Could Changes to Credit Reporting Boost Your Credit Scores?
Beginning in July 2017, millions of Americans could see an increase in their credit scores as the TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax, the three major credit agencies, drop tax liens and civil judgments from their reports.
FICO says about 12 million of the 200 million credit consumers will see an increase of about 20 points. This is good news for consumers because credit scores are used almost ubiquitously by everyone to indicate credit worthiness.
Why are the companies no longer including this information?
These changes are occurring as a result of a settlement with lawmakers in more than 30 states. The officials found the alleged liens and civil judgments were frequently attached to the wrong people, thus hurting their credit access for a home or car. Since liens and judgments represented major derogatory events, the fall off of this category could make a huge difference for some.
So, as of this month, if the lien or judgment fails to match three out of four criteria, it will no longer appear on the credit report.
As a result of these changes, look for new oversight of credit reporting agencies by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as the new rules are enforced. Possible, too, credit lenders may become more stringent in their practices since they will now have less assurance that consumers can pay back the borrowed monies.
An agency such as Data Screening.com can provide accurate credit reporting. A professional agency bases its reputation on the accuracy of reporting structures according to federal and state mandates.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the ASA(American Staffing Association), SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and the NAPBS (National Association of Professional Background Screeners). How may we help you today?
True or False Quiz: Can Landlords Prevent Defaults on Rent?
As a landlord, you may think you have all the information you need to keep your rental business on the up and up while protecting yourself and your assets. Let’s see how you do with this simple quiz.
T or F: The landlord is always right no matter the tenant’s argument.
False. There are two sides to every coin, so to speak. When the subject is arrears in rent, both the landlord’s and tenant’s sides must be examined. Though the rent must be paid, many states are pro-tenant in anti-discrimination suits. It’s good to have a legal contract in place that protects the rights of both parties, and if necessary, pursue legal action.
T or F: A tenant can move out completely without notice should she/he feel unsafe in the rental property.
True. It is incumbent upon the landlord to provide a shelter free of serious defects which could be harmful to the health or safety of the tenant. And some states permit the tenant a right of cancellation. However, the tenant must inform the landlord in writing and allow him/her to repairs the problem in a reasonable amount of time. Further, a tenant who wishes to cancel a lease should seek legal or appropriate governmental agency advice to ensure the conditions are severe enough to warrant vacating.
T or F: An artistic tenant has painted the walls with a textured paint in one room, a blackboard paint in another and applied wallpaper in another. The tenant has now given proper notice according to lease requirements and has moved out. Do you refund the tenant’s security deposit in full?
It depends. Did the tenant improve the property? Leases usually include a limited covenant to possessory interests. If tenants wish to have their security deposit returned, most statutes say they must leave the premises in move-in condition. However, some tenants agree in writing to update, personalize or decorate a property upon leasing.
This quiz’s purpose points out the need for thorough data screening and consideration by both parties before renting. No renter should enter an agreement without reading the lease or viewing the property. And no landlord should rent without a complete data screening of the applicant.
A professional agency such as Data Screening can assist you with a thorough background check for your rental applicant. Learn as much as you can to protect your investment and keep everyone’s mind at peace.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
Expunging Outdated Data from Background Checks
Have you ever been rejected based on your background check but you know your records should have appeared with no questionable information?
What should you do if you find erroneous information on your personal, credit or social media history? How do you begin to correct information that is no longer accurate?
Gather your patience for the process.
While many states have passed laws to help people clear their criminal records, the laws fail to address issues found in private database companies that might be slower to reflect updated information. These include thousands of private sellers of criminal history records across the Internet. Often, these companies could be of questionable integrity or quality.
Removing information can be done, but it will take time and diligence—sometimes up to a year— no matter on whose fault the error is. Worse, no one place holds all your records.
First, it is necessary to perform a search through a reputable background check company such as Data Screening. This way you will have the most accurate and the most up to date records on yourself. With this information, you will be able to see any mistakes that are on your record or any convictions that should have been expunged. You will also be able to see the locations of the courthouses from where this incorrect information about yourself originated from and therefore get it corrected quickly.
Unfortunately, no federal laws exist that require periodic updates.
States have jurisdiction to invoke remedies for people harmed by outdated personal information. The process may be more difficult if you have married, divorced, or recently relocated.
Further, as one might expect, the process can be costly in time and fees. If you cannot endure the process, a reputable record removal firm can help, but unfortunately, it may not be totally effective as some background check sites do not honor requests from third parties.
Nevertheless, it is vitally important to keep personal data accurate, especially if you have taken the time to adjust prior records.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
Hiring for the Gig Economy? Best to Screen Carefully
Hiring temporary contract workers is on the rise, and more small and midsize businesses are heading this direction. This gig trend will likely continue until at least the end of the decade. Isn’t that good news for staffing firms, whose utilization grew an average of 10 percent over the past year?
While hiring great temporary or gig workers is crucial for your clients, it also means staffing firms must tweak their processes to bring in the right talent. Being proactive both with digital contact and vetting approach becomes essential.
Alter interview questions to determine the candidate’s ambitions for specific opportunities, like the examples below:
- Why are you interested in this temporary opportunity?
- Do you hope to transition to full-time employment?
- What are your goals regarding this specific position and why?
- What characteristics are most important to you in any job?
- Describe your preferred work environment
Ask questions that reveal the candidate’s work style and personality, such as:
- Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the scope of your job.
- What do you value most in a company?
- Do you prefer working solo or with a team?
- Describe a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how you solved it.
- What skills do you have that would add value to this job?
- What would be your ideal job?
Remember to run a background screening on each candidate, too. Without an accurate screening by a professional firm, such as Data Screening.com, you may not get all the facts. There’s little worse than presenting a candidate who may have posted false claims on an application.
As a staffing firm, certainly you want to present your best-vetted talent to your client to fill any potential openings, and a proper data screening will check for fraud, any history of criminal activity and many other critical issues. Plus, all screening must be completed within the framework of federal and state employment laws, and a professional screening firm will operate with the knowledge of those boundaries.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
3 Trends in Data Screening
Any employer expects employment laws and practices to change over time. It’s just part of doing business to keep up with the trends.
The Society for Human Resource Management keeps an eye on current topics, issues, and trends in the HR industry, including conducting pre-employment background checks. According to the SHRM, it is important to note some recent changes.
Ban the Box
These laws, which pertain to checking a candidate’s background for a criminal history, are becoming the norm. A firm must delay asking about potential criminal background until either an interview has taken place or a provisional job offer has been made. To date, nearly half of the states in the USA have enacted such laws.
Ban the box was proposed to prevent a potential employer from automatically rejecting an ex-offender based on the bias of that status rather than what the employee may contribute. The point is to help reintegrate people with a criminal history back into the fabric of society, providing a means to support themselves. It does not mean a background screening for criminal activity can never be done.
The difficulty with the laws are their various nuances of letters, language, and wait times.
The gig economy and screening
Employers must discern how to adapt to the growing on-demand workforce. It is expected to become a matter of course to screen temporary employees.
Continuous screening
While most companies screen at the pre-employment stage; more firms are opting for re-screenings or continuous screenings to maintaining a safe and fully-vetted workforce. According to SHRM, post-hire screenings are expected to “reduce the prevalence of insider threats occurring throughout an employee’s tenure. Highly regulated industries and the government may adopt periodic or continuous screenings.
Hiring the right background screening company like Data Screening.com is critical. Make sure the one you hire knows the laws and regulations and operates with professional standards of accuracy in a timely manner.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
12 Tips for Landlords – Avoid Rental Application Cons
As a landlord, you may think you’ve seen more tricks than at a dog and pony show. Forgery and fraud in rental applications may not be publicized, but it frequently happens, particularly with “mom and pop” landlords as scammers think they are the easiest to manipulate.
Those applicants who perpetrate fraud will often seek multi-family housing and typically have a bad credit score. Sometimes they have a pet or two and “forget” to inform the landlord. When people need a home, they’re almost in survival instinct mode. They may try anything to get that need met. So stay ahead of the game by following these tips.
- Ask for a photo ID and never accept a photocopy or fax of one as these can be easily faked. Ascertain the applicant is the person on the ID and not just someone with similar characteristics. Ask if the address on the ID is where they currently live, and if not, why?
- Make certain to invest in a tenant background check, specifically one that searches for criminal records. This screening reveals past problems and hints of potential future ones, such as previous fake addresses or offenses which may violate safety. A decision not to get a background check could be much costlier in the long run as it is more difficult to evict a tenant once they are in residence.
- Secure a tenant credit check. A low credit score could indicate the potential of bad pay or no pay. Worse, the tenant could skip out after leaving damages or absconding with appliances and light fixtures.
- Beware of tenants who respond to rental advertising on free sites or bulletin boards. Sure, many people respond legitimately to these ads, but it benefits you to be cautious.
- Know your rights as a landlord and the rights of potential tenants. Having this information at hand helps to verify you are within the law to refuse a tenant’s application without discrimination.
- Ask about pets. Clarify that your policy covers the inclusion of a pet from the time of move-in to vacating the lease.
- Observe the person completing the application. Do they use a “cheat sheet” or phone someone to ask for help? When finished, look over the application and ask questions to confirm the data.
- Verify past personal references. Sometimes renters use two separate phones in an attempt to respond as their own “reference,” or ask a friend to vouch for them. Landlords can place an unexpected call to the numbers to catch the fraudulent renter off-guard.
- Do a computer search of the potential renter’s name and see what comes up.
- Request pay stubs to verify income. Most companies, even the government, use electronic records. Be wary of anything that looks like a fake template. Look for typos, font changes, misaligned information, mistakes in the math, or unlikely sequencing of check numbers.
- Charge an application fee or require a deposit that can be applied to the rent. This discourages those who forge or proffer fraudulent documents.
- Check with your local police frauds department to see if they have a list of tips to share with landlords.
Perhaps the best way of all to determine a legitimate renter is to outsource your potential tenant’s background screening to Data Screening.com. Besides in-depth information that is legal and above board, you save hours of time by obtaining the credit and background checks in a single-sourced, convenient report.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
New Healthcare Job? Expect a Background Check with Fingerprinting
Here’s Why:
New job opportunities arise when an industry burgeons, like home health care, skilled nursing facility patient care, and behavioral healthcare.
More and more, trained and caring individuals are needed to assist the aging Boomer population, and people are answering that need. However, as one might expect, new opportunities bring new challenges. Two of those challenges are patient safety and quality of care, particularly in home and behavioral health care, and skilled nursing care.
Various state boards that govern health professions are mandated by law to ensure the people entering those fields are not only competent but also of high moral character, which means that those individuals would be honor-bound to self-disclose any concerns before licensure.
Because the term “moral character” has become archaic, other means are now required to check for issues. Several states are considering more stringent laws, including extensive employment background screenings, to oversee the requirements for workers in these fields.
These more stringent data screening requirements focus on preventing and controlling neglect and abuse of patients by healthcare workers, which, unfortunately, occurs much too frequently.
Therefore, home health care, skilled nursing facility, and mental health care professionals are often fingerprinted as part of their pre-employment background checks.
The fingerprint-based background check
Since 1999, the FBI has been using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. It is the world’s largest fingerprint identification database though it does not contain the fingerprints of all criminals. If located in the system, convictions that took place anywhere in the United States will show regardless of the use of aliases.
Each state has different statutes regulating the need for fingerprinting healthcare professionals. More states than not require them.
So, if you have been involved in a criminal complaint, gather records from your local courthouse, check them for any misinformation or errors against the FBI fingerprint results, and reveal them to your potential employer.
Full disclosure regarding any concerns in your past will speak on your behalf toward any future healthcare opportunity.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
Tenant Screening: 7 Red Flags to Keep from Getting Burned
As a manager for rental properties, finding reliable renters is crucial for your business success and reputation. Hence, it pays to be informed or refreshed on why you should perform a thorough background check.
Remember, don’t skip the processing of applicants to save time or because the person “appears” right or offers you a tempting “deal.” People with nothing to hide don’t mind adhering to Federal Fair Housing Guidelines, but those who are ready to scam you might. Watch for these typical red flags.
- Bad Credit History
A poor credit history may be a blazing trail of potential problem tenant behavior. Unless you know of the tenant’s personal situation—such as a divorce—which has caused the applicant’s financial picture, you’d be wise to forego the deal right then. However, if the applicant’s minimum credit score falls within your parameters, and their situation warrants consideration (especially with a qualified co-signor), then forge ahead.
- Low Income
This is simple math. If the applicant’s income barely meets the monthly rental, chances are good they will default on rent. Income should exceed two-three times the cost of rent.
- Frequent Job Changes
A job hopper indicates a troubling behavior pattern. Similar to one with a bad credit history, this individual is potentially high-risk.
- Prior Evictions and Bad References
People may try to hide prior evictions or bad landlord references. Are applicant’s smart enough to pull off this trick? Not typically. One manager called to check a reference for and found it was the applicant’s friend using a different phone number and fake accent. When desperate, people will try many schemes.
- Notifications
Check if deposits were returned from prior landlords, as the lack of one being returned could indicate a future problem tenant, one who is irresponsible in keeping the property in good condition.
Also, check how much notification was given before the tenant moved out. Not giving notice within contract guidelines says a lot about the applicant.
- Cash up front
Few people request to pay deposits or rental fees by cash. Those who do could be hiding a criminal background or illicit activity. Money may talk at the onset, but there is no way to predict future problems with someone who requests to deal in cash.
- A Tax Lien
This is an obvious one. If the IRS has difficulty collecting from tenant applicants, can you expect any less?
Don’t negate your instincts when it comes to screening for a tenant. If an applicant is giving you a definite bad vibe (needy, demanding, rude), don’t second guess yourself.
Otherwise, use a legal, professional agency such as Data Screening, to assist you with a thorough background check. Learn as much as you can to protect your clients and keep your mind at peace.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
9 Tips to Reduce Liability in Hiring
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. ~ Benjamin Franklin
Logic dictates that the more you know, the better your prospects are at growing a successful business. So why take chances when it comes to hiring? A negligent hiring lawsuit can result in astronomical costs. Even if a poor hiring choice does not result in a lawsuit, the bad publicity that can ensue could cause serious losses.
Employers should obtain a thorough understanding of a potential employee’s history and information, especially if that individual will have access to proprietary systems, personnel databases, or financial records.
According to the Society of Human Resource Management, more than 53 percent of all job applications contain false information. Doesn’t it make sense then to conduct a thorough investigation before hiring? In fact, some companies conduct periodic investigations of employees to screen individuals who they think may have committed crimes.
Criminal background checks can reveal whether an individual has a record of violent crime or theft. Background checks can also expose falsehoods on the job applications or in education. It will raise red flags to be questioned and resolved regarding minimizing the risk of hiring.
While it is important to prescreen candidates, it is equally important to adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This law ensures an applicant must provide permission for a background check to be conducted and the subsequent right to dispute any adverse information on the report.
5 tips to reduce your organization’s hiring risk.
- Use an experienced, vetted agency such as Data Screening to conduct background checks and perform necessary due diligence.
- Establish criteria to evaluate the pre-employment information.
- Develop internal policies and mandates to promote a secure and safe work environment.
- Follow all laws and regulations including the FCRA and all release forms.
- Eliminate subjective decisions and ensure periodic screenings as deemed providential.
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?
Hiring with Missing Information – A True, Compelling Story
If you think you don’t need to run a thorough background check using a competent data screening agency, you may change your view once you consider this true story.
A few years ago, an experienced and established data screening agency ran a background check on a potential candidate for hire. The agency uncovered a criminal record. The candidate had previously been convicted of assault and was sentenced to anger management classes. As a result, the candidate lost the job opportunity.
When the candidate discovered the data screening agency exposed his record (which was the right thing to do for the client), he showed up at the agency, unannounced and quite upset.
Later, the agency discovered the same candidate applied at one of their client’s competitors. The competitor did NOT run a thorough background check. It only did fingerprinting. Since the outcome of the fingerprinting takes up to three weeks, the competitor hired the candidate and put the person to work without a clue about his criminal record.
Fingerprinting is good in some ways. It captures a large area but has a long turnaround time. Additionally, more than 50 percent of the cases identified by fingerprinting lack final dispositions of the cases.
Due to kindly intervention – when the agency’s client found out about the candidate being hired by another company, they told the agency, who then contacted the hiring company – a potentially harmful situation was avoided.
But isn’t it best to have all information to weigh before making a decision? Why not connect with an agency like Data Screening, that will provide the accurate and complete results you need?
About DataScreeening.com
Data Screening is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise that has offered business-to-business employment and tenant screenings to human resource professionals and business owners, including staffing companies, for two decades. Among other organizations, they are members of the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. How may we help you today?