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Consumer Credit Protection Act: Congress passed these laws to protect you — the FCRA, FDCPA, CROA, ECOA and TILA are all part of it.
FCRA § 611: You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information, and the credit bureau generally must investigate within 30 days — free of charge.
FCRA § 605: Most negative information must come off your report after 7 years. Most bankruptcies: 10 years.
FCRA § 605B: Identity theft victims can have fraudulent accounts blocked from their credit reports.
FCRA § 612: You are entitled to free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
FCRA § 615: If you are denied credit because of your report, you must be told and told which bureau was used.
FDCPA § 809: Dispute a debt in writing within 30 days and the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
FDCPA § 805: You can tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you.
FDCPA § 806–807: Debt collectors may not harass you, threaten you or lie to you.
CROA § 404: No credit repair company may charge you before its services are fully performed.
CROA § 407: You have 3 business days to cancel a credit repair contract without penalty.
ECOA: Creditors may not discriminate against you for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or receiving public assistance.
TILA: Lenders must clearly disclose the true cost of credit — including the APR — before you sign.
SCRA: Active-duty servicemembers can cap interest at 6% on many debts taken on before service.

Consumer Credit Protection Act: Congress passed these laws to protect you — the FCRA, FDCPA, CROA, ECOA and TILA are all part of it.
FCRA § 611: You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information, and the credit bureau generally must investigate within 30 days — free of charge.
FCRA § 605: Most negative information must come off your report after 7 years. Most bankruptcies: 10 years.
FCRA § 605B: Identity theft victims can have fraudulent accounts blocked from their credit reports.
FCRA § 612: You are entitled to free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
FCRA § 615: If you are denied credit because of your report, you must be told and told which bureau was used.
FDCPA § 809: Dispute a debt in writing within 30 days and the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
FDCPA § 805: You can tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you.
FDCPA § 806–807: Debt collectors may not harass you, threaten you or lie to you.
CROA § 404: No credit repair company may charge you before its services are fully performed.
CROA § 407: You have 3 business days to cancel a credit repair contract without penalty.
ECOA: Creditors may not discriminate against you for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or receiving public assistance.
TILA: Lenders must clearly disclose the true cost of credit — including the APR — before you sign.
SCRA: Active-duty servicemembers can cap interest at 6% on many debts taken on before service.

Consumer Law Library

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)

The ECOA guarantees that you are judged on your creditworthiness — not on who you are.

By Richard Barrett · Published September 26, 2026

What the ECOA prohibits

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. § 1691 et seq.), Title VII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, prohibits creditors from discriminating in any part of a credit transaction on the basis of:

Race or color
Religion
National origin
Sex
Marital status
Age (if you are old enough to enter a contract)
Receiving income from a public assistance program
Having exercised, in good faith, your rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act

Your rights when you apply

A decision and notice: creditors generally must notify you of action on a completed application within 30 days.
Specific reasons: if you are denied, you have the right to the specific reasons, or to request them within 60 days. “You didn’t meet our standards” is not enough.
Your own credit: a creditor generally may not require your spouse’s signature if you qualify on your own.
All income counts: creditors must consider reliable income from part-time work, alimony, child support and public assistance.

If you think your rights were violated

We are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. If you think your rights under this law were violated, you can file a complaint with the CFPB and speak with a licensed consumer attorney about your specific situation.

Sources: Equal Credit Opportunity Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f; Regulation B, 12 C.F.R. part 1002.

Put the law to work for your credit

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Common questions

What if I was denied and not told why?

You have the right to a statement of specific reasons. Request it in writing within 60 days of the denial notice.

Know where to go — the credit bureaus and the agencies that protect you

Links go to each organization’s official website. Kaironeek Financial is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.