Once the household is defined, it makes sense to select one member as a ‘head of household.’ Ideally, the person selected will be the primary decision-maker in the home, so, how does a data provider decide who is the most likely household member to be the primary decision-maker? Read More
Beginning in 1980, the US Census Bureau discontinued the use of the term ‘head of family/household’ and replaced these with ‘householder’ and ‘family householder’, as well as no longer by default classifying the husband in a married couple as the ‘reference person’ in its survey. These logical legal implementations make sense in our society which continues to slowly abolish problematic gender norms bit by bit – but how does this work when it comes to data sets?
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With the ever-present threat of data insecurity in our modern world, it is incumbent upon those with the access to sensitive records to only share it with those that can be trusted with it.
USInfoSearch has a number of strict requirements to ensure the suitability of a potential client. Here’s what we check for before we cross the T’s and dot the I’s on any contract. Read More
You’ve probably heard the term ‘skip tracing’, but what does it mean? The phrase “skip tracing” is derived from the old idiom ‘to skip town’, and is used to describe the process of searching for an individual who has, usually, absconded from the law in some way: think debtors who have defaulted or someone who has skipped bail. Alternately, the missing person could also be a missing heir to an estate who has been lost in the mists of clerical obscurity. Read More
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity. Examples of PII include your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number, bank account number, biometric records, medical records, vehicle registration plate – a lot of which is also considered sensitive, and will need to be encrypted when stored in a database.
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When doing online research you might be tempted to use one of the many “Instant Criminal Background Search” products seen advertised on TV or in your google search results. Before you shell out your hard earned money for these sorts of reports, it’s important to understand how these services work and why you are not getting the full picture. Read More
And what is an FCRA compliant background check?
FCRA stands for Fair Credit Reporting Act and it dates back to 1970. It states that landlords, lenders, and employers are not allowed to deny you any credit opportunities based upon your civil, criminal, or financial shortcomings unless the information is up to date and accurate. Additionally, the consumer has the right to dispute their findings.
That’s a lot to swallow all at once, so let’s break it down.
