Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) — 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.
You have powerful rights. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law designed to promote accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in the files of consumer reporting agencies. Below is a summary of your major rights. For the full text, visit consumer.ftc.gov.
You have the right to know what information is in your consumer report. You may request and obtain all the information about you in the files of a consumer reporting agency. You are entitled to a free file disclosure if a company takes adverse action against you based on your credit report.
You have the right to request your credit score. Credit scores are numerical summaries of your creditworthiness based on information in your credit file. You may request your score from any consumer reporting agency that creates scores.
If you identify information in your file that is incomplete or inaccurate, you may dispute it with the consumer reporting agency. The agency must investigate (usually within 30 days) and record the current status of the disputed information or delete it. If the investigation does not resolve the dispute, you may add a brief statement to your file.
Consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information, usually within 30 days. However, they are not required to remove accurate data unless it is outdated or cannot be verified.
Most negative information cannot be reported after 7 years. Bankruptcies can be reported for 10 years. There is no time limit on reporting information about criminal convictions, information reported due to an application for a job with a salary over $75,000, or information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 in credit or life insurance.
A consumer reporting agency may not furnish information about you to your employer, or a potential employer, without your written consent. A consumer reporting agency may not furnish information about you in connection with an employment application without proper authorization.
You may limit "prescreened" offers of credit and insurance you receive based on information in your credit report. You may opt out by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).
You may sue a consumer reporting agency, a user of consumer report information, or — in some cases — a provider of information to a consumer reporting agency for violations of the FCRA in either state or federal court. Successful plaintiffs may recover actual damages, statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per violation, and attorney's fees.
If you are a victim of identity theft, you have additional rights, including the right to place a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit file, and the right to obtain copies of documents relating to fraudulent transactions made in your name.
An "adverse action" includes a denial of credit, insurance, or employment, or any other decision that negatively affects you and is based in whole or in part on information contained in a consumer report.
If a professional uses information from Mr. Pull to take adverse action against you, they are required by law to:
If you believe your rights under FCRA have been violated, you may file a complaint with:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Website: consumerfinance.gov/complaint
Phone: (855) 411-CFPB (2372)
For questions about your rights or to dispute information in a report obtained through Mr. Pull:
Mr. Pull — Consumer Rights
Email: disputes@mrpull.com
Phone: (915) 555-0100
Response Time: Within 5 business days