OK, so you know about Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, right? Well there's another one - equally influential - that most people don't care about. Why don't people care? Because it's not used for granting credit, and there's no fancy score.

It's called ChexSystems. Banks use them to do a background check on you when you open a new account. The few people who have to worry about them tend to be poor people who can't get a checking account anymore because they kept bouncing checks.

Much like the better-known credit bureaus, you can request a copy of your ChexSystems report for free every year. It includes a lot of astonishing information, including a section titled "indicators of wealth" (or something substantially similar, I don't have it in front of me). It tells banks how many boats you own, homes, etc. If you've never seen it before, you'll be shocked at what this company you've never heard of knows about you.