The world of credit reporting agencies is little complicated, as there are numerous different 'players' involved in gathering and sharing your credit information. Here are some of the major names in the game of credit reporting:
Equifax: One of the three main credit reporting agencies in the United States, Equifax aggregates and stores credit data on hundreds of millions of consumers globally. It provides credit reports and scores to lenders, businesses, and consumers.
Experian: Another major player in the credit reporting industry, Experian aggregates and analyzes credit data to produce credit reports and scores. It provides a variety of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
TransUnion: The third of the big three credit reporting agencies, TransUnion aggregates credit data from a variety of sources to produce credit reports and scores. It provides credit monitoring services and solutions for businesses as well.
Innovis: Not as well-known as the big three, but Innovis is a consumer reporting agency that aggregates credit information and provides credit reports to lenders and businesses. It focuses on alternative data sources to judge creditworthiness.
PRBC (Payment Reporting Builds Credit): PRBC is a specialty credit reporting agency that focuses on alternative forms of credit data, such as rent payments, utilities, and other recurring payments. It provides an alternative method of assessing credit for people with limited credit histories.
ChexSystems: An agency specializing in banking and checking account history, ChexSystems provides reports to financial institutions to help them evaluate the likelihood of a person being able to open a new account with them. It primarily specializes in situations where an account has been mishandled or in cases of fraud.
SageStream: SageStream, formerly known as ID Analytics, focuses on alternative credit data and risk assessment solutions to businesses, primarily in the financial services industry.
Clarity Services: Clarity Services, formerly known as Experian United States, is a business unit of Experian that offers subprime consumer data and risk assessment solutions to lenders and businesses. It specializes in alternative credit data to evaluate the creditworthiness of consumers.
These are some of the major from the list of credit reporting agencies; however, it should be noted that there are also smaller, niche agencies that serve specific industries or sectors of the population. Regulatory changes and industry developments can cause the landscape of credit reporting agencies to change over time.