Dear Community Partner,

Consumer Action is celebrating its 53rd anniversary on Nov. 13 with the theme "Empowering Consumers: Fairness, Transparency, Accountability." As part of the day’s events, we will host a free virtual convening to explore critical credit and consumer reporting issues impacting consumers today. 

The information in credit and consumer reports (including tenant history and background check reports) is regularly used to determine if a consumer can get a personal loan or a credit card, a mortgage or an apartment, and even an insurance policy or a job. Access to accurate information in these reports is exceptionally important for consumers' economic well-being. 

We invite you to join Consumer Action's “Fairness, Transparency and Accountability in Credit and Consumer Reporting” virtual convening on Wednesday, Nov. 13, where we will explore why complaints about consumer reports are swelling and what is being done to curb the abuses.

We're thrilled to have credit reporting expert Chi Chi Wu, of the National Consumer Law Center, join us to moderate a panel discussion on the credit and consumer reporting issues that are most heavily impacting consumers. Expert panelists for this event include Chuck Bell, advocacy programs director at Consumer Reports; Eric Dunn, director of litigation at the National Housing Law Project; and Amy Quester and Lanique Eubanks, both senior counsel with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Office of Regulations.

Discussion topics will include:

• How background check reports that include criminal and eviction records have been used to unfairly deny consumers jobs and housing, and how recent CFPB guidance is designed to lead to greater accuracy and accountability in these critical reports;
• How consumers have been denied access to credit and consumer reports and what the CFPB is doing to help improve fairness and transparency in reporting;
• How new HUD guidance is helping protect rental housing applicants from discriminatory tenant screening practices;
• Proposals to restrict the inclusion of medical bills on credit reports; and
• Practical steps consumers can take to help ensure that their credit and consumer reports are accurate, and how to resolve problems with credit and consumer reporting agencies when they are not.

Please join us! Click here to register. 

Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 10:00 a.m. PT (11:00 a.m. MT; 12:00 p.m. CT; 1:00 p.m. ET).

AFC professionals can earn 1.5 CEUs for participation in this free 90-minute virtual convening.

We look forward to your participation.

Sincerely,

Nelson

Nelson Santiago
Community Outreach Manager