It sounds like a horrific scene out of some sci-fi movie set decades down the road – lots of computer databases filled with lots of information about…you! But it’s not some fictionalized account of the future; it’s today’s reality. As described in Consumer Reports, information about your use of credit, insurance claims, medical history, and even merchandise returns is all maintained electronically and may be available to organizations such as banks, insurance companies, and employers. The article emphasized the importance of making sure the information is accurate and explained how you can gain access.
There is some especially helpful guidance at the very end of the Consumer Reports article, including the non-intuitive advice to stay off the U.S. Postal Service’s national change of address database.
In addition to the warnings sounded by the article, it also highlighted some information services you might want to utilize. For example, if you’re planning to buy a house, you can purchase – or ask the seller to provide – a five-year insurance loss history for the property. Such a report may reveal hidden problems, such as a susceptibility to flooding.
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