The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides protection against the misuse and misreporting of your credit information. When creditors, collectors, or credit reporting agencies violate the provisions of the FCRA, it can cause a lower credit score, denial of credit, higher interest rates on loans and credit extensions, and more. It's important to recognize when the FCRA has been violated, so you can take action and prevent harm to your credit. This article describes some of the more common FCRA violations.
The FCRA governs the behavior of consumer reporting agencies (also called credit bureaus) and the businesses or individuals that report information to the consumer reporting agencies (CRAs). The CRAs compile this information into your credit report. Your credit report serves an important purpose. It can determine whether you can obtain a mortgage, car loan, job, and even an apartment. The FCRA tells CRAs, creditors, and other authorized persons what they can and cannot do with your credit information.
To learn more about the FCRA, visit our Credit Repair topic area.
If any of these three types of entities (credit bureau, creditor, or information user) violated your rights under the FCRA, you may be able to sue them in state or federal court for damages. For more information, see Remedies for FCRA Violations.