Consumer Advocates Urge Borrowers to Track Their Credit Scores.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

With California passing its credit score disclosure law last year, and then Fair, Isaac allowing borrowers in other states as well to have access to see their credit scores, there has also come a greater public awareness about credit scores and reports.

Michelle McEvoy, manager of privacy and compliance at ConsumerInfo.com, an Orange, Calif.-based online company providing credit reports and other credit-related information services, said, "If our growth is any indication, I think that there is a lot more awareness in the general populous about the importance of keeping track of what is in your credit report."

When asked by this publication how similar is the credit score and report information that borrowers receive from ConsumerInfo.com to what lenders see, Ms. McEvoy responded, "It's very similar. We are pulling data from the same locations that the lenders would see it. We put it in a format that is easier to read for the consumer because lenders are familiar with the strip-down text formats."

Ms. McEvoy added, "It's the same data, but it's not the bureau credit score that we deliver. We license software that scores the data itself. It's a similar model (to what the credit bureaus use). The credit report itself is the same data that the lenders would get if they pulled the credit report on that day."

As part of ConsumerInfo.com's ongoing upgrading of its systems, it has recently modified the format of its three-bureau credit report.

Ms. McEvoy said, "We have reformatted it to make it even easier for consumers to compare information from the three credit bureaus. We have a side-by-side format and now we also include one credit score which scores the information from one of the credit reports. Consumers can also add credit scores for the information from other reports, in addition, if they want to."

The company has also ...