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When Companies Ask for Your Credit Score.....

Posted on 10/31/2009 5:34:00 PM PDT by hsmomx3

I have been job-hunting for some time now and applying for jobs online.

I applied for one job in particular which is an office job and received the following email in response to my application and resume:

"I have reviewed your resume and I am very interested in hiring you. Before I can setup an appointment, I would need your recent credit score. Your credit score is required because the position you applied for includes handling company cash and using a company credit card. Don't worry, if your score is low for a legitimate reason, you will have an opportunity to explain why."

Does this sound legitimate to you? I am hesitant to give information such as this.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: credit; employment; fico; help; workplace
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To: montag813

Couldn’t you have suggested he use one of your CPAs or finance guys?


21 posted on 10/31/2009 5:54:20 PM PDT by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (I'd rather be a teabagger than an ankle-grabber.)
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To: hsmomx3
This is a great idea.

If we had been allowed to ask for Obama's credit score, he would not be President right now, because he has admitted that he and Michelle were considering filing bankruptcy around the time that George Soros came into their lives.

Then, suddenly, there financial difficulties evaporated.

22 posted on 10/31/2009 5:57:22 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Ask not what the Kennedys can do for you, but what you can do for the Kennedys.)
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To: hsmomx3
You didn't indicate what industry the job is in, I suspect it's somewhere in financial services (banking/insurance?) or in a financial services role within a company where you may have signing authority.

Assuming the above is true, it's perfectly legitimate and frankly most companies especially in financial services or a financial role require it before hiring.

It's just a fact of life these days.

23 posted on 10/31/2009 5:58:01 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Vendome

For a real estate company but now I am going to toss this one out and forget about it. It has been years since I really had to do extensive job searches and this was a new one.

Yes, the company will pay if they want the info. bad enough.

Thanks to all who replied.


24 posted on 10/31/2009 5:58:14 PM PDT by hsmomx3 (HERE WE GO STEELERS, HERE WE GO..........)
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To: hsmomx3
It's a sad fact but people with bad credit are over-represented in workers' comp claims, and on-the-job crime, roughly. Plus, good credit indicates (also roughly) a more orderly life in general.

It may seem unfair that the purpose of the job may be to improve the very score that will prevent you from getting the job but that's the way it is.

25 posted on 10/31/2009 5:58:20 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Obama: The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers)
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To: hsmomx3

They can perform a credit check if they need the score - though I think they need your permission. You don’t have to go out and buy it for them.


26 posted on 10/31/2009 5:58:26 PM PDT by meyer ("I went to Europe to buy the Olympics for Chicago and all I got was this silly Nobel")
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To: hsmomx3
Okay, I read the job description again.

Skip it. Someone is just being lazy and trying to weed out interviews based on an arbitrary score.

Personally, I have hired people and found out later they had financial problems which many times were no fault of their own or life just happens.

But, I would never ask for this kind of stuff upfront.
Either you and your boss are going to get along together, communicate well and you do your job or you are going be at each other real quick.

In which case you will be as we say in Silicon Valley “Back on the Beach”. (ie, without work),

You are going to work with other humans for 8+ hours a day. You should ascertain whether you are going have a shitty day, every day or be able to pleasantly work with your team.

No reason to feel awful all day. You will just beat down when you get home and dread getting out of bed the next day.

You need to interview your potential employer, just as much as they need to interview you.

TEAM work, not I work.

27 posted on 10/31/2009 5:58:36 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously... You'll never live through it.)
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To: hsmomx3

My wife is a Human Resources consultant and handles issues like this daily. She says it’s legal for a company to ask for a credit score if the job requires handling company money. Otherwise, no.


28 posted on 10/31/2009 5:59:26 PM PDT by Bernard Marx ("Civilizations die by suicide, not from murder" Toynbee)
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To: montag813

I agree telecommuting is common, in fact our Hosted Telephony solutions make a job like yours a sinch.

Still, they need to really be concerned about how well you work together and your ability to self manage.

Skip them.


29 posted on 10/31/2009 6:00:25 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously... You'll never live through it.)
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To: Dan Nunn
"Why not just run a credit report on you? Seems odd to me."

A company needs what is called a "Permissible Purpose" to run a credit check. A job application is not a permissible purpose unless you consent.

30 posted on 10/31/2009 6:00:25 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Obama: The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers)
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To: Dan Nunn

they have to get consent to run the credit report, which they may do, and then see if the applicant offered an accurate reflection of his score.


31 posted on 10/31/2009 6:01:37 PM PDT by sig226 (My President was President of the week at the Norwegian Slough Academy.)
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To: Ghost of Philip Marlowe

I would consider this to be in the same pattern as asking a potential employee who they plan to have care for their three children, all under age five, while they work, and how do they plan to get to work since they have no car. You simply can’t do that anymore, you have to hire them and then jump through the hoops to fire them if they don’t work out.


32 posted on 10/31/2009 6:03:47 PM PDT by jwparkerjr (God Bless America, and wake us up while you're about it!)
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To: hsmomx3

NO!

That smells like a scam.


33 posted on 10/31/2009 6:05:14 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: hsmomx3
Do you really think they value your credit score above meeting you and seeing if you are properly qualified for the JOB? It smells. After they meet you and interview and determine you have what they want for the position, THEN it may be appropriate to do a background check etc. and have employment contingent on the outcome. Personally speaking, I would NOT give them that information until you know they are seriously insterested in YOU and not just your credit rating.
34 posted on 10/31/2009 6:08:45 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: Vendome

Are Dumb?! /s

Don’t give your frickin’ SS# or credit score to someone or anyone for that matter.

It sounds like you haven’t even interviewed with them. Why would they want to hire you without some handshaking and face time?

Besides, if they want to know your credit score they will pay for it as part of your background check.

Don’t answer any more of their emails.

On the other hand, you might call his brother in Nigeria.


I’m with you on that!!!

It stinks to high heaven.


35 posted on 10/31/2009 6:09:44 PM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: wally_bert

Scam-ola to be exact. If your are a member of NAACP, SEIU, AARP, or have the latest NAZI PARTY badge, regularly pay exhorbitant finance charges and are a healthy meal for the financial parasitesi you may get the ultimate score, (may require a bribe). If you just pay on terms, well, what good are you?


36 posted on 10/31/2009 6:16:25 PM PDT by nkycincinnatikid
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To: hsmomx3

NO! It is NOT legitimate! A legitimate employer can run a credit and/or background check on you as a condition of employment, but they cannot require your social security number or date of birth prior to making you a written offer of employment (which may be conditional on various things, such as credit check, criminal background check, drug screening, etc), and they need those things to run a credit check. This sounds like a total scam aimed at getting your personal information for purposes of identity theft. You should check with local law enforcement about whether this is something you ought to report and if so to what authority (probably federal, because if it’s happening online it’s almost certainly an interstate operation).


37 posted on 10/31/2009 6:18:01 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: hsmomx3

And another clue that this is a scam: they say they’re interesting in “hiring” you, not in interviewing you. No legitimate employer is going to express an interest in “hiring” someone they haven’t even interviewed yet.


38 posted on 10/31/2009 6:19:13 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: Bernard Marx; hsmomx3

“My wife is a Human Resources consultant and handles issues like this daily. She says it’s legal for a company to ask for a credit score if the job requires handling company money. Otherwise, no.”

Bankers can actually lose a current job if their scores drop. But seriously, if you are interested in the job, tell them you decline to give that out and see if they waive it, at least until there is a job offer on the table, pending satisfaction. If they won’t, try somewhere else.

I know it sounds funny, but some places will try to see how compliant someone is by making an odd request. Some, of course, are stupid and some are dishonest and some are lazy. This isn’t necessarily malevolent. I can run a credit report on employees, but wouldn’t without their permission. Even if they were applying as CFO, they would present it in person, at the interview, but not before. Odd request, IMNSHO.


39 posted on 10/31/2009 6:19:52 PM PDT by jessduntno ("Faux News" to "Foe News"..."they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Ghandi)
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To: hsmomx3

It’s becoming more and more common. Whether you comply with their request is your decision.


40 posted on 10/31/2009 6:22:34 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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