Credit Law

A summary of your rights under the FCRA, FACT Act and other consumer laws.

When Congress approved the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) in 1996, its goal was simple: Put an end to the misleading and frivolous practices of certain “credit repair” organizations. Lately CROA is being misused by class action lawyers to target credit bureaus.

Consumers are protected by several personal finance, credit and identity theft regulations. You could have some serious credit clout, if you know how to use these laws. Learn about the top consumer protection laws and how to exercise your consumer rights.

Emergency payday loans are controversial. With annual percentage rates as high as 5,000%, payday loans can seem like a terrible deal. In this article, our credit experts compare the costs of some alternatives and explain when using a payday loan may actually a good idea.

ChoicePoint became a household name in 2005 when a data breach case involving 163,000 consumer records made headlines around the world. Read what Matthew Furman, Vice President Corporate Communications for ChoicePoint, has to say about identity theft, data privacy and consumer security issues.

From the local strip mall to the internet, the payday lending industry is booming. But what is a payday loan? Is it as bad as some people say? Credit.com gives you straight answers about payday loans.

Each state has it's own set payday lending laws. See what your state has set as the maximum fees and finance charges for these short term loans.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a federal law that regulates how consumer credit reporting agencies can use your sensitive credit information.

Credit.com's personal finance law expert decodes the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for consumers. Learn what legal and illegal behavior for collection agencies.

Review the full text of this regulation that protects consumers from abusive and harmful debt collection practices.

Did you know that you are entitled to a free credit report from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion once every 12 months? In this article, Credit.com's experts show you how to order your free credit reports, hidden tricks to making the ordering process go smoothly and ideas for making the best use of this free service.

What does the 2005 passage of the bankruptcy reform mean to consumers? This pro-business legislation will make it more difficult for people with financial problems to start over.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act, or FACTA) allows consumers to receive a free copy of their credit report once a year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Other provisions help to protect consumers against identity theft by making it easier to detect and block identity thieves trying to open fraudulent accounts. This article explains what FACTA means to consumers.