What Are My Rights Under the FCRA ?
Your Rights. Your Credit. Your Life. Protected Under Federal Law.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a powerful federal law that gives you, the
consumer, specific rights when it comes to your credit report, background checks,
and the accuracy of your personal financial information. When credit reporting agencies
or furnishers violate these rights, you may be entitled to compensation—at no cost
to you.
At Story Law Group, we represent consumers across the United States in credit
reporting violations, including:
Incorrect credit reporting
Mixed/merged credit files
Identity theft accounts
Failure to investigate disputes
Reporting after bankruptcy
Debt collection reporting errors
Background report inaccuracies for employment or housing
You pay nothing out of pocket. The FCRA requires the violating company to pay
your attorney fees, not you.
Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act
The FCRA gives you powerful legal protections. Here are the rights every consumer
should know:
01
The Right to Accurate Credit Reporting
Credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and furnishers (banks, lenders, debt
collectors) must report accurate and complete information.
This means no false accounts, wrong balances, outdated information, or accounts
that don’t belong to you.
If your report contains inaccurate information, your rights are being violated.
02
The Right to Dispute Errors for Free
You have the right to dispute any incorrect, incomplete, outdated, or fraudulent
information on your credit report.
Once you dispute:
- The credit bureaus must conduct a reasonable investigation
- They must respond within 30 days
- They must correct or delete inaccurate information
If they fail to investigate properly, you may be entitled to statutory damages up to $1,000, plus compensation for emotional and financial harm.
03
The Right to a Free Credit Report
Under federal law, you have the right to:
- One free credit report per year from each bureau
- Additional free reports after an adverse action (credit denial, job denial, insurance
rate increase) - A free report if you are a victim of identity theft or fraud
You can access them anytime at AnnualCreditReport.com.
04
The Right to Know If Your Credit Report Was Used Against You
If you’re denied credit, housing, employment, or insurance, the company must
provide:
- A written adverse action notice
- The name of the bureau that supplied the report
- Your rights to dispute and request a copy
Failure to provide these notices is a violation of the FCRA.
05
The Right to Have Old or Obsolete Information Removed
Negative credit information cannot stay on your report forever:
- Late payments: 7 years
- Collections: 7 years
- Charge-offs: 7 years
- Chapter 13 bankruptcy: 7 years
- Chapter 7 bankruptcy: 10 years
- Paid tax liens: should not be reported at all
- Civil judgments: should not be reported at all
If old or outdated items appear, you have the right to have them removed.
06
The Right to Privacy and Limited Access
Only authorized parties may access your credit report—such as lenders, employers,
landlords, or insurers.
If someone pulls your credit without permission, it's a violation of federal law.
07
The Right to Seek Compensation for Violations
When a credit bureau, bank, or debt collector breaks the law, YOU are entitled to:
- Actual damages (financial losses, emotional distress)
- Statutory damages up to $1,000
- Punitive damages in willful cases
- Attorney’s fees and costs paid by the violating company
This means you pay nothing to bring an FCRA claim.
Common FCRA Violations We See Every Day
Consumers contact us regularly for:
- Accounts that belong to someone else (mixed files)
- Identity theft accounts reporting as legitimate
- Wrong balances, late payments, or charge-off dates
- Credit reporting after a bankruptcy discharge
- Debt collectors reporting inaccurate information
- Credit bureaus failing to fix errors after a dispute
- Employment background check errors
- Hard inquiries you didn’t authorize
If any of these sound familiar, you may have a claim.
Why Choose Story Law Group?
Consumer Protection Attorneys Focused Exclusively on FCRA & Credit Reporting
Cases.
- No charge to you—ever.
- We make the credit bureaus and furnishers pay OUR fees.
- We fight every day for victims of inaccurate reporting.
- You get real attorneys handling your case personally—not a call center.
Our mission is simple: Fix your credit. Hold them accountable. Cost you nothing.
Free Consultation — Start Today
You don’t have to live with inaccurate credit reporting.
You don’t have to fight the credit bureaus alone.
📞 Call us now for a FREE consultation
📩 Or submit your case online — no cost, no obligation
$ You pay nothing unless we win.
Your credit is your financial future.
Let us protect it.