The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you powerful rights most people don't know about
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681) is one of the most powerful consumer protection laws in the United States. It gives you specific, enforceable rights over the information that companies collect and share about you. Vigilant Privacy helps you exercise every one of these rights.
FCRA Section 609
Every consumer reporting agency (CRA) must disclose the contents of your file upon request. This includes your credit reports, employment screening reports, check verification reports, insurance risk scores, and more. Most people only know about Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, but there are over 37 CRAs that may have files on you, including ChexSystems, LexisNexis, Innovis, DISA Global Solutions, HireRight, and many more.
FCRA Section 611
If you find errors in your consumer reports, you have the right to dispute them. The CRA must investigate within 30 days (or 45 days if you provide additional information). If the information cannot be verified, it must be removed. Vigilant Privacy generates dispute letters citing the exact FCRA sections and tracks deadlines for you.
FCRA Section 609(a)(3)
Your consumer report must include a record of everyone who has requested it in the past two years (one year for employment inquiries). If companies are pulling your report without a permissible purpose, that's an FCRA violation worth $100-$1,000 per occurrence.
FCRA Section 616-617
If a CRA or furnisher willfully or negligently violates the FCRA, you can sue for actual damages, statutory damages of $100-$1,000 per violation, punitive damages, and attorney's fees. Many FCRA attorneys work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront.
FCRA Section 605A
You can freeze your credit reports for free at all three major bureaus. A freeze prevents new creditors from accessing your report, which stops identity thieves from opening accounts in your name. You can temporarily lift the freeze when you need to apply for credit.
FCRA Section 604(e)
Credit bureaus sell your information to companies that send prescreened credit and insurance offers. You have the right to opt out at OptOutPrescreen.com. Vigilant Privacy automatically submits this opt-out for every subscriber during onboarding.
FCRA Section 612
You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each major bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com. Additionally, you can request free reports if you've been denied credit, are unemployed and seeking employment, are on public assistance, or suspect fraud.
FCRA Section 605
Most negative information must be removed after 7 years. Bankruptcies can remain for 10 years (Chapter 7) or 7 years (Chapter 13). Tax liens, once paid, should be removed. If negative information is older than these limits, you can dispute it for removal.
Vigilant Privacy helps you exercise all of these rights. We request your files from 37+ agencies, identify errors, generate dispute letters, track deadlines, and escalate when agencies don't respond. Start your free trial to take control of your consumer reports.