What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)? The FCRA details how creditors can collect information and access debtor’s credit reports. It ensures fairness, accuracy, and privacy of the debtor’s information detailed in credit reports. You can find the complete act in the United States Code Title 15, Section 1681.
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Some permissible purposes for obtaining a consumer’s credit report include
1) The review of a borrower’s credit profile for a credit application;
2) The release of a credit report for a background check and;
3) The request for a credit report by the consumer.
An order from the court, business dealings, and child support considerations are other reasons one can access a credit report.
The FCRA also details what information should be included on a credit report and the length of time they can remain on a credit report. Most negative information stays on a credit report for seven years. Bankruptcy can remain on a credit report for ten years.
Debtors have permission to access their files and a free credit report once a year.