Can your boss check your credit report? - Scripps News

By STEVE BUCCIbankrate.com Monday, August 27, 2007

Dear Debt Adviser,

My husband's foreman is rumored to periodically see recognition studies of his employees. Can a foreman make this and how make we halt this from happening? Thanks! -- Carol

Dear Carol,

The foreman necessitates written permission to entree your recognition report. From your missive it is difficult to state whether your hubby have given his permission. Chances are it was a portion of his employment application or the footing of his employment. You should be aware that many other employers make the same thing. If your hubby isn't certain he have given his permission, he can check up on with human resources to see what company policy is.

Why is an employee's recognition of involvement to a boss, you ask? In the lawsuit of prospective employers, how you manage your finances may reflect how you manage other facets of your life. Always being late paying your measures might bespeak a preference for being late for work. A bankruptcy or other populace record may bespeak a deficiency of sound judgement or the possibility of work-distracting fiscal problems.

For a current employer, it might do a difference if two campaigners were up for a publicity and there was only one opening. It is a reddish flag. Dr. Uncle Tom Garman did some research a few old age back when he was at Old Dominion Technical School that clearly showed bad recognition is a distraction from the job. Wage garnishment and creditor phone calls at work are just two ways that bad recognition can have got an impact on an employee's productivity.

This is all portion of the tendency to utilize recognition history outside of traditional lending. Insurers and employers have got establish that recognition behaviour makes not be in a vacuity and can be prognostic of future behaviour in other areas. I even cognize some love-smitten couples who would not state "I do" without a gander at their sweetie's recognition profile.

So, you can see the effects of bad recognition are becoming more than far-reaching every day. Recently, some military personnel were denied deployment owed to bad credit, and many can't acquire a job-required security clearance because they can't look to pull off to pay their measures when they are due.

Of course, this is in improver to the usual hurting and agony caused by high involvement rates, inordinate fees and the unpleasantness of having to cover with progressively hungrier loaners as your recognition history deteriorates.

So, what can you make if you are one of those conservative Americans who prefer the authorities and employers not have got entree to your private life and records?

In some states, a recognition freezing can maintain your employer out of your records. However, this is not the lawsuit in all states that let a recognition freeze. Go to the Federal Soldier Trade Committee Web land site for inside information on your state. If you don't like what you see there, I propose you compose your state senator and representative to change the local law.

My conjecture is that the foreman is simply trying to be prepared. My advice to you is that you check up on your studies yourself so that you cognize what the foreman is seeing. You can acquire a free transcript of your recognition studies annually at www.annualcreditreport.com.

If you happen mistakes, right them. If you have got had some fiscal challenges, take complaint right now. Set some fiscal goals, make a budget, start economy regularly and pay your measures on time, every time. If the foreman is going to raise the ante on your credit, you might as well be holding all the breeze throughs you can!

Good luck!

(Steve Bucci is president of Money Management International Financial Education Foundation. Visit www.moneymanagement.org for further debt advice. If you have got a inquiry for Steve, e-mail debtadviser(at)bankrate.com. The Debt Adviser is a weekly characteristic of bankrate.com. For more than narratives visit scrippsnews.com)