Background Verification

Applying for a job, a loan or an apartment, usually involves a background check. Your prospective employer, lender or landlord needs to know that you are socially and financially stable. Background checks can be simple or complex.

Financially, a background check involves looking up your credit score from one of the major credit bureaus, such as Equifax or TransUnion. A credit score is similar to a report card. It tracks a consumer's performance incurring debt and paying bills on time. A high credit score, shows that you are financially responsible and can be trusted to repay loans.

A background check includes a check of your criminal record and sometimes fingerprinting. Prospective employers want to know that you are trustworthy and are not a risk to the company's security. While not all criminal history prevents you from getting a job, certain blemishes in your past hinder you from attaining certain positions; for example, it would be difficult for someone with a history of money laundering to work at a bank.