Guide to the insurance claims history report (CLUE)

A CLUE report (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) is a record of all the home, auto, and renters insurance claims filed on a specific property or by a specific person over the past seven years. Insurance companies use it to decide whether to sell you a policy and what to charge you. 

The report is maintained by LexisNexis, and you’re entitled to one free copy each year. If you’re buying a home, asking the seller for the property’s CLUE report can flag past damage and prevent insurance surprises after closing.

What is a CLUE report?

A CLUE report is a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report — a record maintained by LexisNexis that tracks all insurance claims filed on a property or by a person over the previous seven years. Most major insurance companies submit claims data to CLUE, and most pull from it when underwriting new policies.

When an insurer reviews a CLUE report, they can see:

• The type of loss (fire, water damage, theft, etc.)
• The date each claim was filed
• The claim amount and whether it was paid or denied
• The insurance company that handled the claim
• The policy number associated with the claim

LexisNexis instructs insurers not to report calls where a policyholder simply asked a question about coverage without filing a claim. In practice, though, individual insurers may keep their own internal records of those calls.

How does a CLUE report affect your insurance rates?

A CLUE report directly affects your insurance rates because insurers use past claims as a predictor of future claims. The more claims on the report — whether on you as a person or on the property you’re trying to insure — the more you’ll typically pay. In some cases, a long claims history will cause an insurer to decline coverage altogether.

Here’s what insurers tend to do based on what they see:

• Clean report. You qualify for the best available rates.
• One or two minor claims in seven years. Rates may be slightly higher, but coverage is usually offered without issue.
• Multiple claims or a single large claim (like fire or major water damage). Premiums rise meaningfully, and some insurers may refuse to quote.
• Heavy claims history, especially within the past three years. You may need to use a non-standard insurer or your state’s FAIR Plan.

Most insurers don’t pull a new CLUE report when you renew an existing policy — they already have your claims history from the original underwriting. The CLUE check usually happens when you apply for a new policy or switch carriers.

How do I get a CLUE report?

You can get a CLUE report directly from LexisNexis by requesting it online, by phone, by email, or by mail. Federal law (the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or FACTA) entitles you to one free copy per year.

Here’s how to request yours:

• Online: consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com
• Phone: 888-497-0011
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: LexisNexis Risk Solutions Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105108, Atlanta, GA 30348-5108

You’ll need to verify your identity with a series of security questions — typically Social Security number, date of birth, address history, and prior insurance information.

You can request a report for:

• Yourself
• A property you currently own
• Someone you have legal authority over, such as a minor child

You cannot pull a CLUE report on a property you don’t own. If you’re house-hunting, you’ll need to ask the seller to request it as part of the purchase negotiation.

How do I get a CLUE report on a house I’m buying?

You can only get a CLUE report on a house you’re buying by asking the current owner to request it for you. LexisNexis will only release a property’s report to the legal owner, so the seller has to be the one who pulls it.

Most buyers handle this in one of two ways:

1. Make the CLUE report a contingency in your offer. Just like a home inspection, the seller agrees to provide the CLUE report as part of due diligence.
2. Ask the seller’s agent informally. Many sellers will pull the report voluntarily, especially if they know the home has a clean history.

If the seller refuses to share the report, treat that as a yellow flag. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem, but it’s worth asking your homeowners insurance agent to quote the property before you commit — insurers will run their own check during underwriting and can tell you quickly if the property has a problem history.

What types of claims appear on a CLUE report?

A CLUE report includes most major homeowners and auto insurance claims filed within the last seven years. Common claim types you’ll see on a home CLUE report:

• Water damage (including frozen pipes and washing machine leaks)
• Fire and smoke
• Theft and burglary
• Vandalism
• Wind and hail
• Lightning
• Flood
• Earthquake
• Liability (including slip-and-fall and dog bite)
• Medical payments
• Damage to other people’s property
• Contamination
• Workers’ compensation

Claims that don’t appear:

• Inquiries where you asked about coverage but didn’t file
• Claims that fell entirely within your deductible (with no insurer payout)
• Claims more than seven years old

How do I dispute an error on my CLUE report?

You can dispute an error on your CLUE report by contacting LexisNexis directly, and they’re required to investigate and respond within 30 days. CLUE reports do contain errors — most often misattributed claims, wrong claim amounts, or inquiries that were incorrectly logged as actual claims.

Common errors to watch for:

• Car accidents attributed to the wrong driver
• Being marked at fault for an accident you didn’t cause
• Incorrect claim amounts
• Coverage inquiries logged as filed claims
• Claims that fell within your deductible appearing as paid claims

“A claim for property damage within your deductible resulting in no insurance payments being made should not appear as an insurance claim on your CLUE report,” says Paul Traynor, assistant professor of law at the University of North Dakota School of Law.

Steps to dispute a CLUE error

1. Gather your records. Pull damage estimates, correspondence with the insurer, and proof of any out-of-pocket payments for the repair.
2. Contact LexisNexis by mail at the address above or by phone at 1-866-897-8126.
3. State the specific error and provide your supporting documents.
4. Wait for the investigation. LexisNexis will contact the insurer that submitted the disputed entry and reinvestigate.
5. Review the results. You’ll get a written response within about 30 days. If the error is confirmed, it’ll be corrected or removed.

“If you think you have an error on your CLUE report, it helps if you’ve retained the records of the claim that you question,” Traynor says. He recommends working with a licensed insurance agent to help correct any history you believe is wrong.

How long do claims stay on a CLUE report?

Claims stay on a CLUE report for seven years from the date of loss. After seven years, they automatically drop off and stop affecting your insurance rates.

This is true whether the claim was paid, denied, or closed without payment. The only way to remove a claim earlier is to successfully dispute it as an error.

How much does a CLUE report cost?

A CLUE report is free once per year under federal law (FACTA). Additional copies within the same year may carry a small fee from LexisNexis, but most consumers never need more than the free annual copy.

If you’re buying a home, the seller’s free annual copy is the version you’ll want. There’s no extra charge for them to request it on your behalf — they just need to do it themselves.

How do I shop for insurance if my CLUE report isn’t clean?

Insurance companies weigh past claims very differently from one another, so a high quote from one insurer doesn’t mean you’re stuck paying that rate everywhere. Some carriers specialize in covering homes with a longer claims history or recent damage. Steps to shop smart:

• Compare quotes from at least three insurers before accepting a policy.
• Work with an independent agent who represents multiple carriers — they know which companies are more forgiving of specific claim types.
• Ask about claim-free discounts with a fresh start. Some insurers offer rate reductions after three consecutive claim-free years on the new policy.
• Look into your state’s FAIR Plan if no private insurer will offer coverage. FAIR Plans are state-backed insurers of last resort for high-risk properties.
• Bundle home and auto even if you have past claims — the multi-policy discount often offsets some of the claims-related surcharge.

How to keep your CLUE report clean

Once a claim hits your CLUE report, it’s there for seven years. The best protection is preventing unnecessary claims from being filed in the first place:

• Document any out-of-pocket repairs. If a claim later gets misreported, you’ll have the proof you need to dispute it.
• Pay for small losses out of pocket. If repair costs are close to your deductible, paying yourself avoids the claim entirely.
• Get a repair estimate before you call your insurer. If the damage is under or just over your deductible, filing isn’t worth the rate increase.
• Don’t call to “ask about coverage.” Even if you decide not to file, the call can sometimes be logged. Talk to an independent agent first.
• Address maintenance issues early. Many denied claims and rate increases come from gradual water damage, roof wear, or mold that could have been prevented with routine upkeep.

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