03/10/2025
1. Credit card companies
A credit card company can look at your credit report when you apply for a card. However, if you’re a customer, that company also can look at your credit report anytime, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Additionally, prospective creditors can access specific information in your credit file to determine whether to make you a “prescreened” offer for a new credit card. Prescreening is allowed under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, but you can opt out. We break down the process in “The Secret to Stopping Unwanted Credit Card Mail for Good.”
2. Insurance companies
The Fair Credit Reporting Act also allows credit reporting companies to release your credit report in association with “offering insurance coverage or setting insurance premium charges,” the CFPB says.
While federal law allows insurers to prescreen you for offers, you can also opt out of this prescreening.
3. Employers
Employers can request a copy of your credit report as part of a background check. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows credit reporting companies to release your report for employment.
However, the employer must get permission to pull your credit report beforehand. According to the Federal Trade Commission, you can refuse, but that could be grounds for the employer to reject your application.
4. Telecommunications companies
When you sign up for phone, TV, or internet service, the service provider might check your credit. It’s not exactly a loan, but some companies want to make sure you’re likely to pay your bill, says James Garvey, the founder of credit-building site Self Financial. “The telecom provider wants to check if the customer owes money to the provider itself or another telecom provider.”
5. Public utilities
Signing up for water, gas, or electricity? You might need to submit to a credit check, says Logan Allec, a certified public accountant and the founder of the financial education website Money Done Right. “Utility bills are generally paid in arrears, meaning you’re billed for usage after the fact,” Allec tells Money Talks News. “In a sense, these companies are making you a short-term loan. They let you use $50 of water last month, and you have until a certain date to pay them for it.”
6. Government agencies and courts
You may think the government should have no business requesting your credit, but sometimes they have a good reason to. When you apply for government assistance, you might be subject to a credit check to see if you truly qualify. Additionally, the Fair Credit Reporting Act permits credit reporting companies to release your credit report In response to court orders, subpoenas, or specific child support awards and for enforcement purposes.
7. Landlords
Looking for new digs? Your landlord-to-be might want to peek at your credit report; renting an apartment is a long-term agreement, and many landlords want to be sure you won’t cause trouble. While rent is not typically reported to the credit bureaus, your credit report can indicate your overall likelihood to pay bills on time and your financial responsibility. You might have to provide a larger security deposit if you have a poor score.
8. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes
When applying to live in an assisted-living facility or nursing home, you should be subject to a credit check. These facilities treat applications like applications for apartments, especially since costs are typically high.
