Do you know what's in your credit report? Because of the terms
of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to
know exactly what credit reporting agencies are putting on your
credit report. That's only one of the rights that the FCRA
guarantees you - and every consumer.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted to ensure the accuracy
and privacy of your credit report. All Businesses that use
information on your credit report to determine whether or not,
to lend you money or offer you credit are bound to follow
guidelines that are set out by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In
addition, any company or agency that collects debts must also
follow certain guidelines that are set out by the law. The
provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act detail how long
particular financial information may be retained on your report,
specify ways for you to make corrections to information that is
contained on your credit report, guarantee your right to see
your credit report, and give you rights when dealing with
creditors.
What specifically are these guidelines and how can they help you
if a credit agency is reporting untrue or misleading information
about your credit history?
1) You have a right to see your credit report. If you have been
turned down for credit, housing or employment based on
information provided by a credit reporting agency, you have a
right to know which agency provided the report. Upon your
request, the creditor must give you the name and address of the
credit reporting agency that they used. Further, the credit
reporting agency must provide you with your credit report upon
your written request for it, and they must do so for no more
than the cost of copying and postage.
2) You have the right to correct your credit report. If the
credit report you receive contains inaccuracies - for instance,
a paid or settled debt is still listed as unpaid - you have the
right to request that it be corrected with the accurate
information. The request must be made in writing, and the credit
reporting agency to whom you make the request must investigate
it within 30 days of their receipt.
3) You have the right to receive a corrected copy of the report
at no additional charge. You may have to pay for postage. You
may make a written request to have a corrected copy of your
credit report sent to you, or to any agency that has requested
your credit report in the past six months for credit purposes,
or in the past two years for employment purposes.
4) You have the right to fair collection practices. If a
creditor is trying to collect a debt from you, they must follow
guidelines designed to prevent you from being harassed. Among
those guidelines are: 1. They can only call you within certain
prescribed hours. 2. They can not share information about you to
any third party without your permission. This includes the fact
that they are attempting to collect a debt. 3. They can not
attempt to contact you at work without your specific permission.
4. They can not use false or misleading statements to extract
information or payments. 5. They must honor a written request to
cease further contact with you. In a world where your credit
report is often your ticket to a better-paying job, housing,
credit and many other things, it's important to know what credit
agencies are reporting about you. Most consumer protection
agencies strongly recommend that you request and carefully read
your credit report every year so that you can correct any
inaccuracies, or request that reports of special circumstances
be attached to the report. It's a small task that could save you
a lot in the long run.
About the author:
If you would like to get more credit information you can visit
our website which contains many credit resources.
http://www.my-credit-report.info This article is copyright
2005, but can be freely reprinted, as long as no changes are
made, including hyperlinks.
