Equifax credit reports often are broken up into ten sections:  Summary, Revolving Accounts, Mortgage Accounts, Installment Accounts, Other Accounts, Consumer Statements, Personal Information, Inquiries, Public Records, and Collections. The Summary section provides an overall view into the credit report without getting into significant detail.  It typically shows the average age of a

YOUR CREDIT REPORTS SHOULD ONLY CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT YOU. Your credit reports play a critical role in your financial life.  They contain personal information about your credit activity, financial history, employment history, and other personal information.  Lenders use your credit reports to determine your eligibility for loans, interest rates, utility services, and

Have you been denied a loan because of your credit report, but you don’t know what is on your credit report?  Have you been denied a job because of a background report, but you have no idea what is in the background report?  Do you suspect that background reporting companies are reporting

When an eviction shows up on a tenant screening report, it can have devastating consequences.  It oftentimes can mean that a potential landlord is going to deny your application.  But sometimes an eviction shows up in a tenant screening report when the applicant actually has never been evicted.  What then? A federal

When Experian, Equifax, or Trans Union report inaccurate information to potential creditors, their errors can have devastating consequences.  Sometimes the potential creditor will raise the interest rate that you must pay because the error makes it look like your credit is worse than it actually is.  And sometimes the potential creditor will

With the end of the year fast approaching, some employees are anticipating the receipt of an end-of-the-year bonus. If you’ve received a bonus – whether during the holidays or the rest of the year – you should make sure that your employer is paying you properly.  In some cases, a bonus must

As with nearly every law, individuals are limited in the amount of time they have to file a lawsuit when their rights have been violated.  The legal term for this timeframe is “statute of limitations.” Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a lawsuit for violations of this federal law must be

You’ve lost a job because a background check company reported inaccurate information about you.  All is not lost.  You may be able to file a lawsuit under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to obtain damages from the background check company.  What types of damages might be available? Lost Wages. The FCRA allows you

The Fair Credit Reporting Act contains requirements for the “user” (i.e., the employer) of an employment background report.  The law requires that an employer must: 1.  Obtain your written authorization to access your background (or consumer) report; and 2.  Provide you with a disclosure that it may use the background report for employment purposes. Both of

When you review your credit report, oftentimes you are looking to make sure there are no errors. A consistent review of your credit report is important because errors, such as incorrect information that make your financial picture appear inflated to potential creditors, may cause you to be unable to obtain credit, including