FTC to Refer Credit Reporting Complaints

The Federal Trade Commission has found a new approach to making sure that the three national credit reporting agencies are working with consumers to correct inaccurate or incomplete credit reports.Instead of just fielding complaints from consumers who say their disputes with the credit reporting agencies have not been resolved to their satisfaction, the FTC has decided to refer those complaints directly to the agencies -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. "The FTC will not make any determination about the merits of the complaints," the consumer protection agency said. However, the commission will require the credit reporting agencies to provide periodic reports on the "disposition of a sample" of the complaints. "Accurate and complete information is not only essential to our credit-based economy, but also to the fair treatment of consumers," FTC consumer protection director Howard Beales said. "We look forward to working with the [credit reporting agencies] on this complaint-sharing program."