In December 2003, Congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
(FACT Act). 1 With the FACT Act, Congress significantly amended the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA)2, which provides consumer protections regarding the use,
accuracy, and privacy of consumer credit reports. Through its passage, the financial
industry won its primary goal: permanent preemption of stronger state credit and
privacy laws in several, but importantly, not all, areas.