Tag: AOL

AOL’s false information under a new name

As the chairman and CEO of AOL, Tim Armstrong (who, actually, thinks he is Donald Trump) is in charge of a lot of stuff.

Sometime between June, 2011 and today, he rejiggered it, and created a dead link in the process.

How does he expect anybody to keep track of his errors?

Here are some more.

He published, “Additionally, employers must notify the job seeker if their credit score was the reason they were not hired” (as if that is possible in the known universe–employers do not use credit scores).

Elsewhere in in his realm (of non-reality): “Ninety percent of banks use credit scores when they determine finance charges such as interest rates on mortgages and other loans. But it doesn’t stop there — potential employers, insurance companies, landlords, and a host of others use these scores as well.”

Here’s another doozy in the Huffington Post. Obliviously, Armstrong let some guy write, “Last fall, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Boehner described changes like the chained CPI and more means-testing of premiums for affluent Medicare beneficiaries as (in McConnell’s words) “the kinds of things that would get Republicans interested in new revenue.”

Senator McConnell–while a fine man–is not in the majority party.

But, this is the best: “House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has an ingenious plan to save us: Repeal Obamacare!”

Wrong party, wrong body.

Mr. Armstrong, meet Mr. Case.

A reply from a Patch editor

[PREVIOUS MESSAGE]

Tim Armstrong is the chairman and CEO of AOL. That means that he is in control (if you can call it that) of the Huffington Post and Patch. When Armstrong was asked for the source of a claim on Patch, the response came from a Patch editor:

From: Rebecca McCarthy
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 3:21 PM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers, Athens Patch, AOL

The author of the story.

On her page titled, “About Rebecca About Rebecca“[SIC] McCarthy states, “I worked as a staff writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and for other newspapers.”

credit score, employers, Athens Patch, AOL

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 3:14 PM
To: Tim Armstong, chairman and CEO, AOL (via Maureen Sullivan)
Cc: Rebecca McCarthy, editor, Athens Patch, AOL; Jon Brod, CEO and co-founder, Patch, AOL
Subject: credit score, employers, Athens Patch, AOL

See this message and your response at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?p=4132 and https://blog.creditscoring.com/?tag=aol.

You published, “Your credit score can actually persuade a company to hire or not hire you if you are seeking employment.”

Employers do not use credit score because they cannot even get them.

Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

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

[RESPONSE FROM A PATCH EDITOR]

credit score, employers, WalletPop, Virgins

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 8:35 AM
To: Mitch Franklin, assistant professor of accounting practice, Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University
Subject: credit score, employers, WalletPop, Virgins

See this message and your response at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?p=2153.

WalletPop.com published:  “But credit scores also factor into insurance rates, and even [“even” was a link to http://www.walletpop.com/photos/credit-score-virgins/3658526/]* potential jobs: employers are increasingly checking scores as part of the application process, Franklin says. ‘People don’t realize how much of an impact their credit score has on their life.’”

What evidence indicates that employers use credit scores?

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

* UPDATE 8/14/13: The link that was under the word “even” above is defunct (and so is WalletPop.com, apparently. Try it: walletpop.com.).  Here is a new link: http://www.dailyfinance.com/photos/credit-score-virgins/#!slide=3658526.

credit score, employers, Huffington Post, 2011-05-31

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 2:10 PM
To: Bryce Covert, assistant editor, New Deal 2.0
Subject: credit score, employers, Roosevelt Institute, New Deal 2.0, The Swipe, Huffington Post, 2011-05-31

See this message and your response at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?p=2122, https://blog.creditscoring.com/?tag=huffingtonpost, and in the Myth category at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?cat=134.

You wrote:  “As wages fell and consumers took on more debt to compensate, credit scores have become more and more important, as they are a large part of determining a borrower’s creditworthiness. They now even factor into things like job applications [corrected link. 6/9/11, Ed.]… But it doesn’t stop there — potential employers, insurance companies, landlords, and a host of others use these scores as well.”

Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?

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

credit score, employers, Huffington Post III

[previous message]

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 4:39 PM
To: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post
Cc: Mario Ruiz, VP, media relations, Huffington Post
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Huffington Post, identity II

 Please reply.

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

____________________

From: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 4:43 PM
To: greg@creditscoring.com
Subject: Re: credit score, employers, Huffington Post, identity II

www.amrail.net

____________________

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 8:49 PM
To: American Rail Marketing
Cc: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post; Mario Ruiz, VP, media relations, Huffington Post; Chris Davis, Huffington Post
Subject: credit score, employers, Huffington Post

The Huffington Post reports: “After working for the same railroad for 14 years, never missing a house or car payment, Sammy Bailey says he never expected his credit score to keep him out of a job… Bailey said he applied for a new job at Am-Rail in Kansas City, Missouri, three weeks ago but failed to pass the background check because of his poor credit.”

Do you use credit scores in employment screening?

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

____________________

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 12:06 AM
To: [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; American Rail Marketing (info@amrail.net)
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Huffington Post

The last message, which was sent to the email address on your homepage, was returned as not able to be delivered.

Please reply.

____________________

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2010 10:18 AM
To: American Rail Marketing (info@amrail.net); [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing
Cc: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Huffington Post III

The Huffington Post reports: “After working for the same railroad for 14 years, never missing a house or car payment, Sammy Bailey says he never expected his credit score to keep him out of a job… Bailey said he applied for a new job at Am-Rail in Kansas City, Missouri, three weeks ago but failed to pass the background check because of his poor credit.”

Do you use credit scores in employment screening?

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

____________________

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 8:32 PM
To: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post
Cc: American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; [name withheld], American Rail Marketing; Mario Ruiz, VP, media relations, Huffington Post; Chris Davis, Huffington Post
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Huffington Post III

See “credit score, employers, Huffington Post III.”

Did you ask American Rail Marketing if they use credit scores in employment screening?  If you did, what was their response?

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

credit score, employers, Huffington Post, identity

From: Greg Fisher [mailto:greg@creditscoring.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2010 8:25 AM
To: Laura Bassett, reporter, The Huffington Post
Subject: credit score, employers, Huffington Post, identity

See https://blog.creditscoring.com/?p=1480.

You wrote: “After working for the same railroad for 14 years, never missing a house or car payment, Sammy Bailey says he never expected his credit score to keep him out of a job… Bailey said he applied for a new job at Am-Rail in Kansas City, Missouri, three weeks ago but failed to pass the background check because of his poor credit.”

Seldom do stories about credit score use in employment mention employers’ names.  The consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment screening.

What is the address, telephone number or website address of Am-Rail?

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