Category: Errors and Corrections

credit score, employers, The Street, Italian same-sex marriage

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 1:38 PM
To: Brian O’Connell, freelance writer for The Street
Cc: Jeremy Bernerth, assistant professor, Robert H. & Patricia Hines Professorship in Management, Rucks Department of Management, E. J. Ourso College of Business, Louisiana State University; Daniel S. Whitman, assistant professor, Rucks Department of Management, Louisiana State University; John V. Lombardi, president, Louisiana State University; Shannon G. Taylor, assistant proessor, management, Northern Illinois University; John G. Peters, president, Northern Illinois University; Annie Thompson, Springfield press secretary, office of the Governor, State of Illinois; Jack Walker, assistant professor, Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech University; Guy Bailey, president, Texas Tech University
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, The Street, Italy

You’re at it again.

You wrote, “The LSU study points out that 60% of employers now use credit scores before hiring staffers.”

In 2009, when you included in a story you authored the notion that employers use credit scores, I had not yet called it a myth. 

What clarification will you make?

Also, what is a co-signor?  Is that an Italian borrower?

—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

 

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:07 PM
To: Brian O’Connell
Cc: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell; Editors, mainstreet.com; Investor Relations, TheStreet.com; Michael Cooney, Network World; Feedback, thestandard.com; Nancy Schuman, Lloyd Staffing; editor, Long Island Press; Writers Corner USA; Jonathan Maberry, Writers Corner USA; customer Service, The Street; Letters to the Editor, The Street; David Morrow, The Street
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12, 3 not 2

 Please reply.

 

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 12:10 AM
To: Brian O’Connell
Cc: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell; Editors, mainstreet.com; Investor Relations, TheStreet.com; Michael Cooney, Network World; Feedback, thestandard.com; Nancy Schuman, Lloyd Staffing; editor, Long Island Press; Writers Corner USA; Jonathan Maberry, Writers Corner USA; customer Service, The Street; Letters to the Editor, The Street; David Morrow, The Street
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12, 3 not 2

You have provided three different sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/business/07credit.html?_r=2&hp

That links to a story written by Jonathan D. Glater and dated August 6.

http://m.thestandard.com/news/2009/08/13/should-your-credit-report-disqualify-you-job

That links to a story written by Michael Cooney and dated August 13.  It does not contain the word “score.”

http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/08/06/does-bad-credit-a-bad-candidate/

That links to a Long Island Press story written by Nancy Schuman and dated August 6.  The story states, “Full account numbers are not revealed and they won’t see a credit score, but they will be able to see late payments, collections and bankruptcies.”

There is a hyperlink to that story from the Cooney story.  They are not the same story.

If the Schuman story says that scores are not seen on a consumer report for employment purposes, then how can it be your source regarding credit score use by employers?

On June 17, you wrote: “A new job could be on the line, too. Many employers are including credit scores on background checks and any low score could cost you that potential dream job.”

For that story, who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

What is the name of an employer who uses credit scores?

 

From: Brian O’Connell 
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 7:58 PM
To: Greg Fisher
Cc: Brian O’Connell; Editors, mainstreet.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12, dates don’t lie

Greg

It’s common for web sites to carry stories from original sources that ran the story earlier. Couldn’t find it originally, so I found the same exact story but from a different source (The Standard) since you asked for one.

But I just dug the original up. It’s the same story, though.

The second source is actually dated August 6 – from the Long Island Press – here’s the link . . . http://www.longislandpress.com/2009/08/06/does-bad-credit-a-bad-candidate/

BOC

 

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 4:42 PM
To: ‘Brian O’Connell’
Cc: Editors, mainstreet.com; Investor Relations, TheStreet.com; Brian O’Connell; Feedback, thestandard.com; Press, thestandard.com; Jonathan Glater, New York Times; Angela Onwuachi-Willig, University of Iowa; Jon Switalski, state representative, Michigan; Andy Dillan, state representative, Michigan; The Michigan Messenger
Subject: RE: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12, dates don’t lie

Your second source does not use the word score.

But how can it be your source when it is dated after your piece?

 

From: Brian O’Connell
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 4:07 PM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Cc: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell; Editors, mainstreet.com; Investor Relations, TheStreet.com
Subject: Re: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12

Hi Greg,

Two sources . . . 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/business/07credit.html?_r=1&hp

http://m.thestandard.com/news/2009/08/13/should-your-credit-report-disqualify-you-job

Best,

Brian O’Connell

Brian O’Connell
The Writers Corner
[address]
[cell]
[office]
[email]

 

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 3:55 PM
To: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell
Cc: Editors, mainstreet.com; Investor Relations, TheStreet.com
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12

Please reply.

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 12:41 AM
To: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell
Cc: Editors, mainstreet.com
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-08-12

You wrote, “For instance, many employers use credit scores to gauge a job applicant’s quality of character.”

Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

 

From: creditscoring.com [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:08 PM
To: Brian O’Connell; Brian O’Connell
Subject: credit score, employers, TheStreet, 2009-06-17

You wrote: “A new job could be on the line, too. Many employers are including credit scores on background checks and any low score could cost you that potential dream job.”

Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

 

AP spreads credit score myth within story about myths

“In fact, FICO points out on its website that it’s illegal to consider age, race, religion, national origin, gender, and marital status in credit scoring.” – Associated Press

“The law allows creditors to use age in properly designed scoring systems.” – Federal Trade Commission, United States of America

More AP nonsense

 

Tribune report vs. claim from FICO

“FICO scores have been around since the 1950s, but they didn’t become a major factor in mortgage lending until 1995, when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began recommending their use to help determine a mortgage borrower’s creditworthiness.” – Chicago Tribune

“First general-purpose FICO score debuts–BEACON at Equifax. (1989)” – FICO score company Fair Isaac

Other myths, urban legends and misinformation

influence > media > newspapers > tribune

Academia’s credit score urban legend goes mainstream

The consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment purposes (ok, well, sometimes they say they do).  It’s a big urban legend.

But, watch this trail of rumor.

“Most companies attempt to justify the use of credit scores because they think such employees will end up stealing, but our research suggests that might not be the case.” – Louisiana State University

↓

“An emerging trend is for companies to use credit scores as an employment screening tool.” – Psych Central

↓

“’An emerging trend is for companies to use credit scores as an employment screening tool,’ says Psych Central, but a new study to appear in the Journal of Applied Psychology “shows no connection between poor credit scores and theft – although some interesting connections were discovered.” – Globe and Mail

But that’s nothing new for the 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet.

Bankrate and Fox Business spread urban legend that employers use credit scores

Contact with London, New York, North Palm Beach and Austin

Also, see: 

  • CreditCards.com:
    • “Employers may look at your credit score when you’re applying for a job, and landlords look at it for prospective renters,” he (Scott Crawford, CEO and co-founder of DebtGoal.com) says.”
    • “The general statement won’t affect your FICO credit score, but employers can’t look at your FICO score anyway, says Larry Lambeth, president of Employment Screening Services, a company that provides pre-employment screenings for more than 6,000 companies in the United States and abroad.”
    • “Credit scores, on the other hand, shouldn’t ever be viewed by employers.”
  • Bankrate.com:
    • “Credit reports and credit scores show up in the background checks employers increasingly order at the time of hire or promotion.”
    • “Contrary to popular belief, employers can only see your credit report, not your credit score.”
    • “Watch this video from Creditscoring.com to see how widespread this falsehood is.”

 

From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:53 AM
To: Ben Harding, press contact, Apax Partners; Peter C. Morse, chairman, Bankrate, Inc.; Thomas R. Evans, president & CEO, Bankrate, Inc.; Editors, CreditCards.com
Cc: Jodi Helmer, writer, CreditCards.com; Teri Everett, senior vice president, Corporate Affairs & Communications, News Corporation
Subject: credit score, employers, urban myth, Fox Business, CreditCards.com, 2011-10-17

You published, “For one thing, even if you’re not looking at your score, your prospective employer may.”

The consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment purposes.  Even your own website, Bankrate.com, states, “’There’s a misconception that scores are used, and scores are not used,’ says Steven R. Katz, spokesman for Chicago-based agency TransUnion.”

Will you make a correction?

—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

Credit score urban myth by the numbers

creditscoring.com

Video 1: 3021 views in 2 years
Video 2. 396 views in 6 months

The Young Turks

“Should Employers Check Credit Scores?”: 13,142 in 4 days

“The Young Turks” host said, “So, who gives a damn what their credit score is?”

The consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment purposes.

[email to The Young Turks]

The Young Turks spread urban myth about credit scores and employers

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 4:17 PM
To: Ana Kasparian, co-host and producer, The Young Turks
Cc: Cenk Uygur, host, The Young Turks
Subject: credit score, employers, The Young Turks

You said, “They’re specifically targeting TransUnion, which is a privately owned company that gives employers access to credit scores.”

However, TransUnion stated, “There’s no such thing as a credit score in employment.”

What is your correction policy?

—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

examiner.com replies regarding employers and credit scores

From: Examiner Legal 
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:01 AM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Subject: [JunkMail] Re: credit score, employers, examiner.com, wallow in economic despair II

Mr. Fisher,

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.  We are currently looking into your complaint.

Please be aware that the articles and other content contributed to Examiner.com by various independent third party authors (referred to on our website as “Examiners”) are selected, written, posted and controlled solely by the authors thereof.  The Examiners are independent third parties who have selected a topic on which they wish to write, and when they deem appropriate, they contribute content to our website related to that topic.  Although the Examiners have agreed to certain standard terms and conditions regarding the content they choose to write and post on our website, the Examiners alone determine the content of the articles, including any photographs or video they may choose to include with the articles.  Because the Examiners are independent third parties, and the topics and substance of their articles are not controlled by Examiner.com, we are not responsible for, and cannot be held liable for, the content thereof.  Examiner.com does not review all of the content posted by the approximately 70,000 Examiners contributing to our website, and we had not read this article before you brought it to our attention.  However, when someone points out problems with material posted by an Examiner, we inform the applicable Examiner and request that the Examiner remedy the situation (or we pull the material from our site under certain circumstances, including if it violates our Terms of Use).

In addition, many, but not all, of the Examiners provide contact information on their profile page, which is accessible by clicking on their title.  If you have concerns about the content of an article, we encourage you contact the Examiner directly, when possible.  Again, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

Best regards,
Examiner.com

Confidentiality Notice – This message and its attachments are confidential and intended for the use of the addressee.  Any unauthorized dissemination, copying, or distribution of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this e-mail in error, please delete the original message and all attachments and notify the sender at the above-listed e-mail address.

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Content farms use same article with urban myth about credit scores

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 9:52 PM
To: Philip Anschutz; Philip Anschutz
Cc: Peter G. Kreysa, owner, Ultio, LLC
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, examiner.com, wallow in economic despair II

Please reply.

You published, “The recent suit filed against a chain of Restaurants is just the latest instance where many of today’s employers are taking advantage of the current economic crisis.”

Capitalizing the word Restaurants is another error.

Do you even read an article before publishing it?

—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

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Content farm urban myth about credit scores and employers

From: Greg Fisher [greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 2:28 PM
To: Philip Anschutz
Subject: credit score, employers, examiner.com, wallow in economic despair

You published these sentences:

“All over the United States, employers continually discriminate not only because of age, gender or race they now use credit scores, religion, and even being unemployed as reason enough to keep one from landing a job.”

“It wasn’t until around 2000 that credit scores were actually becoming more of an issue in terms of eligibility for securing employment.”

“So, if a person falls behind in just one utility bill for example there[SIC] credit score suffers and so does that person’s ability to secure either a better job or just to get a job.”

“All because of the employer sets the criteria for employment not really based on ones[SIC] ability, experience, or knowledge on how to actually do the job, but solely based on a credit score.”

“Until a national awareness that any form of discrimination whether it is age, sex, religion, race, a low credit score, or just being unemployed deters real economic growth by allowing employees and prospective employees the ability to have access to gain mobility up the economic ladder the United States will only continue to wallow in economic despair.”

The consumer reporting agencies do not sell credit scores for employment purposes.

What is your correction policy?

—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio  45409-0342

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