Get a Background Check - Cheap Ways to Get Info on People

It's very easy to get a background check these days, but how and why you use the information you get goes a long way in determining how much it's going to cost to get the background check done. People who just want to find a little bit of dirt on their neighbors can use one of the cheap background check companies. People using that sort of service usually are just looking for basic information about home value and or criminal record, if any. It's always a good idea to see who is new in the neighborhood.

People who have a business related use for a credit check have to use a more dedicated service which balances the need of businesses to get credit information against the privacy related issues of those who are subjected to credit review. Here's more on that topic from a business/real estate author.

Get a Background Check Quickly, Quietly, and Cheaply - But Beware of the Limitations
By Matt E Spitz

Businesses that need to get a background check quickly won't be using an FCRA compliant service. Most times this doesn't matter because users of these services are not really interested in credit or criminal history, they're usually just confirming address information or verifying a social security number or tax ID number. A service designed to do this sort of retrieval is done broadly and covers public records databases. Information typically is retrieved and transmitted online quickly.

People who need to get a background check covering criminal, work, education, or credit history need to know going in that the information must be in compliance with Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) law, because FCRA rules require at least a signed fax from the person being investigated authorizing the credit or background search. People trying to obtain this information without authorization are going to come up empty without performing some kind of forgery - a felonious criminal offense, or database hacking, also a felonious offense.

Deciding whether to get a background check and what type of service to use boils down to understanding how invasive the search needs to be. Does the search need to include financial data such as a credit score or current credit balances and payment estimates? If so then that sort of search must go down the path of FCRA compliance. Likewise if the search involves confirming work history, educational degrees attained, and or criminal history. The FCRA is designed to protect the privacy rights of individuals while still serving the business community's need to know information vital to extending credit. The availability and relatively low cost of credit is critical to maintaining a strong and growing economy.

Those who get a background check on someone but need to do it without authorization such as employers concerned about existing employees, or spouses trying to track the assets of cheaters, or single parents receiving child support trying to locate a deadbeat parent - all tend to use non-FCRA services because they don't require consent. These services don't obviously have the same level and depth of information, but the people seeking this information tend to be trying to ascertain location data, tax data, and death records - all of which are open to the public.

I find it valuable to retain a cheap information service so I can get a background check done immediately on anyone at anytime for just under $10 a year (unlimited searches). I use that information to help me monitor and understand the pressure(s) my employees may be facing in their lives. Usually a non-FCRA background check will have enough data for this sort of light investigation. If you already have a consent form signed as part of your hiring / application process you should be able to get background information of this cursory kind immediately online. Deeper searches require written consent, but are also similarly available online.

Matt E. Spitz

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If you're like me then you pretty much only need the cheap background checks. If you are in business doing hiring, providing credit, or own rental properties you need to be much more careful in how you do credit screening.

Prior Post: Rental Applicant Screening - The Cost Effective Way