You know there are three credit reports that report your credit history. But did you know there is a claims report used by insurance companies to review your claims history when determining your premium? The claim report is called C.L.U.E.® (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) and is a service provided by ChoicePoint, Inc.

C.L.U.E. is a claim history exchange that enables insurance companies to submit and access claim information. C.L.U.E. reports contain up to five years of claims information such as your name, date of birth and policy number, date of loss, type of loss and amounts paid.

Just like credit reports, your C.L.U.E. report may have errors. You should find out what the insurance companies know about you and check your report for errors. Advise ChoicePoint of any errors you find and request that they advise your insurance companies of the corrections. You can obtain a copy of your C.L.U.E. report at www.ChoiceTrust.com.

Insurance companies are now also looking at credit reports to determine premiums because they found that people with better credit scores have fewer claims. Consequently, if you have a poor credit report you may find yourself paying more for home, car and motorcycle insurance.

It has been reported that 50-70% of credit reports contain serious errors. Request a copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and notify all three agencies of any mistakes you find. You get a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months at www.annualcreditreport.com or you can call 1-877-322-8228. You can also begin fixing up your credit report with the information in my previous Full Throttle articles on the subject.

Always make at least the minimum payment for your bills on time. Avoid using store brand credit cards, because they report late payments immediately. Pay particular attention to your insurance bill. Insurance companies do not like customers who do not pay their insurance premium on time. This may also affect your premium.
 

HURT911.org - See the largest accident & injury research website.