National Financial Literacy Month – Video illustrates myth that employers use credit scores
creditscoring.com video shows media, experts, central bank and legislators furthering the myth that employers use credit scores in hiring decisions.
Credit scores are not used as some kind of cut-off point in hiring decisions. In fact, credit scores are not used in employment, at all.
It’s a myth.
In an appearance on Fox News, lawyer Pamela Devata articulates the misperception: “Employers are not using credit reports to eliminate groups of people at the beginning of the hiring process. Credit scores are not in employment reports, and therefore employers have to actually engage in a detailed and, often, time-consuming analysis to review the information in a credit report.” [1:40]
Last year, the other person on the broadcast, Maryland state legislator Kirill Reznik, blamed media for the confusion.
It has been a contentious and rocky road, but Maryland media may finally be getting it (it’s a start, anyway) right.
After publishing
[Vangel Paper co-owner Valerie S.] Androutsopoulos said she doesn’t have blanket rules about using the reports and tends to ignore bad credit scores if they involve medical or education debts or mortgage issues,
the Baltimore Sun (“Light for All”) publshed a follow-up:
Employers already are barred from seeing a person’s credit score, but the Assembly wants to limit their ability to access the entire report.
Regarding the first piece, the paper’s politics and government editor wrote:
Mr. Fisher:
Thank you for calling this issue to our attention. We have run a correction in our print and online editions.
However, the correction does not appear on the paper’s errors and corrections (named “Corrections and Clarifications”) web page. Further, other items from the same fold are still wrong.
It does not stop with media.
From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011
To: Allan Lichtman, professor, Department of History, American University
Cc: Meredith Hooker, managing editor for Internet, The Gazette; Ken Weiss, editor, Gazette of Politics and Business (weekend edition); Jeff Allanach, editor, Frederick County newsroom, The Gazette; David B. Simon, managing editor, Montgomery County newsroom, The Gazette; Vanessa Harrington, editor, Prince George’s County newsroom, The Gazette; The Washington Post Company
Subject: credit score, employers, The Gazette, The Washington Post Company, 2011-03-25
You wrote, “The American people are well aware of the problem of using credit scores for employment decisions.”
Who is your source regarding credit score use by employers?
See this message and your reply at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?cat=myth-2.
—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio 45409-0342
From: Valerie Androutsopoulos
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011
To: ‘greg@creditscoring.com’
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Company, 2011-03-20
This was in spam. That’s the part that everyone’s missing. The credit histories DO NOT CONTAIN SCORES.
Valerie
From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 5:23 PM
To: Jane Hirt, managing editor, Chicago Tribune; Allison T. Davis, vice president, communications, Equity International; Jennifer Moralis, vice president, operations, Equity International
Cc: United Press International; Valerie S. Androutsopoulos, principal, Vangel Paper Inc.; Julie Bykowicz, reporter, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Mary Corey, director of content and senior vice president, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Talk Back, editor, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Timothy E. Ryan, publisher, president and chief executive officer, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Company, Equity International, 2011-03-20, terms
[FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO SAM ZELL]
Sam Zell, chairman
Equity International
Chicago
The result of the attached correspondence regarding the employers and credit scores myth must convince you of the irresponsibility of continuing to maintain inaccurate information on the websites of the Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Newport News Daily Press, Allentown Morning Call, Chicago Tribune and any other property you control. I feel it is so, and regard it as my duty to shift from myself to you the responsibility of any further dishonor and embarrassment to you and your colleagues. I do so by asking for your discontinuation of spreading the myth and of your attempts at enriching yourself through advertising placed on those pages containing the misinformation that harms the public.
Through what email address do you wish to discuss the terms under which you will make your corrections?
—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio 45409-0342
From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 1:56 PM
To: Timothy E. Ryan, publisher, president and chief executive officer, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.
Cc: United Press International; Valerie S. Androutsopoulos, principal, Vangel Paper Inc.; Angelos Androutsopoulos, president, Vangel Paper; Julie Bykowicz, reporter, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Mary Corey, director of content and senior vice president, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Talk Back, editor, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.; Jane Hirt, managing editor, Chicago Tribune; Allison T. Davis, vice president, communications, Equity International
Subject: RE: credit score, employers, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Company, 2011-03-20 II
On your website, ConservativeAmerican writes, “Unless one’s credit score/history is relevant to the job, such as a bank teller or accounting department A/P, employers should be prohibited from checking on one’s credit rating prior to and after hiring.
And, MikeCalo said, “Am I to understand that Ms. Androutsopoulos denied a job to one guy because his credit score was low and she was afraid that he was a security risk, yet she hired a person, who had to declare BANKRUPTCY because of a mortgage, as an administrator??“
Politics R Dumb commented, “A qualified, hard worker should not be denied a job because their spouse was laid off, suffered a debilitating illness or accident or otherwise emergency situations that lowered credit scores.”
Brian writes, “People aren’t being hired because of credit score, age and, because they are already jobless.”
They believe what you published. However, the national consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment purposes. The unique and, indeed, startling thing about your story is that you actually seem to have actually uncovered an actual employer who actually uses actual credit scores for actual employment purposes!
But, I’m betting that you actually didn’t. That is because it would be a violation of the employer’s contract with the consumer reporting agency. And, the reports that employers get do not even include credit scores.
This is not the first time that your company furthered this myth. Last year, Jane Hirt of the Chicago Tribune replied: “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I had not seen previous emails. I will ask that we look into this further and publish a correction if warranted.”
From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
To: United Press International
Subject: credit score, employers, UPI, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co., 2011-03-20
See this message and your reply at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?tag=upi.
You wrote, “Maryland lawmakers, hearing about job applicants not hired because of poor credit scores, introduced a measure that would limit credit checks on job-seekers.”
The national consumer reporting agencies all state that they do not provide credit scores for employment screening.
What clarification will you make?
—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio 45409-0342
From: Greg Fisher
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011
To: Valerie S. Androutsopoulos, principal, Vangel Paper Inc.
Cc: Julie Bykowicz, reporter, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Co.
Subject: credit score, employers, Baltimore Sun, Tribune Company, 2011-03-20
See this message and your reply at https://blog.creditscoring.com/?tag=tribune-company.
The Baltimore Sun reported, “[Vangel Paper co-owner Valerie S.] Androutsopoulos said she doesn’t have blanket rules about using the reports and tends to ignore bad credit scores if they involve medical or education debts or mortgage issues.”
What is the name of the party who provides you with credit scores for employment purposes?
—
Greg Fisher
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio 45409-0342