Then you might be really shocked to find out that criminal background checks are often done by private companies, and they don't even have to be licensed. I gue

Then you might be really shocked to find out that criminal background checks are often done by private companies, and they don't even have to be licensed. I guess folks have a lot of trouble trying to clear up inaccuracies. Back to credit checks, the laws are a bit weird as well. Someone can simply pay their bills - phone, power, rent, and so on - on time for years and live within their means... and not be able to get good rates on loans and stuff because they have no credit. However, if they move and forget to pay their last electric bill from their old address, they'll suddenly have bad credit because it will be reported to the credit companies eventually. There is no requirement for the same places to report positives. Oh, and I might mention the actual scoring is a secret, though they'll give tips on improving it (like making sure to have a credit card and actually use it, have auto loans, and so on).