Federal bill advocates changes to free credit report law

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Tennessee Representative Steve Cohen aims to reform a current law, allowing consumers to have access to one free annual credit report regardless of circumstances. According to the Appeal, Cohen introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that will nullify the current law that was passed as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform bill, which states credit reports are only free when consumers are denied credit. Cohen advocates changing the law to improve consumers' understanding of their own credit scores and how they can affect their access to loans, mortgages and other lending. Despite Cohen's selling points, the bill received lukewarm support by local bankruptcy lawyer Jimmy E. McElroy, who said obtaining a free credit report is already easy enough. "It's real easy to find out a credit score," McElroy told the paper. "You just try to buy something on credit and they'll tell you real fast." The current law has not stopped local groups from educating the public on credit scores. According to the Lewiston Sun Journal, the Maine-based support group Women, Work and Community will host a seminar on how to read a credit report.