There is an institution in our society that affects everything from your ability to purchase a home, get approved for automobile insurance, and gain employment with certain companies. It is an element that affects almost every person in the United States but it is something rarely talked about in schools and is not well understood by a huge portion of those it impacts.
What we're referring to here is the modern consumer credit system. This is the system where credit bureaus collect, organize and save personal information about consumers provided by a variety of sources that is then purchased by lenders, employers, and others. This information is used to make decisions about whether or not you are a responsible, credit worthy person.
After only a short time dealing with the financial community, most people find out the basics of the credit scoring system. They know their credit reports contain information about them and they know it is beneficial to have a
high credit score. But from there, their knowledge of the credit system tends to drop off and many of the things people believe to be true are in incorrect or incomplete interpretations of the facts.
Many people do not know how their credit score is derived, what steps they can take to improve their credit score, the tools they have for disputing questionable credit listings, and how the law protects their right to receive fair treatment from credit reporting agencies, creditors, collectors, and
credit repair organizations.
Whether by accident or through design, much like how the pigs exerted control in Animal Farm, this lack of knowledge leaves people at the mercy of, and frequently victims of, the companies whose profits are tied to consumer credit. When left unchecked, even upstanding lenders will err in favor of generating more money. As a result there are people are paying exorbitant interest fees that pad the pockets of lenders because these people are not knowledgeable enough about the credit system to fight back. They are permitting themselves to be taken advantage of by companies who, intentionally or not, are taking more of their money than is fair.
The more people know about credit, the more empowered they become. Credit scoring is a powerful and necessary tool in today's society, but as with all sources of power, it must be kept in check. Those people who learn how it works are the ones who will be able to enforce their right to a fair and accurate credit score.
Lexington Law, the trusted leaders in credit correction, believes learning about your credit is the first step in improving it. To assist consumers with this,
Lexington Law has provided credit education resources including videos, lawyer interviews, expert articles and more.