Category: Government

Illinois governor: Employers use credit score

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

In spite of that, as Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois signed a bill into law, he used the word “score” twice.  State Senator Don Harmon piled on.

 

 

Quinn (2:23):  “… will not allow employers to use credit score to decide whether or not somebody is going to get a job or somebody is going to get a promotion.”

Harmon (3:25) :  This bill strikes an appropriate balance.  It says, as a general principle, employers can’t use your credit history, your credit score, in determining whether or not to hire your or promote you.

Quinn (4:21):  “Unfortunately, some employers are using credit score of an individual person to decide whether someone gets hired, or someone gets retained on a job, or someone gets a promotion on that job.”

The new law, however, allows credit history use in the case of an “established bona fide occupational requirement.” 

The Chicago Tribune reported, “[Rep. Jack] Franks said a lobbyist working for TransUnion ‘duped him’ into replacing references to ‘credit history’ with ‘credit scores,’ which are not used in hiring.”

An official of Consumer reporting agency TransUnion testified in Oregon, “There’s no such thing as a credit score in employment.”  TransUnion is based in Chicago. 

At least, somebody is contolling the message in this messy state’s heady merry go round.  The governor’s press release does not include the word “score.”  But give him a break.  He didn’t run for the job.

AJC blogger counters her U.S. Senator

Speech-making, writing, blogging, stating and yakking adds up to much mush

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed its financial reform bill with an amendment regarding credit score use in employment.  Senator Udall from Colorado sold the idea by saying that employers use credit scores.  The problem with that is that the consumer reporting agencies say that they don’t even provide credit scores for employment purposes.

Udall has not replied to a request asking for substantiation.

Two weeks ago, as an Atlanta Journal-Constitution blogger profiled the Equifax consumer reporting agency CEO, the writer dropped the E-Bomb, referring to a “paranoia.”  Sh’yeah!  A self-fulfilling prophecy in the making.

The blogger has not replied to a request for substantiation.

But, redemption for ATL came in the personage of another AJC blogger.  She quotes her senator, then contradicts his statement.  Rana Cash writes:

“I believe it’s only fair to allow consumers access to their credit score when it is used against them to deny credit, require a higher interest rate on a loan or prevent an applicant from being hired for a job,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) in a statement. Employers often use credit reports, but do not have access to credit scores.

Ouch.  Ouch-O-Mondo-Matic!

The senator was asked by creditscoring.com to reply with substantiation.

Rag-tag army of dissenters

Cash is not alone.  John Ulzheimer, a New York Times blogger and no slouch in credit reporting and scoring said that there is “mountain of evidence that scores are generally not used by employers.”  He talks about the phenomenon on televison.  He had the last word on it– then had the last word on it.

Highly-intelligent and incisive Bankrate writer with exquisite taste in multimedia Leslie McFadden discovered the creditscoring.com video and wrote about the issue in “Credit score myth persists.”

In the Columbia Journalism Review, a reporter had an epiphany and, in a rare moment of leadership in the media, felt a sense of responsibility to his readers that caused him to– gasp– actually make a correction.

They are joined by ChoicePoint, the Privacy Rights ClearingHouse and CNN.

And finally, Lester Rosen, lawyer, author, speaker, expert witness and background screening company president– who knows a little about employment credit reports– keeps hammering away at the “urban myth.”

But, when you’re up against the Federal Reserve, with its access to congressional hearing rooms, it ain’t easy.

The Fed has not replied to a request for substantiation.

Request for Federal Reserve’s evidence regarding employers using credit scores

From:  Greg Fisher
To:  Sandra F. Braunstein, Federal Reserve
Subject:  credit score, employers, Federal Reserve, 2010-03-24
cc:  Michelle A. Smith, Federal Reserve; ConsumerHelp@FederalReserve.gov; Pierce Nelson, Sibyl Slade, Jean Tate, Federal Reserve, Atlanta; Federal Trade Commission Office of Public Affairs; Gerri Willis, CNN; realstories@cnnmoney.com; letters@smartmoney.com; Aleksandra Todorova, Stephanie Auwerter, SmartMoney; Elizabeth Warren; freshair@whyy.org; talkback@whyy.org; frontline@pbs.org; Gosia Wozniacka, The Oregonian; Jennifer Openshaw; PublicAffairs@dobi.state.nj.us; consumerfinance@dobi.state.nj.us; John Peace, Don Robert, Susan Henson, Susan Thomas, Media Relations, Corporate Responsibility, Experian; press.office@uk.experian.com; worldservice@bbc.co.uk; editor@mediaguardian.co.uk; haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk; gazette@independent.co.uk; online.editor@timesonline.co.uk; news@timesonline.co.uk; business@timesonline.co.uk; Barry Paperno, Craig Watts, FICO
Sent:  4/19/2010

See http://www.creditscoring.com/influence/government/federalreserve/employers2009atlanta.html and https://blog.creditscoring.com/?p=1154.

Last month, you stated to congress:  “Credit scoring is widely used to evaluate applications for credit, identify prospective borrowers, and manage and price new and existing credit accounts. It is also used to facilitate decisionmaking in other areas including insurance, housing, and employment.”

However, consumer reporting agencies who compile and maintain files on consumers on a nationwide basis state that they do not use credit scores for employment purposes.

What evidence suggests that employers use credit scores? 

How many employers use credit scores? 

Do you have the identity of one employer who uses credit scores?

Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
greg@creditscoring.com
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio   45409-0342
937-681-3224

Legislation uses FICO, not Fake-O, score as benchmark

H. R. 600, the FHA Seller-Financed Downpayment Reform Act of 2009, introduced by “Mr. AL GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. WATERS, and Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California)” uses the term “FICO score” 5 times.  It is a bill “To revise the requirements for seller-financed downpayments for mortgages for single-family housing insured by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under title II of the National Housing Act.”  

In March, 2010, Representative Green said, “Thank you very much, and thank for that new term for my vocabulary: Fake-O.” (2:13:58 in the video)

employers and credit scores, Kirwan Institute

From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 1:41 PM
To: Jessica Leveen Farr
Subject: credit score, employers, Kirwan Institute

Recently, you wrote, “Landlords may evaluate an individual’s credit prior to renting a home and some employers access credit scores for all new hires.” 

Your footnote cites the document, “The Impacts of Foreclosures on Families and Communities: A Primer,” by G. Thomas Kingsley, Robin E. Smith, and David Price. 

The only mention of credit scores in that document is in an endnote, referring to the document, “Credit Scores, Reports, and Getting Ahead in America,” by Matt Fellowes.

That document refers to a survey:  “A 2004 survey of companies by the Society for Human Resource Management, for instance, found that 35 percent of companies used credit reports for this purpose, up from 19 percent in 1996.”

In April, regarding its 2004 “Reference and Background Checking Survey,” the SHRM replied, “Neither survey discusses credit scores, only credit checks.”

What indicates that employers use credit scores?

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

From: Hughes, Jennifer [SHRM]
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 5:04 PM
To: creditscoring.com
Subject: RE: credit score, employers III

Hi Greg,

Neither survey discusses credit scores, only credit checks.

[full correspondence with SHRM]

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.”

FHA adds 580 FICO credit score to guidelines

A press release (HUD No.10-016) from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) dated January 20, 2010 is titled, “FHA Announces Policy Changes to Address Risk and Strengthen Finances.”

The release states: “New borrowers will now be required to have a minimum FICO score of 580 to qualify for FHA’s 3.5% down payment program. New borrowers with less than a 580 FICO score will be required to put down at least 10%.”