The Fair Credit Reporting Act
Do you know your credit rights?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted in 1970 to promote fairness, accuracy and the privacy of personal information assembled by Credit Reporting Agencies.
Credit Reporting Agencies create reports on everyone with a social security number for businesses, including credit card companies, banks, employers, landlords, companies and others. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides protections for individuals credit reports, consumer investigatory reports, and employment background checks. The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a confusing act that has been altered numerous times since 1970 by Congress and the courts.
Establishing a Reasonable Plan
The Act's primary protection requires that Credit Reporting Agencies abide by "reasonable procedures" to protect the security, accuracy, and relevance of credit information. The Fair Credit Reporting Act establishes a plan for fair information practices for information that include right to access and correct information, security, limited use, notice, consent, and accountability.
It is important as a consumer to know the rights you are given by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. With this knowledge, consumers can ensure the Credit Bureaus are reporting their credit history accurately, and in complete fairness.
