The Methodology

Evidence moves through a process. Not a shortcut.

Hub or Dub moves information through four controlled stages before it can appear as verified evidence, influence a HOD Score™, or enter a HOD Report™.

Identity-boundHuman-reviewedSource-linkedSystem-calculated

HOD SCORE0out of 1,000High Risk

Illustrative score display. Every released score includes report context.

Four controlled stages

From information to verified report context

Choose a stage to see what enters, what gets checked, and what is allowed to move forward.

Stage 01

Collect relevant public information

Every HOD Score™ starts with a single verified identity: a full legal name, date of birth, and a government-issued identifier (SSN, ITIN, or FEIN). Hub or Dub then gathers publicly available information connected to that identity, along with documentation submitted by the consumer or business and HOD Drops submitted by other users. Nothing collected at this stage is a score, a finding, or a fact. It is raw public information that has not been reviewed yet.

Input

Verified identity + publicly available information

Output

Raw, unreviewed information set

Court and civil records, licensing and registry filings, business records, sanctions and watchlist screening, and authorized background and credit-related screening where legally permissible.
Documentation the consumer or business uploads about themselves, plus HOD Drops submitted by any user about a person or a business (submitting a HOD Drop is 100% free for every user, on every plan).
Collection is identity-bound. We do not build profiles from social handles, emails, phone numbers, or usernames.
Raw public information never appears on a HOD Report and never touches a score until it clears the later stages.

Know the difference

Four terms. Four different states.

Stage 01

Raw public information

Anything collected but not yet reviewed. It is not a fact, not a finding, and it never appears on a HOD Report.

Stage 02

Verifiable evidence

Information traced to a real source, dated, categorized, and attached to the correct verified identity. Still not scored.

Stage 03

Scoring input

Evidence a human investigator approved and the framework weighted. Only scoring inputs can move a score.

Stage 04

HOD Score™

One standardized number from 0 to 1,000 summarizing every approved scoring input, delivered with citations and context.

Evidence hierarchy

A submission is not automatically evidence

Source strength, identity match, corroboration, relevance, recency, and review status determine whether an item can become a scoring input.

1Self-attestedNo direct score value

Anything the subject says about themselves: questionnaires, uploaded self-descriptions, self-reported life updates, personal statements, self-filed HOD Drops.

Independent corroboration required: 0

1Platform activityNo direct score value

Creating an account, completing onboarding, paying a Hub or Dub invoice, opening a dispute, requesting a correction, responding to a complaint, subscribing to a plan.

Independent corroboration required: 0

2Unverified allegationNo direct score value

A report from an unauthenticated party, or an authenticated party with no documentation. Recorded as an allegation only. Never scored in either direction.

Independent corroboration required: 2

3Verified counterparty experienceEligible after review

An identity-verified customer, tenant, employer, client, or partner describing a documented interaction they can evidence.

Independent corroboration required: 2

4Documented relationship or transactionEligible after review

Executed contracts, leases, payment histories, invoices with proof of settlement, employment records, signed service agreements with performance records.

Independent corroboration required: 1

5Institutional confirmationEligible after review

Direct confirmation from a lender, insurer, bank, escrow agent, property manager of record, HR department, or accredited institution.

Independent corroboration required: 1

6Authoritative public recordEligible after review

Courts, regulators, licensing boards, government registries, and other records of an authority of original jurisdiction.

Independent corroboration required: 0

Eight assessment categories

Evidence is organized by what it actually demonstrates

These are category limits, not fixed percentage weights. The engine applies evidence-specific rules and caps.

Verified identity and entity integrity

Identity or entity independently confirmed against an authoritative registry, with consistent history and no conflicting identity in the registry.

Category guardrails: +120 / −300 maximum contribution

Sustained fulfilment of documented obligations

A documented obligation (lease, loan, contract, payment plan, court-ordered term) performed on schedule for at least six consecutive months, confirmed by the obligee or an institutional record.

Category guardrails: +220 / −350 maximum contribution

Independently confirmed transactions

A completed transaction evidenced by both sides or by an institutional record, with delivery and settlement confirmed, and no open complaint attached.

Category guardrails: +180 / −250 maximum contribution

Demonstrated professional reliability

Active licensure in good standing, verified tenure, verified credential, or documented performance confirmed by an employer, board, or accredited body.

Category guardrails: +150 / −250 maximum contribution

Consistent third-party experience

Multiple identity-verified, unrelated stakeholders independently describing documented interactions, consistent with one another and with the underlying records.

Category guardrails: +140 / −220 maximum contribution

Legal and regulatory standing

Authoritative court, regulator, or licensing records only. Adverse items follow statutory reporting periods and are never re-aged, extended, or restarted.

Category guardrails: +60 / −400 maximum contribution

Legitimate, operating business activity

Registration in good standing, verified operating footprint, verified officers, filings current, and independent evidence of genuine ongoing operations.

Category guardrails: +130 / −250 maximum contribution

Verified resolution of legitimate matters

A legitimate matter closed with confirmed remedy: the harmed party or an institution confirms the resolution actually occurred. Filing, disputing, or paying alone does not qualify.

Category guardrails: +100 / −150 maximum contribution

Validation gates

Incomplete or conflicting information stops here

Items that fail identity matching, source reliability, materiality, corroboration, legal timing, duplicate detection, or independent human review remain pending, are rejected, or are excluded. Uncertainty never becomes an automatic match, merge, finding, or score change.

Disputes and corrections: disputed evidence is suppressed while investigated. A correction restores accuracy. It is not a reward.

Core engine safeguards

Identity match floor: 90%
Single positive cap: +25
Positive evidence minimum: 3 items
Independent sources: 2 minimum

Single events cannot create dramatic positive movement. Repeat items face diminishing returns and category and source caps.

The 0 to 1,000 scale

Six published bands. Context included.

A newly established score begins at 0. The calculation uses a 300-point verified-identity baseline internally, then applies only eligible evidence under category, source, maturity, and single-event limits.

Dub Status™

0-349

Walk away

Significant negative indicators, or not yet established.

Proceed With Caution™

350-549

Slow down

Real concerns identified. Do not skip the report.

Needs Review™

550-699

Read before you act

Mixed indicators. Worth the extra two minutes.

HOD Approved™

700-799

Generally safe

Positive profile. Nothing structural to flag.

HOD Verified™

800-899

Green light

Strong reputation. Verified identity and clean signals.

HOD Elite™

900-1,000

Proceed with confidence

Extremely positive reputation signals across every layer.

Human review before scoring

Nothing submitted to Hub or Dub affects a HOD Score until the Back Office has manually reviewed and acted on it. Unanswered or unprocessed matters produce no scoring change.

No manual score controls

No human hand on the number. HOD Scores are calculated entirely by the system from manually verified information. No user, and no Back Office employee, can manually alter, configure, inflate, or manipulate a score or its calculation.

Measured movement

Score movement is deliberately calibrated. A single reporting or isolated event cannot cause a dramatic swing. Meaningful movement requires sustained, verified, substantive contributions to a record.

What does not earn points

Creating a Hub or Dub account or completing onboarding

Submitting documents or answering a questionnaire about yourself

Filing, winning, or resolving a dispute

Paying a balance, a fee, or a subscription

Requesting removal, suppression, or correction of a record

Responding to a complaint or leaving a rebuttal

Reporting something about yourself, or having a related party report it

Buying a plan, an add-on, a certification application, or an investigation

The Consumer Truth Standard™

Read the number. Then read what supports it.

Every released result is designed to be understood with its evidence, verification date, categories, source context, and available dispute rights.

See how it works Run a HOD Report™

Hub or Dub is an independent private company. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or acting as an agency of any government. Availability is limited to the United States and U.S. territories.