Credit Reporting Literacy: Consumers Understood the Basics but Could Benefit from Targeted Educational Efforts
GAO-05-223
Published: Mar 16, 2005. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2005.
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Highlights
This report responds to a mandate in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) of 2003 requiring GAO to assess consumers' understanding of credit reporting. The FACT Act, among other things, extended provisions governing the credit reporting system and addressed ongoing concerns about inaccuracies in credit reports. For example, the act expanded access to credit information by entitling consumers to one free credit report each year. It also established the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) to improve consumers' understanding of credit issues. This report examines consumers' understanding and use of credit reports and scores and the dispute process and looks at factors that may influence their understanding of credit reporting.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Treasury | Consistent with FLEC's and Treasury's mandate under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as amended by the FACT Act to improve consumers' understanding of credit reports, credit scores, and the need to dispute inaccurate information, the Secretary of the Treasury, in his capacity as Chairman of FLEC, should work with its members to improve consumers' understanding of their federal rights through FLEC's national strategy and Treasury's multimedia campaign, targeting those populations that scored the lowest on our survey--for example, consumers with less than a high school education and relatively low income levels, certain age groups (under 25 and 65 and older), and Hispanics. | Consistent with our recommendation the Secretary of the Treasury, in his capacity as Chairman of the Financial Literacy Education Commission (FLEC), has worked through its members to develop the National Strategy for Financial Literacy. Citing our report, this strategy calls for action for improving consumers' understanding of credit reports, credit scores, and their federal rights to dispute inaccurate information and obtain free credit reports. A new Federal publication--Your Access to Free Credit Reports--defines key terminology, the parties involved in credit, federal rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the new free credit report rule. This publication is being widely... distributed. Treasury's inclusion of credit literacy in its multimedia campaign responds to the overall emphasis on credit in the FACT Act and GAO's survey findings that many Americans lack knowledge of credit reporting issues. In response to our recommendation to target those populations that scored the lowest on our survey, both the National Strategy for Financial Literacy and Treasury's multimedia campaign includes specific actions to target age groups under 25, and Hispanics, as well as specific actions to target older population groups focusing on retirement savings and consumer protection issues. Specifically, Treasury's multimedia campaign targets young adults (18-24 years old), with its primary objective to encourage more thoughtful and conscientious use of credit, as well as to educate young adults on credit management and to understand their credit history and score. In response to our recommendation, the FLEC also has expanded efforts through its membership and partnerships to provide financial education on credit reporting issues. As part of their National Strategy, the Commission targets kindergarten through postsecondary financial education and recommended several actions for integrating financial education into K-12 curricula and postsecondary education venues. The Commission targeted opportunities to reach multilingual, multicultural populations by (1) promoting participation in the financial services process through increased understanding of the system, (2) changing perceptions about the accessibility of homeownership, and (3) improving access to financial services. The collective actions of the Treasury and members of the Commission should improve consumers' understanding of their federal rights in credit reporting.
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| Financial Literacy and Education Commission | Consistent with FLEC's and Treasury's mandate under FCRA, as amended by the FACT Act to improve consumers' understanding of credit reports, credit scores, and the need to dispute inaccurate information, and in targeting certain subpopulations, FLEC should expand efforts to provide financial education on credit reporting issues, for example in high school curriculums and in venues likely to reach Hispanics. | In response to our recommendation, the Office of Domestic Financial under Treasury's mandate in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and its membership on the Financial Literacy and Education Commission has expanded efforts through its membership and partnerships to provide financial education on credit reporting issues. In the National Strategy for Financial Literacy, the Commission targets kindergarten through postsecondary financial education and recommends (1) integrating financial education into K-12 curricula, (2) providing teachers with training and support to effectively teach financial education topics, (3) providing teachers with effective financial literacy materials, curricula, and...
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| Federal Trade Commission | In addition, the Chairman of FTC, through ongoing educational initiatives, materials, and public announcements, and in light of FTC's responsibility to protect consumers and enforce consumer rights, should improve consumers understanding of how credit reports and scores are used. | In response to our recommendation, the Federal Trade Commission has continued to build on its outreach efforts to improve consumer financial literacy, including increasing awareness of the credit reporting system. FTC uses a number of formats with varying degrees of detail and complexity to reach different audiences. Specifically, the FTC has issued numerous publications on the use of credit reports and credit scores and updated some to reflect legislative changes to consumer rights under the FACT Act. For example, FTC's new brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, outlines how credit reports might be used, who can access your credit report, and how long negative information can be...
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| Federal Trade Commission | In addition, the Chairman of FTC, through ongoing educational initiatives, materials, and public announcements, and in light of FTC's responsibility to protect consumers and enforce consumer rights, should encourage consumers to obtain their credit reports and credit scores and if necessary, dispute inaccurate information on their reports. | In response to our recommendation, the Federal Trade Commission has continued to build on its outreach efforts to improve consumer financial literacy, including increasing awareness of the credit reporting system. Specifically, FTC has issued a number of publications that describe credit reports and credit scores, and explain federal credit laws that protect consumers' rights to obtain, use, and maintain credit and discusses FTC's role in enforcing these laws. FTC uses a number of formats with varying degrees of detail and complexity to reach different audiences. FTC has expanded its outreach efforts on credit, including significant educational activities in those regions where the free...
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| Federal Trade Commission | In addition, the Chairman of FTC, through ongoing educational initiatives, materials, and public announcements, and in light of FTC's responsibility to protect consumers and enforce consumer rights, should educate consumers about FTC's role in enforcing consumers' rights in credit reporting. | In response to our recommendation, the Federal Trade Commission has continued to build on its outreach efforts to improve consumer financial literacy, including increasing awareness of the credit reporting system. Specifically, FTC has issued and updated a number of publications that describe credit reports and credit scores, and explain federal credit laws that protect consumers' rights to obtain, use, and maintain credit and discusses FTC's role in enforcing these laws. FTC uses a number of formats with varying degrees of detail and complexity to reach different audiences. Besides its publications, staff attorneys and FTC senior managers speak to community leaders and law enforcement...
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