Credco Inquiry on Your Credit Report? Here's What It Means
A Credco inquiry on your credit report usually means a mortgage lender pulled your credit. If you didn't apply for a loan, dispute it immediately to protect your credit score.
File Your AnswerYou pulled your credit report and saw "Credco" listed under inquiries. You have no idea who they are or why they're checking your credit. If you didn't apply for a mortgage recently, that inquiry shouldn't be there.
Credco isn't a debt collector. They're a credit reporting company that mortgage lenders use to pull merged credit reports from all three bureaus at once. But that doesn't mean every Credco inquiry is legitimate. Unauthorized inquiries drag down your credit score. Each hard inquiry can cost you 5-10 points, and those points matter when you're already fighting to rebuild your credit.
What Credco Actually Does
CoreLogic Credco serves mortgage lenders and financial institutions. When you apply for a home loan, your lender doesn't pull three separate credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They pay Credco to generate one merged report with data from all three bureaus.
That's why Credco shows up as a hard inquiry. The lender authorized Credco to check your credit on their behalf. This happens during the pre-qualification phase, before you even get approved for the loan.
Credco operates out of Beaverton, Oregon. They're not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but they hold an A- rating. You can reach them at (806) 774-3282 if you need to verify an inquiry.
The CreditIQ Report: More Than Your Credit Score
Credco's CreditIQ system goes deeper than a standard credit report. It combines your credit bureau data with proprietary records that lenders use to assess risk. This means your CreditIQ report may include:
- Property ownership history
- Property tax payment records
- Rental application history
- Eviction filings
- Debt collection lawsuits filed against you
- Child support payment history
- Bankruptcy filings
Most people don't realize lenders can see this much detail. A standard credit report shows your debts and payment history. A CreditIQ report shows your entire financial behavior, including court records and public filings that suggest instability.
If you've been sued by a creditor or had an eviction filed, that information lives in your CreditIQ report even if it doesn't appear on your Experian or TransUnion report. Lenders use this data to decide if you're a risky borrower.
When a Credco Inquiry Is Legitimate
You authorized a Credco inquiry if you:
- Applied for a mortgage or home equity loan in the past 24 months
- Started a mortgage refinance application
- Got pre-approved for a home loan through a lender that uses CoreLogic Credco
Hard inquiries stay on your credit report for two years, but they only affect your score for the first 12 months. If you applied for a mortgage 18 months ago and still see a Credco inquiry, that's normal. It's old enough that it's not hurting your score anymore.
Multiple mortgage inquiries within a 45-day window count as a single inquiry. Credit scoring models recognize that you're rate shopping, not opening multiple new accounts. So if you see three Credco inquiries from the same month, they only damage your score once.
When You Should Dispute a Credco Inquiry
Dispute the inquiry immediately if you never applied for a mortgage or any loan that would require a merged credit report. Unauthorized inquiries are illegal under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Start by contacting Credco directly at (806) 774-3282. Ask them which lender requested your credit report and when. If they can't provide that information or if you never applied with that lender, you have grounds to dispute.
Next, file a dispute with each credit bureau showing the inquiry. You can dispute online through:
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
- Experian: experian.com/disputes
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-disputes
In your dispute, state that you never authorized Credco to access your credit report. Request documentation proving you consented to the inquiry. The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate.
If the inquiry was fraudulent, someone may have applied for credit in your name. Check the rest of your credit report for accounts you don't recognize. If you find any, you're dealing with identity theft and need to file a police report and an FTC identity theft report at identitytheft.gov.
How Hard Inquiries Damage Your Credit Score
Each hard inquiry drops your FICO score by 5-10 points on average. That might not sound like much, but it adds up fast when you're already in the 600s or low 700s.
Say your score is 680. You apply for a car loan, a credit card, and then discover an unauthorized Credco inquiry on your report. That's three hard inquiries. Your score could drop to 655-665. Now you're in subprime territory. Lenders charge you higher interest rates. Some landlords won't approve your rental application. Your car insurance premium goes up.
The damage fades after 12 months, but you don't have 12 months if you're trying to qualify for a loan or refinance your debt. You need those points back now. That's why disputing unauthorized inquiries matters.
Errors in CreditIQ Reports and How to Fight Them
Credco's CreditIQ reports pull data from court records and public filings. That data is often wrong. A 2021 Federal Trade Commission study found that 26% of consumers had at least one material error on their credit report. CreditIQ reports, which add even more data sources, have higher error rates.
Common mistakes include:
- Showing a debt collection lawsuit that was dismissed or never filed
- Listing an eviction that was vacated by the court
- Reporting property tax liens that were paid years ago
- Confusing you with someone who has a similar name
If a lender denied your mortgage application and mentioned information from a CreditIQ report, request a copy of that report from Credco. Review every line. If you spot an error, dispute it under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Send a written dispute to Credco at their corporate address (exact address available on their website). Include documentation proving the error, such as:
- Court records showing a lawsuit was dismissed
- Receipts proving you paid a tax lien
- A letter from the creditor confirming the debt was settled
Credco must investigate within 30 days. If they can't verify the information, they must remove it from your report.
What to Do If Credco's Report Shows Real Debts
Maybe the CreditIQ report is accurate. You do have an unpaid judgment from a debt collector. You did get evicted two years ago. That information is legal to report, and disputing it won't work.
But you can still fix this. Accurate negative information doesn't have to ruin your credit forever.
If you have unpaid debt or a judgment against you, bankruptcy may be your fastest path to a clean slate. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy wipes out most unsecured debts in 3-4 months. Yes, it stays on your credit report for 10 years. But most people see their credit score improve within 12-18 months after discharge because they no longer have delinquent accounts dragging them down.
If bankruptcy isn't right for you, negotiate directly with the creditor to settle the debt for less than you owe. Once you pay, get a written agreement that they'll update the credit bureaus to show the account as "paid" or "settled." That won't remove the negative mark, but it stops it from getting worse.
Judgment liens on property can be removed through bankruptcy in many cases. If you own a home and have a judgment lien attached to it, a bankruptcy attorney can file a motion to avoid that lien so it doesn't affect your home equity.
Protecting Yourself From Future Unauthorized Inquiries
Place a credit freeze on your reports with all three bureaus. A freeze prevents anyone, including Credco, from accessing your credit report without your explicit permission. You can freeze and unfreeze your credit for free at any time.
Freeze your credit through:
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
- Experian: experian.com/freeze/center.html
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-freeze
When you apply for a mortgage or any loan, you can temporarily lift the freeze by logging into the credit bureau's website. The lender can run your credit, and then the freeze automatically goes back into effect.
If you're not planning to apply for credit soon, keep the freeze in place. It's the only guaranteed way to prevent unauthorized hard inquiries from companies like Credco.
When to Get Legal Help
If Credco refuses to remove an unauthorized inquiry after you've disputed it, you may need to escalate. The Fair Credit Reporting Act lets you sue credit reporting agencies that violate your rights. You can recover actual damages, statutory damages up to $1,000, and attorney fees.
Most consumer rights attorneys take these cases on contingency, meaning you don't pay unless you win. If Credco ignored your dispute or reported information they knew was false, you have a strong case.
If you're dealing with debt that led to negative entries on your CreditIQ report, see if bankruptcy can eliminate those debts and stop the damage to your credit. Most people who file Chapter 7 bankruptcy qualify for a discharge and walk away debt-free.