c. Sex Discrimination
The ECOA, FHA and many state laws prohibit credit discrimination based on sex. This category often
overlaps with the “marital status” category. Specific examples of prohibited sex discrimination
include:
• Rating female-specific jobs (such as waitress) lower than male-specific jobs (such as waiter) for purpose of obtaining credit
• Denying credit because an applicant’s income comes from sources historically associated
with women—for example, part-time jobs, alimony or child support
• Requiring married women who apply for credit alone to provide information about their husbands while not requiring married men to provide information about their wives, and
• Denying credit to a pregnant woman who anticipates taking a maternity leave. However, a creditor is allowed to ask your sex when you apply for a real estate loan. The federal government collects this information for statistical purposes. A proposal by the Federal Reserve Board would allow other creditors to ask for this information as well, although provision of the information would be optional. This proposal is not yet final law.
Taken From : Credit Repair by Attorneys Robin Leonard and Deanne Loonin
