Never heard of Factual Data or a tri merge credit report? Most people haven’t- until it shows up unexpectedly and leaves them baffled.
If you’ve noticed a Factual Data credit inquiry on your credit report, don’t panic. While seeing Factual Data might make you do a double take, it’s usually good news, a step toward that new home, lower rate, or refinance you’ve been working on.
Just remember: knowledge is power. The more you understand about how Factual Data fits into your credit story, the better you can protect (and improve) your financial reputation.
We explain exactly who Factual Data is, how their credit reporting works, and what to do if their information turns out to be, well… not so factual after all.
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What is Factual Data on My Credit Report?
Factual Data is a consumer reporting agency that serves as a factual data aggregator for the mortgage industry. What does this actually mean?
Essentially, they pull your credit information from the three main credit bureaus – TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax- and compile it into what’s called a merged credit report or a tri merge credit report.
This report gives your lender a unified look at your credit score, payment history, and overall financial standing. It’s far more efficient than having a lender check each credit bureau separately and trying to cross-reference the data manually.
Factual Data acts as the bridge between lenders and the credit bureaus, theortically making the mortgage approval process smoother for everyone.
Here’s an example: imagine you’re applying for a mortgage with “Happy Home Loans.” Instead of calling Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion one by one, Happy Home Loans simply requests your credit profile through Factual Data. In seconds, your information appears neatly combined.
So, when you see a Factual Data hard inquiry on your credit report, it’s usually tied to this process. The inquiry simply records that someone accessed your credit file for a legitimate purpose – in this case, evaluating your mortgage application. While it might cause a tiny, short-term dip in your credit score, it’s completely normal and expected during a mortgage application.
If, however, you haven’t applied for a home loan and you still see this inquiry, it’s worth investigating, but don’t jump to conclusions just yet.
There are times when lenders perform pre-approvals or credit pulls for comparison quotes, and those may also show up as Factual Data entries.
If they pull your credit and report inaccurate information about you, it’s important to address it right away – errors can cost you a mortgage, affect your creditworthiness, and block major financial opportunities.
Check out our Credit Report Errors practice page for a deeper dive into this very common and very destructive problem.
What Mortgage Company Uses Factual Data?
1. The Short Answer: Pretty Much Everyone
The truth is, Factual Data partners with thousands of mortgage lenders across the U.S., from big national names to your friendly neighborhood credit union.
Whether you’re applying for a loan through a huge financial institution or a small-town lender, there’s a good chance this consumer reporting agency is somewhere in the background.
They’re the go-between for lenders and the three credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion- pulling all that credit data together into one tidy package.
Lenders rely on them because it saves time, reduces confusion, and ensures everyone’s looking at the same information when reviewing your credit score and credit history.
2. Why Lenders Use Factual Data
When a lender needs your credit report, they don’t want to order three separate ones and then play “spot the difference” with numbers that don’t quite match.
Instead, they use Factual Data as a data aggregator to merge everything into a single report – called a merged credit report or a tri merge credit report.
This merged credit report gives them a complete snapshot of your credit, debt, and payment behavior without the hassle. It’s like turning three blurry photos into one clear picture.
For lenders, it’s not just about convenience, it’s about accuracy. The fewer hands involved, the less chance of missing or mismatched data. And for you, that means fewer hard inquiries and a smoother mortgage application experience.
3. Examples of Mortgage Lenders That Use Factual Data
You’ll find Factual Data behind the scenes with a wide range of lenders – everything from major national mortgage companies to regional banks and independent brokers. For example:
- National banks and mortgage companies reviewed by the BBB frequently use Factual Data.
- Many lenders featured in The Mortgage Reports use Factual Data to simplify underwriting.
- Even local or online-first lenders rely on Factual Data for quick access to verified credit information.
If you’re working with a lender like Rocket Mortgage, Fairway Independent Mortgage, or even a smaller community bank, chances are your credit pull went through Factual Data, even if the lender’s name is the only one you remember seeing on the paperwork.
What If I Have Multple Factual Data Inquiries on My Credit Report?
Here’s something reassuring: seeing more than one Factual Data hard inquiry on your credit report doesn’t necessarily mean something suspicious is happening.
If you’ve been shopping around for the best mortgage rates and terms, which you absolutely should – then you’d expect to see multiple inquiries on your credit report.
Thankfully, these multiple pulls typically count as a single inquiry in terms of impacting your credit score. This means you can compare rates and lenders without your credit taking a major hit. The credit system expects you to get quotes from multiple mortgage providers before settling on one.
However, this only applies to credit inquiries made within the same 14–45 day window. If you’re slow-rolling your research and authorizing multiple credit inqueries over a longer period of time, then you may end up unintentionally lowering your credit score.
So, if Factual Data appears on your credit report once or twice, it’s usually a sign that you, or a lender you authorized – initiated a mortgage or pre-approval application or two. It’s not a red flag or a secret loan someone opened in your name. It’s just how the system works.
Unless of course you find inaccurate information – which is another story all together and may end up preventing you from landing a mortgage or from getting the best rates. See below to learn how to handle credit reporting mistakes.
Your Consumer Rights for Mortgage Reports
Here’s the part most consumers never get told: when it comes to mortgage credit pulls, you have rights – and they matter.
Factual Data, like the major credit bureaus, is regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This means they’re required to ensure the data they provide is accurate, verifiable, and used for legitimate purposes only.
If you notice a Factual Data credit inquiry you didn’t authorize, or if there’s incorrect credit information tied to your mortgage application, you have the right to dispute it. You can request a free copy of your tri merge credit report directly from Factual Data, review it for accuracy, and challenge any errors.
And here’s a comforting fact: mortgage inquiries made within a short period (usually 14–45 days) count as just one hard inquiry for scoring purposes. So even if you see “Factual Data” listed multiple times while shopping for mortgages, it won’t tank your credit score as long as the inquiries all fall within this window of time.
Remember, consumer reporting agencies like Factual Data are required to reinvestigate disputes within 30 days. If they fail to correct errors or ignore your request, you have every right to escalate your case, even through legal action – by contacting Consumer Justice Law Firm.
How to Handle Errors in a Factual Data Report
Now for the part nobody enjoys but everyone should know: Factual Data errors do happen. And when they do, they can cause confusion, stress, delays, and even rejections for your mortgage approval.
Let’s say you find that Factual Data reported a credit account that isn’t yours, or an old collection that was paid years ago. Maybe your credit score looks suspiciously low, or your merged credit reports show serious conflicting data between Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Here’s what to do:
- Request a copy of your Factual Data report directly from their site (FactualData.com).
- Compare it to your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. You can get copies of your credit reports from the verified site annualcreditreport.com.
- Get documentation – payment receipts, bank statements, letters from creditors, to support your dispute.
- File a dispute with Factual Data outlining the specific inaccuracies. We suggest disputing through certified mail with a return receipt – to create a document trail and preserve your rights.
- Track the timing of the response, and keep records of every correspondence. Consumer reporting agencies must investigate and respond to your dispute within 30 days.
If your dispute isn’t resolved or the error reappears, or if the mistake costs you a mortgage or damages your credit, you may be entitled to compensation under federal law.
In a world where data moves faster than reason, protecting your credit identity isn’t just smart – it’s necessary.
What You Should Know When Factual Data Is NOT Accurate
Even though companies like Factual Data claim to work hard to maintain accurate credit information, errors occur – a lot. Errors can show up as things like:
- a misspelled name, incorrect birth date, or SSN
- outdated data from a previous lender or other data furnisher
- mistaken identity, including a mixed credit report
If a Factual Data credit inquiry shows up that you didn’t authorize, it could mean a lender entered your information by mistake – or, in rare cases, it could be an early warning sign of identity theft.
Either way, don’t ignore it. Contact Factual Data, request a verification of the inquiry, and immediately check your credit reports at each of the credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) for similar activity.
Accuracy matters because mortgages depend on it. A single error in your credit file could mean higher interest rates, denied loans, or even delays in closing on your home.
Keep a close eye on your credit score, monitor your reports, and don’t be afraid to demand the accuracy you deserve.
When Factual Data isn’t accurate, you don’t just have a problem, you have a right to fix it. And this is where advocacy comes in. Consumer Justice Law Firm can help.
How a Credit Report Error Lawyer Helps
When mistakes on your Factual Data report damage your present opportunities or threaten your financial future, you need more than just a dispute form, you need real people who understand how serious this is.
Here are some red flags that mean it’s time to talk to a credit report lawyer:
- You’ve filed a dispute, but Factual Data and the credit bureaus haven’t investigated or responded with 30 days
- You’ve filed a dispute and they investigated, but the response was simply a confirmation of the erroneous data
- You’ve filed a dispute, they investigated, and they acknowledged the error but did fix it, or it reappeared
- You lost out on a major financial or credit opporunity due to the error or suffered other harm because of it. Someone else living in that house that would have been yours without credit report errors? That’s no ok.
At Consumer Justice Law Firm, our credit report lawyers don’t just quote the Fair Credit Reporting Act- they’re dedicated consumer advocates who know how these errors impact your life.
A single Factual Data credit inquiry mistake can delay your mortgage, lower your credit score, or make you look like a risky borrower when you’re anything but.
We’ve seen it all – from incorrect merged credit reports to identity mix-ups across Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Our approach is personal, proactive, and persistent. We work directly with consumer reporting agencies, lenders, and Factual Data itself to demand corrections, protect your rights, and get your financial reputation back where it belongs – in good standing.
You’ve worked hard to build your credit and your future. Don’t let inaccurate data undo that. Let our team help you fight for accuracy!
GET JUSTICE! Fight for Fixes & Money!
If Factual Data errors or inaccurate credit data have harmed your mortgage application or lowered your credit score, the legal team at Consumer Justice Law Firm is here to help you get your score back on track.
Our credit report lawyers understand how stressful credit errors can be, especially when they threaten your financial goals. We work to hold consumer reporting agencies accountable and ensure your credit report accurately reflects who you are, not what a faulty database says.
Whether you’re dealing with a false Factual Data hard inquiry, incorrect merged credit reports, or unverified mortgage information, we’ll help you file disputes, demand corrections, and pursue justice when necessary.
Contact Consumer Justice Law Firm today to protect your rights, because your credit report should open doors – not close them.
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