Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs the activities of credit bureaus and creditors. Among other things, the FCRA requires:

• Creditors to furnish accurate and complete information regarding your credit history.
• Credit bureaus to investigate if you dispute an entry on your credit report. If your claim is valid, your report must be corrected.
• That only people with a legitimate business purpose can obtain a copy of your credit report.

If you suspect a credit bureau is not complying with any of these laws, complain directly to the credit bureau. They may correct the problem. If not, contact the Federal Trade Commission. While they can not always resolve individual complaints, they do use consumers’ complaints and inquiries to decide which companies to investigate for violations.