All Issues

Credit Reporting & Data Fairness

NCLC led the way when the United States passed its first data fairness law, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, in 1970 and continues to fight for fair treatment by the original traffickers of Big Data – credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) – as well as tenant- and background-screening companies and new hawkers of our information. NCLC advocates for more and better protections for credit reports, and other consumer data by fighting for accuracy, fairness, privacy, and holding companies accountable when they violate the law.

Key Topics

Alternative Data & Algorithms

Working to ensure that use of alternative data and algorithms will help, not hurt, consumers.

Background Checks

Fighting inaccurate and discriminatory criminal background checks that are a bar to jobs and housing.

Credit Repair & Credit Monitoring Products

Fighting against shady credit repair firms and pricy credit monitoring products.

Credit Reporting & Scores

Combating errors, bias, abuses, and racial inequity in the credit reporting system.

Featured

Recent Resources

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American Banker: Experts weigh whether CFPB database tweaks help or hurt

February 13, 2026

Letter Urging Creditors & Credit Bureaus to Help Minnesota Consumers Impacted by ICE Surge

February 9, 2026

ICE Has Created a Disaster in Minnesota; The Financial Services Industry Can Help

February 9, 2026

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Moves to Protect Credit Reporting Companies from Consumers’ Complaints

January 30, 2026

Model Family Property and Income Protection Act

January 23, 2026

USA Today: Credit history is still a barrier to Section 8 tenants

January 15, 2026

People, et al. v. Low Credit Rents, et al.

January 12, 2026

Support for Massachusetts Fair Chance in Housing Act

November 19, 2025

What States Can Do to Prevent Medical Debt from Ruining Credit Reports: Recommendations in the Face of Potential Federal Preemption Threats

November 14, 2025

Comments & Letters

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Letter Urging Creditors & Credit Bureaus to Help Minnesota Consumers Impacted by ICE Surge

February 9, 2026

Coalition Comment Urging CFPB to Keep a Strong Personal Financial Data Rights Rule

October 21, 2025

Comments Opposing CFPB Proposal to Reduce Number of Consumer Reporting Agencies Supervised by the Bureau

September 22, 2025

EPIC-NCLC Comments to House Financial Services Committee on Financial Data Privacy

August 28, 2025

Coalition Letter to House Financial Services – Modernize Gramm Leach Bliley But Do Not Nullify State Consumer Protections

August 27, 2025

Coalition Letter to Congress Supporting the CFPB Personal Financial Data Rights Rule and Asking for Hearing

August 19, 2025

Letter from 70 Groups Opposing S.1465, Credit Access and Inclusion Act

June 18, 2025

Comment to the CFPB’s Request for Information Regarding the Collection, Use, and Monetization of Consumer Payment and Other Personal Financial Data

April 10, 2025

NCLC Comments to CFPB Proposed Rule to Regulate Data Brokers under the FCRA

March 28, 2025

Reports

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“What the Heck, Dude!”: How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees

November 13, 2025

Cracking the Code: Understanding and Overcoming Language Barriers in Consumer Finance

September 24, 2024

Digital Denials: How Abuse, Bias, and Lack of Transparency in Tenant Screening Harm Renters

September 26, 2023

Too Damn High: How Junk Fees Add to Skyrocketing Rents

March 13, 2023

Don’t Add Further Insult to Injury: Medical Debt & Credit Reports

January 6, 2023

Mission Creep: a Primer on Use of Credit Reports & Scores for Non-Credit Purposes

August 3, 2022

Don’t Add Insult to Injury: Medical Debt & Credit Reports

November 4, 2019

Automated Injustice Redux: Ten Years After a Key Report, Consumers Are Still Frustrated Trying to Fix Credit Reporting Errors

February 1, 2019

Paper Statements: An Important Consumer Protection

March 1, 2016

Issue Briefs

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What States Can Do to Prevent Medical Debt from Ruining Credit Reports: Recommendations in the Face of Potential Federal Preemption Threats

November 14, 2025

What States Can Do to Regulate Tenant Screening

November 14, 2025

2025 Consumer Reform Priorities to Protect Tenants

April 18, 2025

Selected Resources About Medical Lending Products

February 25, 2025

Robbed Behind Bars: Identity Theft Committed Against Incarcerated Victims

January 27, 2025

Overview: What States Can Do To Help Struggling Consumers

January 2, 2025

Tightening Consumer Protections: Don’t Let Credit Blemishes Kill Job Opportunities

December 5, 2024

2025 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

October 21, 2024

Take Action to Support the CFPB’s Medical Debt Credit Reporting Proposal

June 27, 2024

Testimony

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Support for Massachusetts Fair Chance in Housing Act

November 19, 2025

Testimony in Support of Oregon H.B. 2967, a Bill That Would Prohibit Rental Application Fees

February 19, 2025

Testimony on the 2023 Fair Chance in Employment Act

July 20, 2023

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before the Massachusetts Legislature in Support of H.1429/S.894: An Act Regulating the Use of Credit Reporting in Housing

January 11, 2022

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before Fintech Task Force of the US House Financial Services Committee on Preserving the Right of Consumers to Access Personal Financial Data

September 21, 2021

Testimony Regarding “A Biased, Broken System: Examining Proposals to Overhaul Credit Reporting to Achieve Equity”

June 29, 2021

Testimony of Chi Chi Wu before the Massachusetts Legislature in Support of H2019/S1153: the Fair Chance in Employment Act

June 29, 2021

Testimony on Consumer Credit Reporting: Assessing Accuracy and Compliance

May 26, 2021

Testimony Before House Financial Services Committee Regarding “Fair Credit Reporting Act: How It Functions for Consumers and the Economy”

June 4, 2003

Press Releases & News

View All for Press Releases & News
American Banker: Experts weigh whether CFPB database tweaks help or hurt

February 13, 2026

ICE Has Created a Disaster in Minnesota; The Financial Services Industry Can Help

February 9, 2026

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Moves to Protect Credit Reporting Companies from Consumers’ Complaints

January 30, 2026

USA Today: Credit history is still a barrier to Section 8 tenants

January 15, 2026

CNBC: This factor can be a ‘kiss of death’ on your credit report, says consumer advocate

November 4, 2025

Trump Administration Tries to Block State Safeguards from Damaging Medical Debt on Credit Reports

October 30, 2025

Congress Cracks Down on Spam Offers Targeting Homebuyers

August 5, 2025

Chicago Tribune: Recent credit score drops come from Donald Trump’s bad policy

July 3, 2025

The Hill: How Trump’s living ‘dead’ immigrants can fight for their rights

April 24, 2025

Amicus Briefs

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Amicus Brief in Henderson v. the Source for Public Data

October 15, 2021

Amicus Brief: BBBB Bonding Corp. v. Caldwell

August 5, 2021

Amicus Brief in Transunion v. Ramirez in Support of the Respondent

March 15, 2021

Amicus Brief: CDIA v. Frey

January 26, 2021

Amicus Brief in Cook County v. Wolfe

January 24, 2020

Amicus Brief in State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security

January 24, 2020