also other specialty reports, about your check-cashing history, your personal medical history if you have private insurance and other information. Details from these reports can affect whether you're approved for an insurance policy, the premium you're charged, your chances for getting a job or even a new lease on a home or apartment.
To check for errors ...
... LexisNexis's ChoicePoint will give you one free insurance, employment and rental history report each year. The key here is that they'll only have reports on you if a ChoicePoint customer ordered one.
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has compiled instructions for reviewing your check-writing history, your medical and prescription drug history (if you've had private medical insurance) and other reports (discovered via Consumerist).
So when to order a specialty report? Before buying new insurance premiums or applying for new jobs, definitely. If you have been denied insurance or a job as a result of information within these reports, you're entitled to free copies, as well.
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Consumer Web Site of the Week, Credit reports, How To, Identity theft, Insurance
