1..

Balance Unfair Credit

can't get a loan or buy a

car

or even a house.

WHY?

current practices prohibit

some women from obtaining Credit

Women are angry about being denied credit because they are women. They are angry about losing all previous credit when they marry. They are angry about the transfer of their credit to their spouse's name when they marry. Women are angry about being discriminated against in the granting of loans, mortgages and

insurance.

Dr. Linda Robinson is angry because at age 35 her father had to co-sign her auto loan, though she had previously paid off another auto loan. She is a professor at Hiram College, a Ph.D., and cannot get credit.

Ms. Francie Piloff is angry because she was denied a charge account in her own name because "the husband is responsible for all bills."

Anna V. Brown is angry that crediting agencies milk the elderly. "Older people are victimized by unscrupulous contractors in horne improvement loans.”

Ms. Linda Vukcevich is angry because she cannot get personal liability insurance for herself, only for her husband.

Finally this anger is being vented-women are being heard. The Governor's Task Force on Credit for Women has held public hearings in various cities throughout the state to gather testimony from women who have had difficulty obtaining credit. The Task Force is also examining credit-granting institutions and the laws which govern them in Ohio. Upon completion of their investigation the Task Force, which is comprised of eighteen women and two men, will make recommendations to Governor Gilligan for correcting credit abuses.

Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal in granting mortgages since House Bill 610 became effective in December, 1973. However, there are no other state or federal laws which forbid discrimination on the basis of sex or marital status, so the enforce. ment arm of the bill has little real muscle.

At the Cleveland hearing August 6, Judy White testified that she was finally allowed to keep her Bankamericard in her own name-if she would put Mrs. in front of it. She was also surprised to learn that all of the credit she had earned while single was suddenly in her husband's name-thus she had no credit and he got all of it. Ms.. White stated that Sears was the worst offender. She applied for credit four days before her wedding, and since she would be married in four days they refused to issue a card in her name. On another account she phoned to change her name and was told that her husband was now respon sible for her. She replied, "I don't know why he is, I've been responsible for myself before."

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Agencies will frequently deny credit to single women, married women during the child-bearing years, divorced women and widows. They will use excuses such as, no telephone book listing, not living in the city long enough, no previous credit or "the husband is head of the household." One woman was told, "Your husband has no credit rating, so I can't give you a loan,' even though she had an independent rating before she married,

"

The extent of discrimination because of sex and/or marital status in credit dealing is just beginning to be recognized. Women are aware, and have been for many years, of the disparity in credit privileges betegen men and women, The Task Force on Credit is a positive step toward remoting anrather of the barriers which all women face by the mere fact of being ømmer.

Although public hearing, are closed, th 6. Task Force mi

plaints by g

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اداری به کار او کار ایلام را؟ چه کار ۲۱۲۱۱ ارکا

and complaints fefors; Jane Dark, Governor's Task Force on Credit for Women, 23 Nonh Grant Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215,