Equifax
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Your credit report contains private information about you. For that reason, the federal FCRA restricts access to that information to businesses having a "legitimate business need." However, this includes many groups: child support enforcement agencies, potential lenders, landlords, companies you have an account with, and employers, among others.
As a consumer, you have several important rights regarding your report from the credit agencies, including Equifax. You have the right to a copy of the report (free, in certain circumstances). You have the right to know who has received a copy or inquired about you. A very important right empowers you to dispute inaccurate information. Upon request, the credit reporting agency must explain any negative information.
Your Credit Report From Equifax
It is important that you know what can and cannot be placed in your credit report from Equifax. What can be included are your identifying information, employment information, and credit information. Your payment history is a major factor businesses look at when they run a credit check. Late payments from any source (banks, utilities) and overdrawn accounts are included, as are delinquent child support payments.
Equally important is what is not included in a report from Equifax or any of the credit bureaus. You will not find any information about your race, religion, driving record, criminal record, political party, or your current health or medical history. Also excluded are debts more than seven years old and bankruptcies more than 10 years old.
