5 Steps in a Background Credit Check

Checking an individual’s financial stability is an important aspect of any background check. A background credit check will not only reveal credit information, such as the individual’s salary, loans borrowed and bankruptcies acquired; a background credit check will also reveal non-credit-related information, including the individual’s employment history and number of dependents.

Step 1 in a Background Credit Check: Identify Which Individuals to Conduct a Background Credit Check On

When conducting a background credit check, it is first important to determine which individuals you need to check on, or which businesses. For entrepreneurs, it is a good idea to conduct background credit checks on all potential employees and business partners . For employers screening applicants, a background credit check by investigators may reveal if the potential employee is responsible enough with money, and can be trusted to handle the responsibilities of the job. For entrepreneurs searching for business partners, a background credit check can verify if the individual indeed has the necessary resources to invest in the said venture.

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Step 2 in a Background Credit Check: Contact the Credit Bureaus

The next step in a background credit check is to contact the national credit bureaus. There are three national credit bureaus, namely TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Aside from these three, there are also local credit bureaus you can contact to help you with the background credit check. These credit bureaus offer financial information for various individuals worldwide. When doing a background credit check, it is a good idea to order a credit report from all three credit bureaus. You can opt to get a merged report or get separate reports.

Step 3 in a Background Credit Check: Request for a Credit Report

Once you have contacted the bureaus, ask for the necessary requirements for acquiring a credit report. These include certain personal information, such as the individual’s full name, address, contact number, birthday and social security number. You can conduct a background credit check on any individual, provided that the individual concerned signs a consent form allowing you to receive a copy of his or her credit report.

Step 4 in a Background Credit Check: Pay for the Credit Report

The next step in a background credit check is paying for the credit report. Each credit report from any of the credit bureaus costs about  $10. In certain areas in the United States, one can even acquire his own credit report for free every year.

Step 5 in a Background Credit Check: Wait

After submitting all the requirements and paying the necessary fee, you will then have to wait. It usually takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks to obtain a written credit report from the big credit reporting agencies and finish the background credit check.

Once you have received the report, you can now use it for your background credit check. While it is important to conduct a background credit check, an individual’s credit report should not be the only thing you should consider. Specific laws, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) often prohibit employers from using an individual’s credit report as the sole reason for not hiring or for firing an applicant.

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