Your credit history is an important factor that’s taken into consideration when you apply for a mortgage – so making sure the information in your credit report is accurate is essential. Here is a summary of your rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- You must be told if information in your file has been used against you to deny your application for credit.
- You have the right to know what is in your file.
- You have the right to ask for your credit score.
- You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information – and consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information.
- In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old, or bankruptcies that are more than 10 years old.
- You must give your consent for reports to be provided to employers.
Identity theft victims and active duty military personnel have additional rights. For more information, visit http://www.ftc.gov/credit
