How to Remove Factual Data From Your Credit Report

Factual Data is another credit reporting company that works exclusively behind the scenes for mortgage lenders, which means most people never encounter the name until it appears on their credit report.

Factual Data doesn’t lend money or issue credit. They specialize in merged credit reports that pull data from all three major credit bureaus into a single file, giving mortgage lenders a complete picture of your credit history in one place.

If you’ve applied for a home loan recently, Factual Data is almost certainly what generated the entry. If you haven’t, it deserves immediate attention.

What Is Factual Data on Your Credit Report?

Factual Data is a credit reporting agency that provides merged credit reports to mortgage lenders. Their reports compile information from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, giving lenders a comprehensive view of your credit history, payment record, outstanding debts, and recent inquiries before making a lending decision.

When a mortgage lender uses Factual Data to pull your credit, the hard inquiry gets recorded on your credit report under the Factual Data name rather than the lender’s name, which is why it often catches borrowers off guard.

Why Factual Data Appears on Your Credit Report

Factual Data shows up on your credit report when a mortgage lender hires them to pull a merged credit report as part of a loan application. Common triggers include:

• Home purchase application: The most frequent cause. If you applied for a mortgage to buy a property, your lender may have used Factual Data to pull your credit profile.
• Refinance application: Refinancing an existing mortgage requires a full credit check, and some lenders route that through Factual Data.
• Prequalification: Certain lenders use Factual Data even at the prequalification stage, before a formal application is submitted.
• Incomplete application: If you started a mortgage application and didn’t finish, the credit check may have already been pulled before you walked away.

How Factual Data Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score

A hard inquiry from Factual Data causes a small dip in your credit score, typically just a few points. For most borrowers, that’s not a serious concern. One protection worth knowing: most credit scoring models treat multiple mortgage inquiries made within a concentrated window, generally 14 to 45 days, as a single inquiry.

That rate shopping allowance is built specifically for home loan comparisons, so submitting applications to several lenders within a short period is far less damaging than spreading them out over months.

The effect on your credit score fades significantly within the first 12 months and becomes negligible before the entry drops off entirely.

How Long Factual Data Stays on Your Credit Report

Hard inquiries from Factual Data remain on your credit report for two years from the date they were pulled. All three major credit bureaus display the entry during that window. Once the two-year period ends, the entry drops off automatically with no action required.

What to Do If You Don’t Recognize the Factual Data Entry

If Factual Data is on your credit report and you haven’t applied for a mortgage, take it seriously. Here’s how to handle it:

• Contact Factual Data directly: Ask them to identify which lender requested the inquiry and when it was submitted. That information will usually connect the entry to a specific application you can verify or rule out entirely.
• Gather documentation: If you’ve recently made any mortgage applications, pull together any paperwork that confirms which lenders you authorized to pull your credit.
• Dispute with the credit bureaus: If Factual Data cannot confirm you authorized the inquiry, file a formal dispute with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Include your personal details and a written explanation of why the entry should be removed from your credit report.
• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze: If you suspect someone applied for a mortgage in your name, a fraud alert requires lenders to verify your identity before approving new applications. A credit freeze provides stronger protection by blocking new credit entirely until you lift it.

Factual Data Contact Information

If you need to reach Factual Data to ask about an inquiry or begin a dispute, here is their contact information:

Phone: (800) 216-3463

Mailing Address: Factual Data Consumer Assistance, 400 Holiday Dr., Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15220

Bottom Line

Factual Data on your credit report is a mortgage credit reporting agency that pulled your credit data on behalf of a home lender. The entry almost always traces back to a mortgage application or refinance, even when the connection isn’t immediately obvious.

If you recognize what triggered it, let it age off naturally. If you don’t, contact Factual Data to find out which lender hired them, and dispute the entry with the credit bureaus if you can’t verify it was authorized. An unfamiliar mortgage inquiry is one of the more serious entries to find on your credit report and warrants prompt attention.