All Issues

Credit Reporting & Data Fairness

NCLC led the way when the United States passed its first data fairness law, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, in 1970 and continues to fight for fair treatment by the original traffickers of Big Data – credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) – as well as tenant- and background-screening companies and new hawkers of our information. NCLC advocates for more and better protections for credit reports, and other consumer data by fighting for accuracy, fairness, privacy, and holding companies accountable when they violate the law.

Key Topics

Alternative Data & Algorithms

Working to ensure that use of alternative data and algorithms will help, not hurt, consumers.

Background Checks

Fighting inaccurate and discriminatory criminal background checks that are a bar to jobs and housing.

Consumer Protections for Renters

Protecting renters from abuses in tenant screening, rental debt collection, junk fees, and more.

Credit Repair & Credit Monitoring Products

Fighting against shady credit repair firms and pricy credit monitoring products.

Credit Reporting & Scores

Combating errors, bias, abuses, and racial inequity in the credit reporting system.

Tenant Screening

Ensuring that inaccurate and discriminatory tenant screening is not a bar to housing.

Featured

Recent Resources

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The Hill: ‘Positive’ medical debt credit reporting is a Trojan horse

November 6, 2024

2024 Letter Urging Regulators to Protect Credit Scores of Survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

October 31, 2024

CFPB Personal Financial Data Rights Rule Promotes Competition While Safeguarding Consumer Rights

October 22, 2024

2025 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

October 21, 2024

Cracking the Code: Understanding and Overcoming Language Barriers in Consumer Finance

September 24, 2024

“What the Heck, Dude!”: How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

September 5, 2024

What the Heck, Dude! New Report Focuses on How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

September 5, 2024

National Public Data Breach Shows Urgent Need for CFPB to Regulate Data Brokers

August 19, 2024

NCLC Comments Supporting CFPB Proposal to Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reports

August 12, 2024

Comments & Letters

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2024 Letter Urging Regulators to Protect Credit Scores of Survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

October 31, 2024

NCLC Comments Supporting CFPB Proposal to Ban Medical Debt From Credit Reports

August 12, 2024

NCLC Petition for Rulemaking under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act to Protect Renters

August 12, 2024

Petition to the CFPB for FCRA Rulemaking on Coerced Debt

August 2, 2024

Sign-on Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee re the American Privacy Rights Act (ARPA)

June 25, 2024

Letter Raising Concerns Regarding the American Privacy Rights Act

May 8, 2024

Group Letter to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee in Support of the DELETE Act

April 16, 2024

Comments to Proposed Rule re Use of Equifax The Work Number by Social Security Admin

April 15, 2024

NCLC Urges Support for Illinois HB 4507

February 26, 2024

Reports

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Cracking the Code: Understanding and Overcoming Language Barriers in Consumer Finance

September 24, 2024

“What the Heck, Dude!”: How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

September 5, 2024

Digital Denials: How Abuse, Bias, and Lack of Transparency in Tenant Screening Harm Renters

September 26, 2023

Too Damn High: How Junk Fees Add to Skyrocketing Rents

March 13, 2023

Don’t Add Further Insult to Injury: Medical Debt & Credit Reports

January 6, 2023

Mission Creep: a Primer on Use of Credit Reports & Scores for Non-Credit Purposes

August 3, 2022

Don’t Add Insult to Injury: Medical Debt & Credit Reports

November 4, 2019

Automated Injustice Redux: Ten Years After a Key Report, Consumers Are Still Frustrated Trying to Fix Credit Reporting Errors

February 1, 2019

Paper Statements: An Important Consumer Protection

March 1, 2016

Issue Briefs

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2025 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

October 21, 2024

Take Action to Support the CFPB’s Medical Debt Credit Reporting Proposal

June 27, 2024

Myths and Facts About Improving Credit Repair State Laws

March 14, 2024

Even the Catch-22s Come With Catch-22s: Potential Harms & Drawbacks of Rent Reporting

March 6, 2024

2024 Credit & Consumer Reporting Priorities to Promote Economic Stability

March 6, 2024

Past Imperfect: How Credit Scores and Other Analytics “Bake In” and Perpetuate Past Discrimination

February 27, 2024

Why We Need the FCEA to Keep Credit Reports Out of Hiring Decisions Now

March 15, 2023

2023-2024 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

January 13, 2023

Credit Monitoring: A Bad Deal for Consumers

September 12, 2022

Testimony

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Testimony on the 2023 Fair Chance in Employment Act

July 20, 2023

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before the Massachusetts Legislature in Support of H.1429/S.894: An Act Regulating the Use of Credit Reporting in Housing

January 11, 2022

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before Fintech Task Force of the US House Financial Services Committee on Preserving the Right of Consumers to Access Personal Financial Data

September 21, 2021

Testimony Regarding “A Biased, Broken System: Examining Proposals to Overhaul Credit Reporting to Achieve Equity”

June 29, 2021

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before the Massachusetts Legislature in Support of H2019/S1153: the Fair Chance in Employment Act

June 29, 2021

Testimony on Consumer Credit Reporting: Assessing Accuracy and Compliance

May 26, 2021

Testimony Before House Financial Services Committee Regarding “Fair Credit Reporting Act: How It Functions for Consumers and the Economy”

June 4, 2003

Press Releases & News

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The Hill: ‘Positive’ medical debt credit reporting is a Trojan horse

November 6, 2024

CFPB Personal Financial Data Rights Rule Promotes Competition While Safeguarding Consumer Rights

October 22, 2024

What the Heck, Dude! New Report Focuses on How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

September 5, 2024

National Public Data Breach Shows Urgent Need for CFPB to Regulate Data Brokers

August 19, 2024

American Banker: Don’t blame credit repair for surging consumer complaints

July 3, 2024

New Draft of Privacy Rights Act Removes Essential Protections for  Consumer and Civil Rights

June 26, 2024

HUD Takes Aim at Discriminatory Practices by Tenant Screening Companies and Housing Providers

May 3, 2024

CFPB Report Confirms Credit Reporting of Medical Debt is a Racial Justice Issue

April 30, 2024

California AG Rob Bonta, Senator Limón Unveil Legislation to Protect Consumers Against Medical Debt

March 11, 2024

Amicus Briefs

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Amicus Brief in Henderson v. the Source for Public Data

October 15, 2021

Amicus Brief: BBBB Bonding Corp. v. Caldwell

August 5, 2021

Amicus Brief in Transunion v. Ramirez in Support of the Respondent

March 15, 2021

Amicus Brief: CDIA v. Frey

January 26, 2021

Amicus Brief in Cook County v. Wolfe

January 24, 2020

Amicus Brief in State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

January 24, 2020

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