What is the FCRA?
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Fair Credit Reporting Act Guidelines and other Collection Agency topics.
What is the FCRA?
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the law that restricts who has access to people's sensitive credit information and what uses can be made of it. 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.
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