Regulatory Terms

    ECOA (Equal Credit Opportunity Act): Definition

    A law prohibiting discrimination in credit decisions.

    Definition

    The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or receipt of public assistance. The ECOA Code used in Metro 2 reporting derives from this law's requirements.

    Usage Notes

    • Creditors must provide reasons for credit denial
    • Cannot discriminate based on protected classes
    • Affects how joint and individual accounts are reported

    Related Terms

    ECOA Code

    More Regulatory Terms

    FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)
    The federal law governing consumer credit reporting.
    FCBA (Fair Credit Billing Act)
    A law protecting consumers from unfair credit billing practices.
    Regulation V
    The CFPB regulation implementing FCRA requirements.

    Inspect a real Metro 2 file

    See how this concept appears in an actual file with the free in-browser Metro 2 File Viewer — no signup, nothing uploaded.

    Open the free Metro 2 File Viewer →

    Simplify Credit Reporting

    Metro2 software handles all the complexity of Metro 2 format compliance, so you can focus on your business.

    View PricingBrowse All Terms
    ECOA (Equal Credit Opportunity Act) - Metro 2 Glossary