BBB advises Mississippians to use credit reports wisely

Everyone is aware that bad credit can affect your ability to obtain additional credit.

But not everyone is aware that it can also affect your ability to get or keep a job.

Employers often use a credit report when hiring or evaluating employees for promotion, reassignment or retention.

“Under the Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA), an employer must get permission to look at an individual's credit report,” said Bill Moak, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Mississippi.

“Additionally, if bad credit is the basis for an employer failing to hire someone, the employer must show them their credit report.”

The BBB urges all consumers to obtain a credit report annually. The reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - are required to provide consumers with a free credit report, upon request, once every 12 months.

The three ways to request these reports are:
# Call toll-free 877-322-8228
# Mail to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P O Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

According to the FCRA, both the reporting company and the information provider are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information on individual reports.

Therefore, to protect rights, the BBB advises consumers to contact both entities when disputing any information on their reports.

The BBB mission is to promote the highest ethical marketplace relationship between businesses and the public through self-regulation, education and information.

source : http://www.google.com/news?