If you've ever applied for a job, rented an apartment, applied for a loan, or purchased insurance, there's a good chance someone looked at information about you before making a decision.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law that helps make sure those background reports are as accurate, fair, and private as possible.

A man lost his job due to someone else’s criminal record showing in his background check. Learn how these errors happen—and how to catch and fix them.