Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

What Is the FCRA?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of information in credit reporting agency files.

Your Key Rights Under the FCRA

Right to Access Your Reports

You have the right to see what's in your credit file. You're entitled to one free report from each bureau every 12 months.

Right to Dispute Inaccuracies

If you find incomplete or inaccurate information, you can dispute it with both the credit bureau and the company that provided the information.

Right to Know Who Accessed Your Report

You can see who has accessed your credit report in the past two years for employment purposes, and past one year for other purposes.

Right to Limit Access

Only businesses with a valid need—such as creditors, insurers, landlords, or employers with your consent—can access your credit report.

Right to Seek Damages

If a credit bureau or information provider violates the FCRA, you may be able to sue for damages in state or federal court.

Right to Opt Out of Prescreened Offers

You can opt out of unsolicited credit and insurance offers based on your credit file by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visiting OptOutPrescreen.com.

Right to a Security Freeze

You can place or lift a security freeze on your credit report for free, which prevents lenders from accessing your credit without your consent.

Key Takeaway

The FCRA gives you significant rights over your credit information. Understanding these rights is the first step to defending your credit profile.