National Association of Real Estate Editors member
Bylines include Forbes, Bankrate, and CBS News
Aly is a reporter specializing in real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. You can find her work in Hearst newspapers and numerous financial publications.
3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content
Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score
Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.
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A CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report is a document that details a home’s insurance claims within the past seven years. You might want one when buying a new home, selling a house, or buying a new insurance policy on your property.
You can request a free CLUE report for your home once a year.[1] If you find any inaccuracies, you can file a dispute to correct them to make sure home insurance companies can accurately assess and underwrite a policy for your property.
Here’s how CLUE reports work, how they affect your home insurance, and how to request one.
What is a CLUE report for insurance?
In 1987, consumer reporting agency LexisNexis Risk Solutions established the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), an insurance claims history database.
Insurance companies report information to the CLUE about property and vehicle insurance claims. Insurers and homeowners can use the CLUE to get reports on the claims history of property and homes over the past seven years, as well as details about the policyholder and property. Claims that homeowners file with non-subscribing insurers don’t appear in the exchange or in CLUE reports.[1]
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Information in a CLUE report
CLUE reports contain details for any insurance claims related to a property in the past seven years, as well as basic policy and property information.
Claims information: The details of each claim, including the date of loss, the type of loss, and the amount the insurer paid out on each claim.
Policy details: The insured’s name, date of birth, and policy number for each claim.
Property information: The property’s legal address and a description of the property.
Keep in Mind
CLUE reports only include information on claims that CLUE-subscribed home insurance companies process. Claims that homeowners file with non-CLUE-subscribed insurers won’t appear in the property’s CLUE report.
When to use a CLUE report
Some reasons you might want to access and view the insurance history in a CLUE report include:
When getting new insurance
Your existing insurer won’t typically look at a CLUE report when renewing your current policy, but if you want to change insurance companies or are a new customer, the CLUE report will factor in. You may want to pull yours ahead of time to know what claims the insurers see when pricing your new policy.[2]
When buying a home
A CLUE report can give prospective buyers an idea of what damage a home has sustained in recent years and any potential issues that may be present on the property. It can help you make a more informed decision, better negotiate on the property, and prepare for potential home insurance costs. Keep in mind that you can’t request a CLUE report on a home you don’t own, so you’ll have to request it from the seller to use in the homebuying process.[3]
When selling a home
You may want to give potential buyers a copy of your home’s CLUE report to show them that your home is in good condition and has had few or no claims in recent years. This may make it more marketable or help you negotiate a higher selling price. You may also want to pull your CLUE report to correct any errors or provide personal statements regarding a claim before putting your house on the market.[3]
How to get a CLUE report
Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you can get a CLUE report for free once a year for any property you own. You’ll get this directly from LexisNexis, the company that runs the CLUE database.
To request your CLUE report, you can:
Visit the LexisNexis website. Click the “Request a Consumer Disclosure Report Online” link and enter your full name and address. Once the database processes your request, you’ll receive instructions in the mail for accessing your report.
Request it by mail. You can also request your CLUE report by mail using this printable request form.
Request it by phone. LexisNexis also offers a phone line through which you can request a CLUE report. Just call 1 (866) 897-8126.
You don’t have to pay to access your CLUE report. Every consumer is entitled to one free report annually.
What to do if you find an error on your CLUE report
You can — and should — dispute inaccuracies listed on your property’s CLUE report, as they can affect your future insurance rates and policy options. To do this, make sure you pull your CLUE report annually and check it for accuracy.
If you find an error on your report, contact LexisNexis directly at 1 (888) 497-0011 and tell a representative which claims are inaccurate. LexisNexis will contact the reporting insurer to investigate and notify you of its findings within 30 days.
Another option is to submit a personal statement explaining specific claims on your CLUE report. You can send these to LexisNexis directly, and it’ll include the statement on future reports.[2]
Does a CLUE report affect your home insurance rates?
It’s possible. Insurers use the home insurance claim history in CLUE reports to underwrite policies and set premiums. Claims in the past seven years may lead to higher premiums, though it depends on the quantity and extent of those claims. Claims in a CLUE report can also disqualify you from certain discounts, like for going claims-free for a certain time.[4]
CLUE report information can also affect your eligibility for home insurance altogether. If an insurer can find a correlation between a past claim and the probability of a future claim, the insurance company may use this information to increase premiums or deny coverage.
But home insurance companies can’t charge you a higher premium for claims that an insurance company denied or for claims related to natural causes or weather.[2]
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How long does a home insurance claim stay on a CLUE report?
CLUE reports have a lookback period of seven years, so if you file a claim, you can expect it to remain on your home’s CLUE report — and affect your premiums — for at least that long.
Keep in mind that CLUE reports are property-based and not policyholder-based. That means the listed claims don’t only include those you file while you own the property. If another homeowner owned the property and filed an insurance claim at the home in the past seven years, it’ll also appear on your CLUE report.[1]
While you can’t remove a claim from your CLUE report, you can attach a personal statement to one. Insurers would then see these statements when pulling future reports.
CLUE report FAQs
Use this additional information to learn more about CLUE reports and how they affect home insurance policies.
How much does a CLUE report cost?
Property owners are entitled to one free CLUE report every 12 months. You can request yours through LexisNexis, the company operating the CLUE database.
Can you view your CLUE report online?
Yes. You can request your CLUE report online. LexisNexis will send you a letter with details on how you can access your report.
What does it mean if your CLUE report is blank?
A blank CLUE report means one of two things: No one filed insurance claims on the property in the past seven years, or all claims have been with an insurance company that doesn’t subscribe to CLUE.
Can you clear your CLUE report?
No. You can’t remove data from your CLUE report, but you can attach personal statements to each claim if you wish. You can use this to explain the circumstances surrounding a claim. Statements will display on future CLUE reports.
Aly J. Yale is a freelance writer and reporter covering real estate, mortgages, and personal finance. Her work has been published in Forbes, Business Insider, Money, CBS News, US News & World Report, and The Miami Herald. She has a bachelor’s degree in radio-TV-film and news-editorial journalism from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU and is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors.
3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content
Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score
Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.
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