Call for Stories: Name Changes & Financial Records

Earlier this year CLEAR reported how transgender and gender-nonconforming consumers who changed their legal name continued to struggle to update their names on their credit reports with the Big Three credit bureaus: Experian, Transunion, and Equifax.

Together with Equality California, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund and a coalition of LGBTQI+ advocacy organizations and consumer groups, we have been working to shine a light on this issue for regulators and in Congress. What we have found thus far is shocking.

After a name change:

• Many suffered a loss of credit history and score, and ended up with multiple credit files under two different names. 
• Some people were shut out from accessing their credit report entirely by the credit bureaus.
• Credit reports continue to out trans and GNC people when they apply for loans, jobs, & housing because the report still includes their deadname.
• Credit bureaus offer little to no guidance to consumers to help them fix the inaccuracies in their credit reports.

We have also found that problems with financial records after a name change extend beyond credit reports to include consumers’ financial accounts and even tax records.

Have you experienced problems with your credit reports or other financial records after a legal name change? If so we want to hear from you. 

Take our 5-minute survey to make your voice heard and help us advocate for changes to credit reports and financial records to improve access to credit, housing, and employment for trans and gender-nonconforming people.

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Help us spread the word! Share these images and posts on social media:

📢Call for stories! Have you had issues with your
➡️Credit Reports
➡️Loans or Credit Cards
➡️Social Security Records 
➡️Tax Records
after you had a legal #namechange? Share your story in this 5-minute survey: bit.ly/name-changes-and-credit

After a legal #namechange trans and nonbinary folks report issues with their #credit and financial records. Have you had issues with your credit report, score, or other financial records after changing your name? Share your story in this 5-minute survey: bit.ly/name-changes-and-credit

📢 Have you had issues with your credit report, score, or other financial records after changing your name? @lgbtq_economics, @eqca, and @tldef want to hear from you. Share your story in this short 5-minute survey here bit.ly/name-changes-and-credit