Search People, Do a Background Search, Stay Informed - TennHelp.com
Tennhelp is a free, easy to use database of public records that allows you to search people online. Background reports are used by many Americans to assess candidates for employment, prospective tenants, persons applying for credit, possible babysitters or nannies and for any reason where a person’s credibility is important. If you want to gain insight into someone who need to trust, the background report has become a standard means to fill in the blanks.
A complete background report reveals a great deal about a person’s past. Today, background reports can include employment history, criminal record and credit history. Background reports have helped responsible parties gain insight into a person’s past and use that insight to make decisions about employment, tenancies and creditworthiness.
Advertisement
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates who can access consumer reports and who is authorized to collect and distribute background information. FCRA is managed by the Federal Trade Commission. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, employers, landlords, medical service providers and insurers can only obtain background and credit information by using a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). For all these uses, the inquiring party should follow a specific protocol that includes receiving written authorization from the individual before requesting a background report.
Where Does Public Information Come From?
Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) are the agencies that collect and distribute background information and “consumer reports.” CRAs must meet certain standards set by the Federal Trade Commission.
CRAs sell background reports but must adhere to policies set by the FCRA in conjunction with state privacy laws. Many states have determined that generally only arrests which resulted in a conviction can appear on a background report. This is an important distinction. CRAs maintain criminal background databases that are filtered by a number of processes including:
• Geographical location
• Arrests, convictions, time spent in jail
• Sex offender registries
• In-store theft reports
• Court records
• Credit reporting agencies
Some Uses Are Regulated
Employers - Businesses desiring to run a background report and use the information to determine whether they will hire a candidate must be careful. Businesses should ask permission from the candidate they wish to look up. Most businesses develop a release of information form which when executed by the applicant gives the business permission to run a complete background report.
According to Forbes, 69 percent of American businesses now run criminal background reports prior to hiring new applicants. According to the US Justice Department, 33 percent of the general population had some type criminal record as of 2013.
In addition to pre-hire background reports, some businesses may wish to run background reports on existing employees. For this use, the business must also have a written agreement. Today’ most businesses give new employees and existing employees release forms that can be used during the employee’s term of employment.
Many employers provide a copy of the background report to the applicant and afford the individual the opportunity to clarify any potential stumbling blocks.
Landlords – Landlords should also follow a preset and uniform policy when using background information to make decisions about prospective tenants. The easiest way to protect yourself and still obtain important information is to:
• Require all potential tenants to complete a uniform application.
• Obtain current contact information.
• Obtain previous and current employer names, addresses and contact info.
• Include a credit report authorization form and background report authorization as part of the rental application but dedicate a separate page to this form. Under Section 604 of the FCRA, landlords must have permission to run a credit check. Make sure the authorization forms are signed and dated.
• Run the credit check with the three major credit agencies; TransUnion, Experian, Equifax.
• Run a background report.
Again, of there appear irregularities in the background information, the landlord can have the possible tenant review the document and attempt to clarify any misinformation.
Individuals - For individual’s the only stipulation about who can access another person’s background information is that the individual must have a valid reason. However, the best way to run a background report for personal reasons, like investigating a prospective roommate or business partner is to use a professional service. Many online background report providers specialize in distributing cost-effective information.
However, in some cases it is easiest to ask the individual to volunteer credit and background information. Every consumer in the US is entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the big three reporting agencies listed above.
In order to ensure you are obtaining the right information about the correct individual, it is import to obtain as much information as possible. Obtaining previous addresses and previous employment information can go a long way toward ensuring the accuracy of the information.