 TITLE: Understanding the Fair Credit Reporting Act CONTENT: How Does the FCRA Help Consumers?\n---------------------------------\nThe FCRA helps protect you by regulating how information in your consumer report can be used and accessed. Here's an overview of the key aspects of the law.\n*   The FCRA gives you the right to be told if information in your credit file is used against you to deny your application for credit, employment or insurance.\n*   The FCRA also gives you the right to request and access all the information a consumer reporting agency has about you (this is called \"file disclosure\"). You can get one free file disclosure every 12 months from each national credit bureau by going to AnnualCreditReport.com.\n*   The FCRA gives you access to your credit report but restricts others' access. In general, access is limited to people with a \"permissible purpose,\" such as landlords, creditors and insurance companies. If an employer wants to see your credit report, you must give written consent; employers must meet other requirements as well, and not all states allow employers to pull credit reports as part of an applicant's background check.\n*   If you find what you believe to be inaccurate or incomplete information on your credit report, you have the right to dispute it. The credit bureau will then contact the data furnisher to confirm whether the information is correct. If it's not, the credit bureau will either correct it or remove it within a certain time period. Accurate negative information, such as bankruptcies and late payments, will be removed after a certain time period.\n*   The FCRA gives you the option to opt out of the pre-screened offers of credit you receive.\n*   Finally, the FCRA gives you the ability to put a security freeze on your credit report, which ensures that potential lenders cannot check your credit report without you first lifting the freeze or providing the specific lender with a one-time PIN to access your credit report.\nSee a more detailed summary of the FCRA below or visit consumerfinance.gov\/learnmore\/ for more information. Keep in mind that in addition to the FCRA laws, some states have their own laws regulating consumer credit reporting; you'll find that information below under \"Notification of Rights.\"\n**_Para informacion en espanol, visite www.consumerfinance.gov\/learnmore o escribe a la Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20552._** END