Local news for due diligence

Local news – A searcher’s underused treasure

When you need focus and depth for online research, try local news. Long after the national news packs up and leaves after a hurricane, for example, the local press continues to delve into the storm’s aftermath. For due diligence background investigations this means that, as the hometown heroes (or villains), your subjects’ accomplishments and failures […]

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Social Security traces

Comparing Social Security traces

In a recent post, I discussed Social Security traces, including what they are, how we use them at Phelps Research, and the problems with these reports. This time, I’ll compare the differences between four reports I recently ran for two social security numbers. It’s not uncommon to run a report on your subject’s SSN and […]

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Anatomy of an SSN trace

Anatomy of a Social Security trace

One of the first steps in creating our background reports is to run what’s known as a Social Security trace or an SSN trace. It’s a report that lists names (including aliases, nicknames, and other variations), dates of birth, and address history associated with the provided SSN. These reports are commonly run when doing employment […]

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Wish list for information vendors

My wish list for information vendors

As an info pro/researcher/investigator, I use a lot of specialized database products for news, public records, and other info. As a result, I’ve had a chance to work with lots of database vendors, and, in my 15+ years in business, I’ve worked with some who are great at what they do and some who aren’t. […]

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Why I love Bing

Why I love Bing

In the business of background investigations, the goal is to find as much information as humanly possible on your subject, while respecting the client’s time frame and budget. That’s why I use professional online tools that help me quickly target what I need within a vast array of sources. I also use Google, and I […]

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Buying images – “free” just isn’t worth it

If you’re creating presentations, blog posts, or any other type of content, you need a good source for buying images. Yes, I know you don’t have to pay, but “free” image sites just aren’t worth it, since quality and search capabilities leave a lot to be desired – and you don’t have to worry about […]

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The Vendor Experience – the tools of our trade

Here at Phelps Research, we use a wide variety of tools for gathering and processing the information our clients crave. Without these tools, I couldn’t run my business, and without the benefits I receive from my membership in the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), I wouldn’t be able to access them without charging much […]

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Requesting military records – It’s complicated

One of the most frequently-asked questions in investigative work is, “How do I obtain copies of someone’s military records?” The quick answer? – It’s complicated. I’ve just come across what’s probably the best resource for tracking down this type of information that I’ve ever seen. Compiled by investigators Dean and Karen Beers, the Guide for […]

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It’s a crazy mixed-up world

The world of business information sources is changing so fast that every so often I feel the need to start singing and dancing to Soul Asylum’s “Crazy Mixed Up World.” Discontinued content, new interfaces, and huge price increases are just some of the issues info pros are dealing with lately. You know things are crazy […]

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You get what you pay for

Why would anyone pay for online information when there’s so much available for free?  Sometimes – when you can’t find what you need on the free web, when you need it fast, or when you need something beyond basic information – it’s a good idea to consider paying for premium. For example, if you’re going […]

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