Alternative Credit Bureaus: How Teletrack, Clarity Services & DataX Evaluate Borrowers

While prime lenders rely exclusively on the 'Big Three' credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion), small-dollar and short-term lenders frequently consult specialty consumer reporting agencies governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

1. The Primary Alternative Specialty Bureaus

• CoreLogic Teletrack: Tracks historical non-bank installment loans, payday advances, rent-to-own agreements, and check-cashing transactions.
• Clarity Services (an Experian Company): Analyzes alternative financial services data, subprime loan performance, and real-time bank account inquiries.
• DataX (an Equifax Company): Specializes in thin-file and subprime consumer underwriting, verifying payroll consistency and inquiry frequency.
• FactorTrust (a TransUnion Company): Evaluates underbanked consumer credit behavior and alternative payment records.

2. Your FCRA Rights with Specialty Bureaus

Under Section 609 of the FCRA, consumers have the legal right to request one free copy of their specialty credit report every 12 months from each agency, as well as dispute inaccurate or obsolete records.