Under the stated principle, what must a consumer understand when requesting a credit score from a reporting agency?

• A. The agency must provide the score upon request
• B. The score is always included in the credit report
• C. The agency may choose not to provide the score on request
• D. The consumer can obtain the score automatically for free

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that a consumer’s access to a credit score from a reporting agency is not guaranteed. A consumer can request the score, but the agency may choose not to provide it on request, and it may charge a reasonable fee for supplying the score. The score is not automatically included in the standard credit report, and there isn’t a blanket requirement that it be provided for free. So the best understanding is that the agency may choose not to provide the score on request.