Money: Striking Back At Credit Thieves

Worried about your credit information? Congress made some major changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act last month that should help assuage your fears. By the end of next year, consumers will be able to obtain one free credit report a year from each of the three credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Consumers will also be able to opt out of having financial firms share their personal data for marketing purposes. And creditors will have to tell consumers before reporting negative information to credit bureaus. Such provisions should help consumers control their credit information and stave off the rise in identity theft, which cost individuals $5 billion last year. Still, many consumer groups opposed the federal rewrite because it prevents states from enacting stronger consumer-protection laws of their own. --By Barbara Kiviat