The Fair Credit Reporting Act

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was originally enacted in 1970, and was amended in 2003. It applied to consumer reporting agencies, which are companies that collect and distribute information about people’s credit. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies must provide you, upon your request, with a free copy of your credit report once per year. This is so you can verify the information contained in your credit report and dispute anything that disagree with. You can request your free report via phone, mail, or www.annualcreditreport.com. The FCRA also dictates how long negative information can be retained on your credit report. This is usually seven years, though bankruptcies stay for ten years.

If you feel that you have an issue with your credit report, contact a Jacksonville Consumer Law Attorney today at 904-685-1200.