Fair Credit Reporting (reprinted from the FTC website)
If you've ever applied for a charge account, a personal loan, insurance, or a job, there's a file about you. This file contains information on where you work and live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy.
Companies that gather and sell this information are called Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs). The most common type of CRA is the credit bureau. The information CRAs sell about you to creditors, employers, insurers, and other businesses is called a consumer report.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, is designed to promote accuracy and ensure the privacy of the information used in consumer reports. Recent amendments to the Act expand your rights and place additional requirements on CRAs. Businesses that supply information about you to CRAs and those that use consumer reports also have new responsibilities under the law.
Here are some questions consumers commonly ask about consumer reports and CRAs - and the answers. Note that you may have additional rights under state laws. Contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection agency for more information.
MORE AT: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcra.htm
NOTE: The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
MORE PRIVACY LINKS:
http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/04_7_1.html United States Department of Justice
http://www.usdoj.gov/foia/privstat.htm Privacy Act 1976 Amended
http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm Children's Online Privacy Act 1998
http://www.archives.gov/ NARA: U.S. National Archives & Records Administration
http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm United States Citizenship & Immigration Services
