Most consumers know that their credit report affects whether they can get a mortgage, a car loan, or a credit card. Far fewer know that a separate consumer report follows them through the insurance market, quietly shaping what they pay for auto and homeowners coverage, and in some cases whether they can get coverage at all.
That report is the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report, better known as the C.L.U.E. report. It is prepared by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and when insurers pull it to decide whether to insure you and at what price, it is a “consumer report” governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). That matters, because the FCRA gives you the right to see the report, the right to dispute inaccurate information in it, and the right to hold LexisNexis and insurers accountable when they get it wrong.
What Is a C.L.U.E. Report?
The C.L.U.E. database is a claims history exchange. When you file a claim on your auto or homeowners policy, your insurer typically reports it to LexisNexis. That information then becomes available to other insurers when you shop for coverage or renew a policy.
A C.L.U.E. report generally includes up to seven years of claims history, such as:
- The date of each claim or reported loss
- The type of loss, for example, water damage, fire, theft, collision, or comprehensive
- The amount the insurer paid on the claim
- The policy number, insurer name, and claim number
- Property addresses for homeowners reports and vehicle information for auto reports
There are two versions: a C.L.U.E. Personal Property report covering homeowners claims and a C.L.U.E. Auto report covering vehicle claims. A similar competing product, the A-PLUS report from Verisk, serves the same function for some insurers and is also subject to the FCRA.
How C.L.U.E. Errors Cost You Money
Insurers use claims history as a core underwriting and rating factor. Statistically, applicants with recent paid claims are treated as higher risk. So when a C.L.U.E. report contains inaccurate information, the consequences are direct and financial:
Inflated premiums. A claim that was reported with the wrong payout amount, the wrong loss type, or the wrong date can push you into a higher rating tier. Even a single erroneously reported claim can add hundreds of dollars per year to an auto or homeowners premium.
Denials and non-renewals. Multiple claims on a report, accurate or not, can cause an insurer to decline your application outright or refuse to renew an existing policy. Consumers who are denied in the standard market are often forced into surplus lines or state high-risk pools at substantially higher cost.
Phantom claims. Some of the most common errors we see involve claims that should not be on the report at all. Examples include inquiries that were never actual claims, claims that were closed without any payment but reported as paid losses, claims belonging to a different person with a similar name, and claims attributed to the wrong property or vehicle.
Stale or duplicated entries. Claims older than the reporting window, or the same loss reported twice under different claim numbers, can artificially inflate your claims count.
Because most consumers never see their C.L.U.E. report unless something goes wrong, these errors can sit on the report for years, silently raising premiums at every renewal.
Your FCRA Rights: The C.L.U.E. Report Is a Consumer Report
The FCRA does not just cover credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It covers any “consumer reporting agency” that assembles information about consumers for use in credit, insurance, employment, and similar decisions. LexisNexis Risk Solutions is a consumer reporting agency, and your C.L.U.E. report is a consumer report. That brings several important protections into play:
The accuracy requirement. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b), a consumer reporting agency must follow reasonable procedures to assure the maximum possible accuracy of the information in your report. This is not a suggestion. It is a statutory duty, and when LexisNexis reports a claim that is not yours, overstates a payout, or mislabels a loss, that duty is squarely at issue.
The right to a free copy. Under the FCRA, you are entitled to one free copy of your C.L.U.E. report every twelve months, just as you are with your credit reports.
The right to dispute. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, if you dispute information on your report, LexisNexis must conduct a reasonable reinvestigation, generally within 30 days, and must delete or correct information that is inaccurate or cannot be verified.
Adverse action notices. If an insurer charges you a higher premium, denies your application, or takes other adverse action based in whole or in part on your C.L.U.E. report, the FCRA requires the insurer to tell you so and to identify the consumer reporting agency that supplied the report. If you receive one of these notices, take it seriously. It is often the first clue, no pun intended, that something on the report is hurting you.
Remedies for violations. When a consumer reporting agency or insurer violates the FCRA, consumers can recover actual damages, including out-of-pocket losses like premium overcharges and emotional distress. The statute provides for statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees and costs. In other words, you generally do not pay out of pocket to enforce these rights.
How to Request Your C.L.U.E. Report
We recommend that every consumer review their C.L.U.E. report at least once a year, and always before buying a home, shopping for new insurance coverage, or after receiving an adverse action notice from an insurer. Here is how:
- Online. Visit the LexisNexis consumer disclosure portal at consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com and request your free annual file disclosure. The C.L.U.E. report is included in the LexisNexis full file disclosure.
- By phone. Call LexisNexis Risk Solutions at 1-888-497-0011 to request your report.
- By mail. You can also submit a written request to LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Center at the address provided on its consumer website.
If you were recently denied coverage or charged a higher rate based on your report, the adverse action notice triggers an additional right to a free copy, even if you already used your annual free report.
What to Do if You Find an Error
If LexisNexis fails to correct an inaccurate claim entry, or if you have been paying inflated premiums or were denied coverage because of reporting errors, you may have a claim for damages under the FCRA. These cases are fee-shifting, which means a prevailing consumer’s attorney’s fees are paid by the defendant.
The Bottom Line
Your insurance claims history is being bought and sold in the background every time you shop for coverage, and the companies compiling it do not always get it right. The FCRA gives you the tools to see what insurers see, demand accuracy, and recover damages when inaccurate reporting costs you money.
If a C.L.U.E. report error has caused higher insurance premiums, a coverage denial, or other financial harm, you may have rights under federal law. Francis Mailman Soumilas represents consumers nationwide in Fair Credit Reporting Act cases involving inaccurate consumer reports and failed investigations. Complete our free case review form or call us at 1-877-735-8600 now to find out whether you may be entitled to recover damages.