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Don't let anyone trick you, there are only some instances in which you can be required to show your credit report, and even then, only if you give consent to it. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), is the federal statute that was created to ensure accuracy and privacy of consumer information.  Its purpose is to protect consumers from distribution of inaccurate information contained in reports as well as the privacy of their information.  To this end, the FCRA sets guidelines on who can access a report and when the access is permissible. 

One of the most frequently asked questions when a loved one dies is “does my loved one’s debt live on or die with them?”  While mourning the loss of a loved can be difficult, the added stress of dealing with their debt can exacerbate these feelings of loss. Are you responsible for what your loved one left behind?  Does your loved one’s debt live on or is it buried with them? The simple answer……it depends.

The first thing any consumer should do when hearing from a collector is to determine if the debt is time-barred.  That is, did the statute of limitations expire on this debt. The statute of limitations, as we have blogged in the past, is the limit of time that the collector/creditor has to file a lawsuit in court seeking recovery.  Each state’s statute is different, and some states provide that a payment on the debt can restart the statute. Thus, before you agree to pay the debt, your first task is to find out when the last payment was made on that account, and what your state’s statute of limitations is for that particular kind of debt.

Hacking, Identity Theft, Internet Fraud, Phishing Attacks, Malware are just a few ways our personal information can be compromised. Today it is as important to protect our private data as it is to protect our personal health. With so much of our information available at a click of a button, it can be seem overwhelming trying stay secure or as secure as possible.