---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 1679"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "1679"
heading: "Findings and purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/1679"
units:
  - "Chapter 41 — Consumer Credit Protection"
  - "Subchapter II–A — Credit Repair Organizations"
---

# §1679. Findings and purposes

- (a) **Findings—** The Congress makes the following findings:
  - (1) [Consumers](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=1) have a vital interest in establishing and maintaining their [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) worthiness and [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) standing in order to obtain and use [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4). As a result, [consumers](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=1) who have experienced [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) problems may seek assistance from [credit repair organizations](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=3) which offer to improve the [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) standing of such [consumers](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=1).
  - (2) Certain advertising and business practices of some companies engaged in the business of [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) repair services have worked a financial hardship upon [consumers](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=1), particularly those of limited economic means and who are inexperienced in [credit](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=4) matters.
- (b) **Purposes—** The purposes of this subchapter are—
  - (1) to ensure that prospective buyers of the services of [credit repair organizations](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=3) are provided with the information necessary to make an informed decision regarding the purchase of such services; and
  - (2) to protect the public from unfair or deceptive advertising and business practices by [credit repair organizations](/usc/15/1679a.md?p=3).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 90–321, title IV, § 402, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title II, § 2451, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–455.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior title IV of Pub. L. 90–321, May 29, 1968, 82 Stat. 164, as amended by Pub. L. 91–344, July 20, 1970, 84 Stat. 440; Pub. L. 92–321, June 30, 1972, 86 Stat. 382, which was set out as a note under section 1601 of this title, established a bipartisan National Commission on Consumer Finance to study the functioning and structure of the consumer finance industry as well as consumer credit transactions generally. The Commission was to submit a final report by Dec. 31, 1972, and was to cease to exist thereafter.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 90–321, title IV, § 413, as added by Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title II, § 2451, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–462, provided that: “This title [enacting this subchapter] shall apply after the end of the 6-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Credit Repair Organizations Act [Sept. 30, 1996], except with respect to contracts entered into by a credit repair organization before the end of such period.”

### Short Title

This subchapter known as the “Credit Repair Organizations Act”, see Short Title note set out under section 1601 of this title.