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Fair Credit Reporting: Understanding Credit Scores

A credit score is a number which summarizes a consumer’s credit history. The purpose of the score is to help lenders evaluate whether the consumer is a risky borrower. Many auto and home insurance companies also use special credit scores to decide whether to issue a policy and for how much.

Here’s how credit scoring works in helping decide who gets credit—and why.

What is credit scoring?

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3920. Legal representatives

(a) Representative

A legal representative of a servicemember for purposes of this chapter is either of the following:

(1) An attorney acting on the behalf of a servicemember.

(2) An individual possessing a power of attorney.

(b) Application

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3914. Extension of protections to citizens serving with allied forces

A citizen of the United States who is serving with the forces of a nation with which the United States is allied in the prosecution of a war or military action is entitled to the relief and protections provided under this chapter if that service with the allied force is similar to military service as defined in this chapter. The relief and protections provided to such citizen shall terminate on the date of discharge or release from such service.

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 4026. Business or trade obligations

(a) Availability of non-business assets to satisfy obligations

If the trade or business (without regard to the form in which such trade or business is carried out) of a servicemember has an obligation or liability for which the servicemember is personally liable, the assets of the servicemember not held in connection with the trade or business may not be available for satisfaction of the obligation or liability during the servicemember’s military service.

(b) Relief to obligors

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 4011. Inappropriate use of chapter

If a court determines, in any proceeding to enforce a civil right, that any interest, property, or contract has been transferred or acquired with the intent to delay the just enforcement of such right by taking advantage of this chapter, the court shall enter such judgment or make such order as might lawfully be entered or made concerning such transfer or acquisition.

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3957. Protection of life insurance policy

(a) Assignment of policy protected

If a life insurance policy on the life of a servicemember is assigned before military service to secure the payment of an obligation, the assignee of the policy (except the insurer in connection with a policy loan) may not exercise, during a period of military service of the servicemember or within one year thereafter, any right or option obtained under the assignment without a court order.

(b) Exception

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 4041. Enforcement by the Attorney General

(a) Civil action

The Attorney General may commence a civil action in any appropriate district court of the United States against any person who—

(1) engages in a pattern or practice of violating this chapter; or

(2) engages in a violation of this chapter that raises an issue of significant public importance.

(b) Relief

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3951. Evictions and distress

(a) Court-ordered eviction

(1) In general

Except by court order, a landlord (or another person with paramount title) may not—

(A) evict a servicemember, or the dependents of a servicemember, during a period of military service of the servicemember, from premises—

(i) that are occupied or intended to be occupied primarily as a residence; and

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3932. Stay of proceedings when servicemember has notice

(a) Applicability of section

This section applies to any civil action or proceeding, including any child custody proceeding, in which the plaintiff or defendant at the time of filing an application under this section—

(1) is in military service or is within 90 days after termination of or release from military service; and

(2) has received notice of the action or proceeding.

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3958. Enforcement of storage liens

(a) Liens

(1) Limitation on foreclosure or enforcement

A person holding a lien on the property or effects of a servicemember may not, during any period of military service of the servicemember and for 90 days thereafter, foreclose or enforce any lien on such property or effects without a court order granted before foreclosure or enforcement.

(2) Lien defined

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3916. Information for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on rights and protections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

(a) Outreach to members

The Secretary concerned shall provide to each member of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary pertinent information on the rights and protections available to members and their dependents under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

(b) Time of provision

The information required to be provided under subsection (a) to a member shall be provided at the following times:

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 4042. Private right of action

(a) In general

Any person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may in a civil action—

(1) obtain any appropriate equitable or declaratory relief with respect to the violation; and

(2) recover all other appropriate relief, including monetary damages; and

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3902. Purpose

The purposes of this chapter are—

(1) to provide for, strengthen, and expedite the national defense through protection extended by this chapter to servicemembers of the United States to enable such persons to devote their entire energy to the defense needs of the Nation; and

Collection Actions: 50 U.S.C. § 3917. Extension of rights and protections to reserves ordered to report for military service and to persons ordered to report for induction

(a) Reserves ordered to report for military service

A member of a reserve component who is ordered to report for military service is entitled to the rights and protections of this subchapter and subchapters II and III during the period beginning on the date of the member’s receipt of the order and ending on the date on which the member reports for military service (or, if the order is revoked before the member so reports, or the date on which the order is revoked).

Fair Credit Reporting: Introduction and Listing of Provisions

The Credit Repair Organizations Act was passed by Congress as part of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, § 2451, 110 Stat. 3009 (1996).

The Act as codified at 15 U.S.C. § 1679 is set out below.

TITLE 15—COMMERCE AND TRADE

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CHAPTER 41—CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION

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SUBCHAPTER II-A—CREDIT REPAIR ORGANIZATIONS