December 10, 2013 | By Greg Fisher
Employers do not use credit scores.
However, the Oklahoma State Department of Education falsely states: "Your credit score impacts more than just your ability to get credit. It may determine whether or not you get a job or can rent an apartment."
The agency continues, inaccurately, "Low credit scores show the opposite, indicating that you are a high risk as a potential borrower, renter, or employee."
Another paragraph in the same document states, incorrectly: "In addition, most landlords and potential employers check your FICO score to find out how responsible you are. You can be turned down for a job or denied a place to live if you have a low score. One employer in Oklahoma City recently said they turn away four out of every ten job applicants because of low credit scores."
That false information exists in a document entitled "STUDENT MODULE 7.3 BORROWING MONEY, and is found under "Student Resources" on the page "Personal Financial Literacy Teacher and Student Materials."
Another document listed is "TEACHER GUIDE 7.3 BORROWING MONEY."
Those items exist on the actual state government website ok.gov.
The Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction is active in social media at @JanetBarresi. On its internet home page, the department invites readers to "Engage with SDE."
They have been engaged.
Update, December 6, 2013
.@JanetBarresi and @oksde, your #government's website is #false. What are the names of the authors? http://t.co/dkG4D422Ep #truth #falsity
— Greg Fisher (@creditscoring) December 3, 2013@creditscoring we stand by the factual information on the website.
— Ok State Dept of Ed (@oksde) December 3, 2013Update, December 10, 2013
.@oksde, it's not the factual information I'm referring to.
— Greg Fisher (@creditscoring) December 10, 2013
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