The Fair Credit Reporting Act Guards Potential Home Buyers From Errors

The Fair Credit Reporting Act, or FCRA, was made into law by Congress to make sure that the information on your credit report is legitimate. This Act gives you, as the consumer, many rights that you may not be cognizant of. This is key as a homeowner or as a potential home buyer because your credit report will establish whether or not you qualify for a loan. If you are eligible, the information on your credit report will serve as the basis for what interest rate the mortgage lender offers you. If there are mistakes on your credit report, you could be denied for a loan or offered a higher interest rate than you deserve. Mistakes on your credit report can be costly.

Mistakes on Your Credit Report Often Go Unnoticed Until You Buy a Home

A mistake can linger on your credit report for years and may go by unnoticed until you try to make a major purchase like a home. Some mistakes are caused by the sheer volume of paperwork that the three credit reporting agencies deal with each and every month, while other errors are typos or other clerical errors. There may be a mistake with your social security number, your loan application or even a variation of your name that can create havoc on your credit report.

Learn How to Approach and Correct a Mistake on Your Credit Report

The number of mistakes on credit reports led to the formation of FCRA, but unfortunately many home owners do not understand how to tackle the mistakes that are on their reports. Once you discover an error, it is important to learn what the next steps in correcting your credit are.

These are the rights that FCRA guarantees you:

--If you are denied a loan, that financial institution has to tell you if you are refused because of your credit report.
--You have the right to know at any given time what the contents of your credit report are.
--You have the right to dispute misinformation on your credit report with the credit reporting agencies.
--Information on your credit report that is incorrect must be taken off or corrected.
--You have the right to dispute wrong information with the source.
--Your credit report can not have obsolete information.
--Lenders and other institutions must have your permission to access your credit report.

It is essential to realize that credit reporting agencies report and are not accountable for whether the information on your report is right or wrong. That responsibility remains on the consumer's shoulders. When you begin a dispute with one of the agencies, keep careful records and always make sure you have a copy of the evidence that you submit to them to dispute the item. Also, look into all three agencies for inaccurate information and start a dispute with all three agencies for each item that is incorrect.

Vigilance is the Optimum Way to Guard Your Credit Report and Good Name

Be aware that you may have to dispute information more than once. Maintain records of these disputes and any supporting evidence you use. It is always a good idea to dispute information at all three bureaus at the same time. These companies do not compare notes on reports and there is no other way of ensuring that all inaccuracies are taken care of. Know your rights and specifics about how long particular data may stay on your credit report. Be vigilant, and you will be able to have confidence in your credit score.