There is no doubt that credit scores and reports are more significant today than ever before. A poor credit score can result in denied loans, high interest rates, higher insurance rates and even ineligibility for certain job and career opportunities.

With all of the emphasis on credit reports and scores, people are becoming increasingly obsessed with what does and does not appear on their report. The questions reads something like:

I received a call / letter / lawsuit about a debt which does not appear on my credit report. Does this mean that I don't have to pay?

No.

Outside of the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) – there are no other significant legal requirements for credit reporting. And there is no legal requirement that a creditor, debt collector, or any other entity report to the credit bureaus at all.

If a creditor does choose to report to a consumer's credit report, then it is required to report information accurately and completely. And that's about it.

It comes as a surprise to most consumers that there is no requirement to report. Most wonder why, if the system is voluntary would any creditor take the time and effort to actually report regularly to credit bureaus at all.

The answer is simple – they do it so that your information is available for lenders to see. By participating in the reporting system, creditors know they can make informed lending decisions about a consumer based on that person's history with other lenders.

The bottom line is that an account appearing or not appearing on your credit report has little to do with the legitimacy of the account. While credit reports are convenient places to find your credit history, they are by no means an authoritative source for one's entire credit history.

I pride myself on working closely with my clients to provide practical solutions to their consumer debt problems.

I do everything in my power to provide options that my clients didn't even know existed before consulting with me.

The Law Office of Alex McClure provides services in Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Deltona, Deland, Orlando and all of Seminole, Volusia, Orange, Brevard and Lake Counties.