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Ask Annie - Anne Fisher wrong on credit scores and employers

CNN gets it wrong, again, even failing a veracity test of fundamental American history.

| By Greg Fisher

Television news network CNN falsely states, "And after The New York Times in February published a detailed account of Grayson's various funds and potential rules violations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urged Grayson to drop out of the race, saying 'it seems like he has no moral compass.'"

Walsh, D. (2016, April 5). House ethics committee extends probe of Florida Democrat. Retrieved July 30, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/05/politics/alan-grayson-house-investigation-florida/

CNN is wrong. Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, is not Majority Leader; he is not even in the majority party. He is Minority Leader, and that is a fact stated in the official account of the history of the United States of America.




Evidence of incompetence at the Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner organization is not hard to find. Another report falsely states, "So far, the GOP only has one solid Iran detractor in the Senate in New York Democrat Chuck Schumer, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday evening that he is still undecided."

Kopan, T., & Walsh, D. (2015, August 13). More lawmakers take sides on Iran nuclear deal. Retrieved July 30, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/13/politics/iran-nuclear-deal-congress-updates/

Even when informed of its error, CNN continues merrily broadcasting while ignoring the false information.


Another document in the internet domain cnn.com falsely states, "More employers than ever are looking at candidates' credit scores."

That is a simple error of fact. Employers do not use credit scores.

And, it's not like the operators of cnn.com didn't know. A prior report states, correctly, "Your credit score won't matter because employers are not allowed to use credit scores as part of employment screening."

Clearly, CNN is an unreliable source. That's a long story involving the Federal Reserve.

As if to keep itself honest, CNN publishes transcripts. Anchor Christine Romans interviews employment lawyer Robin Bond in 2014:

Coming up, what would you do for a new job? Give up your Facebook password? Take a drug test? Disclose your credit score? Employers want those things and more. Can you say no? Why companies hold all the power...

After that irresistible tease:

ROMANS: No one has the right your passwords. But some bosses want to see it. They have a lot of good candidates. They want to make sure you're not a total loser, I guess, or on a booze cruise every night.

OK, here's the other thing I want to ask you about, credit scores. I've covered this story many times. I hear all of these complaints from people that their credit is checked and then they're denied a job. I've been around a long time. There are no laws in ten state restricting this, from using the background check, the credit check, against potential employees. Is it fair for employers to weigh credit scores before they hire somebody?

BOND: It's very important for viewers to know this. People cannot get this information about you unless you sign a consent form giving them permission to get it.

ROMANS: If you want the job you're going to do it. You know? That's the catch 22. You know?

BOND: Yes. Right. Pretty much that's true. But if you have bad information, here's a couple things you can do. Say, yes, I'll sign the waiver, but let me explain to you there's some recent things that have happened that explain why I had some credit problems. And let me also give you some great reference letters about me. You know, proactively explain this, because there's a lot of good reasons why credit goes bad. And if some adverse actions is taken against you, ask for the credit report, because by law you have the right to it, and if adverse action is taken against you because of bankruptcy, that is illegal.

ROMANS: That is a really good point. I think everyone should go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get your free copy you are allowed to have. You should see what's on it so you know what the boss is going see.

BOND: That's right.

ROMANS: Thank you so much. Have a nice weekend. Coming up --

Golden opportunity lost. It would be easy to think that the lawyer just missed the false premise in the question because she was a nervous interviewee. However, Bond's website states, "Robin will explore with host Christine Romans how this can happen, as well as the areas of employer rights to access your Facebook passwords, to access or use your credit score in employment decisions, and their rights to terminate your employment even if you are legally prescribed 'medical marijuana.'"

Rights? Maybe. But rights or no rights, the credit bureaus don't sell credit scores for employment purposes.

Engage Romans in an actual exchange involving fact and you get a pathetic, telling half-response:


from: Greg Fisher (greg@truthandfalsity.com)
to: askannie@fortune.com
date: Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 2:34 PM
subject: credit score, falsity, CNN

See this message and your response when I publish it in http://creditscoring.com/interaction/2016/07/.

The page that results using the cnn.com internet address http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/20/news/economy/bad_credit_no_job.fortune/index.htm states, "Unfortunately, just as average credit scores are slipping, more employers are using them to winnow out job applicants." #1007F (F is for Fisher)

Employers do not use credit scores. I looked into it. Two years before your false story, the national consumer reporting agencies all stated that they do not even provide credit scores for employment purposes.

Experian said, "No, Experian's business policy prevents the inclusion of credit scores with an employment report, at Experian called Employment Insight."

Equifax said, "We do not knowingly provide scores for pre employment screening."

Transunion said, "TransUnion does not provide a credit score for employment screening purposes."

http://creditscoring.com/influence/government/employment.htm

What employers? Name two. And, how do these employers get them? Is there a credit score black market?

Your information is false. You are wrong. http://www.creditscoring.com/myths/employers/time-warner/labor-day-2013.html

What is your correction policy?

--
Greg Fisher
Truth and Falsity
truthandfalsity.com
The Credit Scoring Site
creditscoring.com
PO Box 342
Dayton, Ohio 45409-0342
mobile/text 937-681-3224


[Subsequent message in this email thread]


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