Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Rick Zapata

Regional Extension Agent

Consumer Science & Personal Financial Management

November 2, 2010

When I was a lot younger, I was taught in school that as Americans we have a reasonable right to privacy guaranteed by our Constitution. Well in principal, those rights do exist, but with the advent of computers and the internet, there is a lot of private information made publically available on each of us. I tell both adults and teenagers to be careful what they post on internet web sites because that becomes public knowledge and can come back to haunt them. More and more these days, potential employers are searching the internet and other sources to find out information on job applicants. In the following paragraphs, I’ll tell you about some databases that employers may look at before hiring someone.

Since the new health care bill was signed into law, employers may be looking more closely at your health care history. There are three sources that an employer can check to see your general state of health. There are two databases that report prescription drug purchase histories:  IntelliScript www.rxhistories.com,  and Medpoint www.ingenix.com .  Imagine if you put on an application that you are in good health, and through these web sites the employer finds out that you are taking a medication for depression. Would that hurt your chances of gaining that job? Another source of information is the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) http://www.mib.com . MIB compiles and maintains records concerning individual life, health, long-term, and disability insurance information. If you have filed claims on some of these, such as the health or disability policies, there will be a record of that situation. If you have a long history of hospital or disability problems, these will be kept on this database. You might want to order a report from these sources to check for accuracy and then dispute any findings that do not belong to you.

There are two agencies that report residential and tenant history including evictions. They are ChoicePoint (877-488-5732) and First Advantage Save Rent (888-333-2413).

There are three major companies that report check writing history. They are ChexSystems (800-513-7125), Scan (800-262-7771), and TeleCheck (800-835-3243). Most banks now use these when you apply for a new checking account. If there is a history of overdrafts and closed accounts with outstanding balances, the bank will not likely open that person a new account.

There are two companies that maintain information on employees. The Work Number Employment Data Reports  (www.theworknumber.com )  maintains information on approximately 25 million employees and their work histories. Choice Point (www.choicetrust.com ) (866-312-8075) also does background checks on potential employees. Because of these, you will need to make sure that employment histories listed on your resume are accurate.

There are two databases that report insurance claims that you have filed. These reports tell about claims you have made against you homeowner’s or automobile insurance. The two main reporting companies are ChoicePoint Clue Report 866-312-8076 and ISO A-Plus Report 800-627-3487. Whenever you apply for insurance, one or both of these databases will be searched and your rates on the new policy will be adjusted accordingly. Any employer who will be furnishing you with a company vehicle will certainly check these before hiring you. Please be aware that your insurance company will also check your credit file from time to time. If your credit score continues to be low, the insurance company will likely raise your insurance premiums because they will consider you more of a risk.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to a free “Person Report” or file disclosure. LexisNexis Accurint  www.lexisnexis.com is a source for any Person Report for private information listed on any individual. The application form can be downloaded on the following web site: www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/for-consumer/request-personal-information.aspx . The ChoicePoint Full File Disclosure includes data from a consumer’s specialty reports and public records. To order your report: www.choicetrust.com/pds/CD107  for CP-File-Disclosure-Request-Form.

It is a good idea to check these various reports for accuracy at least once per year. Identity theft is a growing problem in South Alabama and across the nation, also companies do make honest mistakes. If you have a real common name, more likely than not, you will find information on these various sites that is inaccurate. Please check your credit file each year and make efforts to increase your credit score. If your credit file score improves, it will help you in more ways than one. It can help you in your job search, decrease your insurance premiums, and help your long term finances to improve. Check out our web site www.aces.edu  for special workshops on how to repair your credit and other financial topics.

Information source: Consumer Action Agency

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.