We
repair credit, clean credit, and fix credit. We delete late
payments and paid collections.
We
also correct credit after Bankruptcy, Repossession, Divorce
and Foreclosure.
We
negotiate collections, charge-offs, and judgments.
We
improve credit scores [Fico, Fair Isaac, Beacon, and Empirica]
.
After
your credit issues are resolved or neutralized, then we will
advise you on how to re-establish your credit if needed.
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FAIR CREDIT
REPORTING ACT (FCRA): SUMMARY
The
federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designed to
promote accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the
files of every "consumer reporting agency" (CRA).
Most CRAs are credit bureaus that gather and sell information
about you -- such as if you pay your bills on time or have
filed bankruptcy -- to creditors, employers, landlords, and
other businesses. The complete
text of the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. §§1681-1681u is available
online. The FCRA gives you specific rights, as outlined below.
You may have additional rights under state law. You may
contact a state or local consumer protection agency or a state
attorney general to learn those rights.
- You
must be told if information in your file has been used
against you. Anyone who uses information from a CRA to
take action against you -- such as denying an application
for credit, insurance, or employment -- must tell you, and
give you the name, address, and phone number of the CRA
that provided the consumer report.
- You
can find out what is in your file. At your request, a CRA
must give you the information in your file, and a list of
everyone who has requested it recently. There is no charge
for the report if a person has taken action against you
because of information supplied by the CRA, if you request
the report within 60 days of receiving notice of the
action. You also are entitled to one free report every
twelve months upon request if you certify that (1) you are
unemployed and plan to seek employment within 60 days, (2)
you are on welfare, or (3) your report is inaccurate due
to fraud. Otherwise, a CRA may charge you up to eight
dollars.
- You
can dispute inaccurate information with the CRA. If you
tell a CRA that your file contains inaccurate information,
the CRA must investigate the items (usually within 30
days) by presenting to its information source all relevant
evidence you submit, unless your dispute is frivolous. The
source must review your evidence and report its findings
to the CRA. (The source also must advise national CRAs --
to which it has provided the data -- of any error.) The
CRA must give you a written report of the investigation,
and a copy of your report if the investigation results in
any change. If the CRA's investigation does not resolve
the dispute, you may add a brief statement to your file.
The CRA must normally include a summary of your statement
in future reports. If an item is deleted or a dispute
statement is filed, you may ask that anyone who has
recently received your report be notified of the change.
- Inaccurate
information must be corrected or deleted. A CRA must
remove or correct inaccurate or unverified information
from its files, usually within 30 days after you dispute
it. However, the CRA is not required to remove accurate
data from your file unless it is outdated (as described
below) or cannot be verified. If your dispute results in
any change to your report, the CRA cannot reinsert into
your file a disputed item unless the information source
verifies its accuracy and completeness. In addition, the
CRA must give you a written notice telling you it has
reinserted the item. The notice must include the name,
address and phone number of the information source.
- You
can dispute inaccurate items with the source of the
information. If you tell anyone -- such as a creditor who
reports to a CRA -- that you dispute an item, they may not
then report the information to a CRA without including a
notice of your dispute. In addition, once you've notified
the source of the error in writing, it may not continue to
report the information if it is, in fact, an error.
- Outdated
information may not be reported. In most cases, a CRA may
not report negative information that is more than seven
years old; ten years for bankruptcies.
- Access
to your file is limited. A CRA may provide information
about you only to people with a need recognized by the
FCRA -- usually to consider an application with a
creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business.
- Your
consent is required for reports that are provided to
employers, or reports that contain medical information. A
CRA may not give out information about you to your
employer, or prospective employer, without your written
consent. A CRA may not report medical information about
you to creditors, insurers, or employers without your
permission.
- You
may choose to exclude your name from CRA lists for
unsolicited credit and insurance offers. Creditors and
insurers may use file information as the basis for sending
you unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. Such offers
must include a toll-free phone number for you to call if
you want your name and address removed from future lists.
If you call, you must be kept off the lists for two years.
If you request, complete, and return the CRA form provided
for this purpose, you must be taken off the lists
indefinitely.
- You
may seek damages from violators. If a CRA, a user or (in
some cases) a provider of CRA data, violates the FCRA, you
may sue them in state or federal court.
The
FCRA gives several different federal agencies authority to
enforce the FCRA:
| FOR
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING |
PLEASE
CONTACT |
| CRAs,
creditors and others not listed below |
Federal
Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center- FCRA
Washington, DC 20580 * 202-326-3761 |
| National
banks, federal branches/agencies of foreign banks
(word "National" or initials "N.A."
appear in or after bank's name) |
Office
of the Comptroller of the Currency
Compliance Management, Mail Stop 6-6
Washington, DC 20219 * 800-613-6743 |
| Federal
Reserve System member banks (except national banks,
and federal branches/agencies of foreign banks) |
Federal
Reserve Board
Division of Consumer & Community Affairs
Washington, DC 20551 * 202-452-3693 |
| Savings
associations and federally chartered savings banks
(word "Federal" or initials "F.S.B."
appear in federal institution's name) |
Office
of Thrift Supervision
Consumer Programs
Washington D.C. 20552* 800- 842-6929 |
| Federal
credit unions (words "Federal Credit Union"
appear in institution's name) |
National
Credit Union Administration
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314 * 703-518-6360 |
| State-chartered
banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve
System |
Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation
Division of Compliance & Consumer Affairs
Washington, DC 20429 * 800-934-FDIC |
| Air,
surface, or rail common carriers regulated by former
Civil Aeronautics Board or Interstate Commerce
Commission |
Department
of Transportation
Office of Financial Management
Washington, DC 20590 * 202-366-1306 |
| Activities
subject to the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 |
Department
of Agriculture
Office of Deputy Administrator-GIPSA
Washington, DC 20250 * 202-720-7051 |
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