Section 1681a of the Fair Credit Reporting Act defines an “investigative consumer report” as “
a consumer report or portion thereof in which information on a consumer’s character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living is obtained through personal interviews with neighbors, friends, or
…
Is an investigative consumer report a credit check?
Investigative consumer reports
are not really used to evaluate your creditworthiness
. … The FCRA distinguishes reports on personal character from credit reports, and a lender may not pull an investigative report as part of the credit-granting process.
What does a consumer report show?
A consumer report is
any written, oral or other communication of any information by a Consumer Reporting Agency
bearing on a consumer’s credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living.
What is an investigative consumer reporting agency?
(d) The term “investigative consumer reporting agency” means
any person who, for monetary fees or dues, engages in whole or in part in the practice of collecting, assembling, evaluating, compiling, reporting, transmitting, transferring, or communicating information concerning consumers for the purposes of furnishing
…
What is the difference between a consumer report and an investigative report?
As a rule of thumb, the distinction between the two types of investigations can be thought of as simply verifying the specific facts about education, employment or other information the applicant has provided to the employer (“consumer report”) versus
obtaining more general character or personal information through
…
What do employers look for in a consumer report?
A consumer report contains information about
your personal and credit characteristics, character, general reputation, and lifestyle
. … Some employers only want an applicant’s or employee’s credit payment records; others want driving records and criminal histories.
How far back does a consumer report go?
In California, criminal convictions can only be reported for
seven years
. Under California civil code (The Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act), any misdemeanors, complaints, indictments, arrests, and convictions older than that cannot be reported on background checks.
What is not included in an investigative consumer report?
The term does not include a consumer report or other compilation of information that is
limited to specific factual information relating to a consumer’s credit record or manner of obtaining credit obtained directly from a creditor of the consumer
or from a consumer reporting agency when that information was obtained …
Does a consumer report show your credit score?
Credit reports contain your credit history and are
used to calculate credit scores and gauge your creditworthiness
. … These consumer reports are not used to determine creditworthiness and are not allowed to be used during the credit-granting process.
How long do you have to request an investigative consumer report?
The user must disclose to the consumer that an investigative consumer report may be obtained. This must be done in a written disclosure that is mailed, or otherwise delivered, to the consumer at some time before or not later than
three days
after the date on which the report was first requested.
What is included in a consumer report background check?
Employers routinely obtain consumer reports that include the
verification of the applicant/employee’s Social Security number; current and previous residences; employment history, including all personnel files; education; references; credit history and reports
; criminal history, including records from any criminal …
What is a consumer reporting agency background check?
So, basically, background screening reports are “consumer reports” under the FCRA when
they serve as a factor in determining a person’s eligibility for employment, credit, insurance, housing, or other permissible purposes
and they include information “bearing on a consumer’s credit worthiness, credit standing, credit …
What is an investigative report?
An investigation report is
a document that details the findings of an investigation as soon as a formal complaint is filed or an incident occurs
. This is where investigators record the issues of the matter, analyze the evidence, and formulate a conclusion.
Do I want a copy of my consumer report?
Not all companies are required to provide a free copy of your annual report, although under
federal law all consumer reporting companies must provide you with a copy of your report for a reasonable fee
. … If you’ve applied for a new job and your potential new employer asks for your written authorization to get a report.
Why do employers need a consumer report?
When you apply for a job, your prospective employer may use a consumer report
to evaluate you as a potential employee
. A consumer report is a collection of documents that may include credit reports, criminal and other public records such as bankruptcy filings, and records of civil court procedures and judgments.
Should I request a consumer report?
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers not only credit reports but many of these other consumer reports. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies (CRAs)
must give you a copy of your report if you request it
. … Note that every CRA will not have information on every consumer.
