Consumer Financial Protection Bureau updates annual list of consumer reporting companies and expands coverage to firms supplying data to casinos

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published its annual list of consumer reporting companies, identifying dozens of specialty firms that collect and sell access to consumers’ data and explaining how individuals can request their files, dispute inaccuracies, and block third-party access through a security freeze. The 2025 report notes that the list now includes consumer reporting companies that provide information to casinos and sports betting firms, and highlights that some reports may incorporate non-obvious data sources such as social media (in employment screening) and driving behavior data sold to auto insurers, alongside other information such as property insurance claims and drug and alcohol testing or health screening results. It reiterates that security freezes are free by law and can prevent new credit accounts being opened where credit reports are required, and sets out access and pricing points including free reports at least once every 12 months from the nationwide bureaus (with weekly availability offered since the COVID-19 pandemic), free copies following adverse actions, and a maximum allowable fee of USD 15.50 for other report requests in calendar year 2025. The report also flags that hard inquiries can lower credit scores and that deposit account history can affect credit access and pricing, while noting the list may not be complete.