Lodestone vs IRBsearch
Coverage and purpose handling compared.
An alternative to TLO, IRBsearch, IDI and Tracers.
These platforms draw on much the same wholesale sources. What differs is how each result is attributed and what is on record when someone asks why a search was run.
The same base, and what sits on top of it.
Credit header from Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, Innovis and other bureaus, with public records, property and court filings.
Corroborated, not merged. Every record shows the source that served it, and a result is marked single or corroborated by how many sources agree.
Live. Each search queries the source when it runs.
Questions worth asking any vendor
- Which sources does a result come from? A merged identity cannot be checked.
- Does each user have their own login? Otherwise the log cannot name who searched.
- Is permissible purpose recorded on every search? That is the record a complaint asks for.
How we differ.
| Lodestone Data | Typical incumbent platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Source attribution | On every record | Often one merged identity |
| Permissible purpose | Recorded on every search | Typically set at account level |
| Blocked searches | Logged with the reason | Varies |
| Audit export | Self-serve CSV, any time | Often a support request |
| Bank & brokerage location | Not offered | Sometimes sold self-serve |
The right-hand column describes common patterns, not any named vendor. Ask any vendor in writing.
Detailed comparisons
Lodestone vs Tracers
Coverage and purpose handling compared.
Lodestone vs TLOxp
Provenance and purpose handling compared.
Lodestone vs IDI
Data tier and purpose handling compared.
Common questions
Where does the credit header come from?
Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, Innovis and other alternative bureaus. Every material field in a result carries the source that served it.
A person reads every application.
Accounts are credentialed before they are activated.