The CLUE Database: How Your Claims History Follows You

Every time you file an insurance claim, it gets reported to a database called CLUE — the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, operated by LexisNexis. This database follows you and your property, and it affects your ability to get insurance and what you pay for it.

What CLUE Contains

CLUE reports include up to seven years of claims history associated with you personally and with any property you've insured. This includes claims you filed, claims filed against your property by previous owners, and even inquiries that didn't result in a claim.

How Carriers Use CLUE Against You

Insurance companies use CLUE during underwriting to decide whether to offer you a policy and at what price. A history of claims — even legitimate ones — can result in higher premiums, policy non-renewal, or outright denial of coverage.

There have been documented cases of carriers reporting inaccurate information to CLUE. In one lawsuit, Farmers Insurance was accused of reporting litigation expenses, settlement costs, and other carrier expenses as payments made to the policyholder — making it appear that the homeowner received millions when they actually received a fraction of that amount. This inflated CLUE report made it nearly impossible for those policyholders to obtain new insurance.

Check Your CLUE Report

You have the right to request a free copy of your CLUE report once per year from LexisNexis. Review it carefully for errors. If you find inaccurate information, you can dispute it directly with LexisNexis, similar to disputing errors on a credit report.