A credit report is a snapshot of your financial history that lenders and employers use to make decisions about you. It can impact your ability to get jobs, mortgages and loans. Inaccuracies in these reports can be devastating. An FCRA lawyer can help protect your rights, correct mistakes and prevent future problems.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ensures accuracy, privacy and fairness in the reporting of consumer information. The law governs both credit bureaus and those who furnish information to them. It provides you with several important protections, including the right to access your credit report, the right to dispute errors and the right to be told when information from your credit file is used against you in a decision to deny you employment or credit.
Before the FCRA lawyers, it was common for creditors and employers to make decisions about consumers without even seeing their credit reports. This practice often deprived people of opportunities to advance in their careers, secure financial resources and make major purchases. The FCRA changed all that, providing you with the right to a free credit report and a way to contest inaccurate information in it.
Inaccurate credit report and background check information can keep you from getting the job or loan you want, a good apartment, a new car and more. It can also hurt your chances of securing life insurance and health coverage. Inaccurate information can even have criminal consequences such as wrongful arrest and conviction for crimes that never occurred.
An FCRA attorney can help you understand your rights and take action against a credit agency, employer or other party who violates the law. This may include pursuing statutory damages such as those laid out in the law. A good FCRA lawyer can handle the entire process of pursuing compensation, from filing a lawsuit to working out a settlement or winning your case in court.
When you hire an FCRA lawyer, look for one with whom you feel comfortable sharing personal and sensitive information. Your attorney will be your advocate and ally, and you will need to be able to communicate with him or her easily, professionally and respectfully.
Another consideration when hiring an FCRA lawyer is his or her experience. Look for an attorney with at least a few years of litigation experience, and who has handled complex cases involving the FCRA. The attorney you choose should be knowledgeable about the laws governing credit and background checks, and be experienced with litigating against large corporations and institutions.
Once an FCRA lawyer has taken on your case, he or she will review your complaint and the procedures for disputing inaccurate information at each of the credit agencies. He or she will also review the CRAs’ websites to find their address, toll-free telephone numbers and dispute letter templates. He or she will draft and prepare the package for submission to the CRAs, including the letter, marked-up credit report and supporting documents. This package is usually submitted via certified mail, which preserves your right to sue the companies for violating the FCRA.