Under the FCRA, which of the following statements is true regarding consumer consent?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the correct statement is that consumers must provide consent for their credit report to be accessed. This requirement is essential to give individuals control over their personal financial information. The FCRA mandates that before a third party can obtain a consumer’s credit report, the consumer must be informed and must explicitly consent to this action.

This rule ensures that consumers are aware of and can manage who has access to their credit information, thereby protecting their privacy and preventing unauthorized access. The requirement for consent plays a crucial role in maintaining trust in the credit reporting system and empowering consumers regarding their personal data.

In contrast, the other options present scenarios that do not accurately represent the consent requirements outlined by the FCRA. For instance, it's not true that consent is never required for a credit report check; there are significant exceptions, particularly for non-consumer-related purposes, but generally, consent is necessary. While there are specific provisions regarding employment-related checks, they do not encompass all scenarios. Furthermore, the idea that consent only needs to be given once for all future checks overlooks the fact that consent must be obtained for each specific request to ensure that consumers remain informed and in control of their credit information.