Category: Media

Kucinich, DFAS, ABC, employers and credit scores

According to the web site of Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), employees at a federal agency have been suspended due to low credit scores.

kucinich20101
Rep. Dennis Kucinich

A press release on kucinich.house.gov states, “The bipartisan group requested a suspension of a policy that has resulted in the unjust suspension of employees for reasons such as a low personal credit score until a full review can be conducted.”

The sub-headline is “Employees Suspended Indefinitely for Reasons such as Low Credit Scores.”

The release refers to a letter to the director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) that was signed by Kucinich and three other Ohio members of the House of Representatives.  The letter uses the term “credit rating,” but does not contain the word score.

Consumer reporting agencies Equifax, TransUnion and Experian all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment screening.  A day before the Representatives’ letter, TransUnion submitted written testimony to the House Financial Services Committee stating: “We believe it is worth noting that credit scores are not used in connection with employment. TransUnion will not provide any score on a credit report that is obtained for employment purposes.”

A. Troy Marshall is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) – Local 3283.  Representative Marcia L. Fudge is a member of the House of Representatives from Ohio’s 11th district.  ABC news reports, “Marshall, however, argues that DFAS is making decisions based simply on the credit score” and “Like Fudge, Marshall says he’s not opposed to credit checks in principal, but says he believes the government should take an employees‘ performance and work history into account instead of relying just on a credit score.”

The Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals reviews cases regarding employees, contractors, security clearances and debts using the “whole-person analysis.”

Credit Karma suggests having creditors lie to credit bureaus


Credit Karma suggests groveling
Credit Karma suggests groveling

Credit Karma CEO Ken Lin says that if you don’t like your credit history, just make one up.

Yesterday, the ABC News NOW interview subject said to beg your lender to change its report to the consumer reporting agencies about you to something more positive.  Lin thinks pestering the bank helps, too.  “You might want to try multiple times if you don’t get a good result the first time,” he said.

Anchor Tanya Rivero plays right along as Lin says, “It’s been known to happen where you can get a lender to remove a delinquency particularly if you were traveling or some other occurence happens.” 

Lin’s malarkey about lying is known elswhere as the Goodwill Adjustment, and is a fashionable notion in pop media circles.

(This vidcap that makes him look like a bozo is a coincidence.)

Employers, scores and WBIR 10 News at Five

WBIR TV-10, Knoxville asks, “Did you know that many potential employers check your credit score?”

And, the people at the East Tennessee Gannett television station want you to tell them what you think.  Their website says, “Selected comments will air on Wednesday’s 10 News at Five.” 

Here is one comment that may or may not make it on the air:

GregFisher wrote:

Consumer reporting agency Equifax stated, “We do not knowingly provide scores for pre employment screening.”

Experian stated, “Experian’s business policy prevents the inclusion of credit scores with an employment report, at Experian called Employment Insight.”

And, in Oregon, a TransUnion official testified, “There’s no such thing as a credit score in employment.”

http://tinyurl.com/ylqv76y

Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

UPDATE, 3/3/2010, 10 pm

It didn’t make it.

What did make it was one that said, “A low credit score does not mean someone will not be a valuable or trustworthy employee.”

That’s another one to add to the video compilation.

Impossible zero credit score: Ulzheimer 1, Ramsey 0

Exploding Dave Ramsey’s Zero Credit Score Myth on Ramsey’s Home Turf

Following the Credit CARD Act becoming effective, Credit.com’s John Ulzheimer appeared on the FOX Business Network  (“the only business network in true high definition”) this morning in a segment called “Tips for Boosting Your Credit Score.”

Cross-promoting “financial expert” blowhard Dave Ramsey, anchor Brian Sullivan referred to his colleague saying, snarkily, “I am sure you are very familiar with a guy named Dave Ramsey, right?” (3:00)

On the other hand, his tone, dripping with sarcasm, could have been evidence of utter disdain for Ramsey’s schtick.

Unimpressed, Ulzheimer said: “I’m familiar with Dave.  Yes.” 

Sullivan repeats the mantra that Ramsey’s score is “famously zero” and qualifies it with “or low” (and fails to mention that it could be nonexistent).

The guest chuckles and says that that is incorrect because a person cannot have a score of zero because the scale is 300 to 850.

The host interrupted the guest when he made that point. Ulzheimer politely allowed him to speak, then finished the interview.

Let’s hope FBN has Ulzheimer back on the air even though he flogged the interviewer and the crazy zero claim.  Outside of the FICO company itself (and even that is questionable), nobody knows more about– and can better explain– credit scores.  Get his book if you don’t believe it.

So, what is so bad about Ramsey saying that his FICO credit score is zero?  Imagine a guy who hears that his score is 425 and thinks he’s halfway to 850 when, in reality, his score is in the lowest 2%.  Perhaps it is the fault of the FICO company with its arcane scale (instead of something logical like 0 to 1000), but it is what it is.

Mr. Ramsey, tell the truth.  What are your scores, really?
 

 

Into the Audience – Credit scores and employers, CNM

The internet:  A place where almost anybody can write almost any nonsense. 

Here’s a good example.  CNM News Network’s piece on credit scores states, “Currently, employers can pull a job applicant’s credit report, but don’t have access to the actual score.”

However, the title is “Foreclosures and Job Hunting Don’t Mix as Employers Check Credit Scores.”

Watch as the publisher reacts to a comment on its page:

Your article says that employers don’t have access to credit scores, but your title screams that employers check them.

What gives?  Who told you that employers check credit scores?

Greg Fisher

Continue reading Into the Audience – Credit scores and employers, CNM

Cub reporters document employers saying they use credit scores

Recently, a Reuters blogger said that the CEO of credit score company FICO told him that employers use credit scores.

But despite FICO’s claim and the rest of the hoopla, only two employers have admitted it.

A Virginia television station obtained video footage of a credit union representative saying “Being a financial institution we have a set level its yes or no. If the credit score is below a certain number, then there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Virginia

In Texas, a television reporter interviews a bank senior vice president who said, “If someone is going to be handling your money and their credit score reflects irresponsibility with money— with their own money– then there may be some concern that they might be irresponsible with your funds, too.”

Reuters blogger: FICO says employers use credit scores

Fun feedback loop

Selling its score, FICO cheerfully says that employers use credit scores (occurs at :47 in the video).

Consumer reporting agencies claim that they do not sell credit scores to employers.

Ben Stein says that employers use credit scores.

Felix writes about Ben Stein.

creditscoring.com writes about Felix writing about Ben Stein.

creditscoring.com blog comments trackback to Felix’s blog (July 28 comment: “simmers“).

Felix writes that FICO told him that employers use credit scores.

creditscoring.com writes about Felix writing about FICO telling Felix that employers using credit scores (this page).

credit score, employers, KXRM-TV Fox 21, Colorado Springs

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 2:05 PM
To: spytlinski@kxrm.com
Subject: credit score, employers, KXRM-TV Fox 21, Colorado Springs

You wrote, “Your credit score can help or hurt you every time you apply for a loan, buy car insurance, Continue reading credit score, employers, KXRM-TV Fox 21, Colorado Springs

A senator, credit scores, losers and fake guitar playing


The lyrics to FreeCreditReport.com’s latest ditty:

Wanted to get myself a new cell phone
So I could hear myself at a ring tone
Who knew the store would go and check my credit score?
Now all they let me have is this dinosaur
Hello? Hello? Hello? Can anybody hear me?
I know. I know. I know. I should have gone to

FreeCreditReport.com
That’s where I should have gone. Could have got my knowledge on

ANNOUNCER: Free credit score and report with enrollment in Triple Advantage.

Meanwhile, in a not-so-veiled reference to Experian (the owner of FreeCreditReport.com) U.S. Senator Charles Schumer states, “If these companies want to say – or sing for that matter – that they are giving people free credit reports, then they can’t charge people $15 a month, simple as that.”  On his website, Schumer continues, “My plan would finally bust up this scam and give consumers some honest choices”

One problem, as stated in the FreeCreditReport.com Terms and Conditions:  “The PLUS Score is not currently sold to lenders, and is not an endorsement or guarantee of your credit worthiness as seen by lenders.”

So, it really is true:  You don’t get what you don’t pay for.  See Fake-O FICO Funk.

Speaking of videos, don’t miss creditscoring.com’s montage of people talking about employers using scores— while the bureaus say that they don’t even sell scores for that purpose.