How to Remove Credit Plus From Your Credit Report

Credit Plus is another behind-the-scenes player that most people only discover when they spot it on their credit report. Like CoreLogic Credco and Credit Information Systems, Credit Plus doesn’t lend money or issue credit cards. They exist to serve mortgage lenders, pulling your credit data so lenders can make approval decisions without going directly to the credit bureaus themselves.

If you’ve applied for a home loan recently, Credit Plus is likely exactly what it appears to be. If you haven’t, it’s worth a closer look. Here’s what the entry means, how it affects your credit score, and what to do if something doesn’t add up.

What Is Credit Plus on Your Credit Report?

Credit Plus is a credit reporting company that specializes in providing merged credit reports to mortgage lenders. When a lender uses Credit Plus to pull your credit data during a home loan application, the inquiry gets recorded on your credit report under the Credit Plus name rather than the lender’s.

Credit Plus doesn’t make any lending decisions. They simply compile your credit information from the major credit bureaus and deliver it to whoever hired them. That’s why their name can show up on your credit report even though you’ve never dealt with them directly.

Why Credit Plus Appears on Your Credit Report

Credit Plus shows up on your credit report because a mortgage lender hired them to pull your credit history as part of a loan application. This can happen in a few different situations:

• Home purchase application: If you applied for a mortgage to buy a property, your lender likely used a third-party credit reporting service like Credit Plus to access your full credit profile.
• Refinance application: Refinancing an existing mortgage also requires a credit check, and some lenders route that check through Credit Plus.
• Rate shopping: If you submitted applications to multiple mortgage lenders within a short period, you may see Credit Plus on your credit report more than once.

The hard inquiry appears regardless of whether your loan was approved, denied, or withdrawn before completion.

How Credit Plus Affects Your Credit Score

A single hard inquiry from Credit Plus causes a small dip in your credit score, usually just a few points. One inquiry is unlikely to cause any real problems. Where it becomes more significant is when multiple hard inquiries pile up in a short window.

There is an important protection for mortgage shoppers worth knowing. Most credit scoring models treat multiple mortgage-related inquiries within a short timeframe as a single inquiry. This rate shopping allowance recognizes that comparing loan offers from different lenders is smart financial behavior, not a sign of credit stress. Spreading applications out over several months, however, can result in each inquiry being counted separately.

How Long Credit Plus Stays on Your Credit Report

Hard inquiries from Credit Plus remain on your credit report for two years from the date they were pulled. All three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, display the entry during that window. The effect on your credit score is strongest in the first 12 months and fades considerably after that. Once the two-year period ends, the entry drops off automatically.

What to Do If You Don’t Recognize the Credit Plus Entry

If Credit Plus appears on your credit report and you haven’t applied for a mortgage or refinance recently, take it seriously. Here’s what to do:

• Contact Credit Plus 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.
• Dispute with the credit bureaus: If Credit Plus 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.

Credit Plus Contact Information

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

Phone: (800) 258-3488

Mailing Address: Credit Plus, 31550 Winterplace Parkway, Salisbury, MD 21804

Bottom Line

Credit Plus on your credit report is a mortgage credit reporting company that pulled your credit data on behalf of a home lender. The entry almost always traces back to a mortgage application or refinance, even if you don’t immediately make the connection.

If you recognize what triggered it, let it age off naturally over the two-year window. If you don’t, contact Credit Plus to find out which lender hired them, and dispute the entry with the credit bureaus if you can’t verify it was authorized. Mortgage-related inquiries deserve the same attention as any other unfamiliar entry on your credit report.