What are the protected classes under ECOA?

Asked by: Eldridge Johnson  |  Last update: September 2, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (46 votes)

This Act (Title VII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, receipt of public assistance, or good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

Which of the following are protected under the ECOA?

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) promotes the availability of credit to all creditworthy applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age (provided the applicant has the capacity to contract); to the fact that all or part of the applicant's income derives from a public ...

What are the protected classes under the Equal Protection Clause?

The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment , imposes a restraint on the governmental use of suspect classification. There are four generally agreed-upon suspect classifications: race, religion, national origin, and alienage. However, this is not an exhaustive list.

What groups fall under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act?

prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program, or because an applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection ...

What are the protected classes under the anti discrimination policy?

The protected classes include: age, ancestry, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or any other bases under the law.

Protected Classes: ECOA vs FHA

20 related questions found

What are the 6 protected classes?

Protected Classes
  • Race.
  • Color.
  • Religion (includes religious dress and grooming practices)
  • Sex/gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and/ or related medical conditions)
  • Gender identity, gender expression.
  • Sexual orientation.
  • Marital status.

What are the 7 federal protected classes?

Applicants, employees and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information (including family medical history).

What are the protected classes under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act?

This Act (Title VII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, receipt of public assistance, or good faith exercise of any rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.

What is not prohibited under ECOA?

A creditor's consideration or application of state property laws directly or indirectly affecting creditworthiness does not constitute unlawful discrimination for the purposes of the ECOA or Regulation B.

What falls under equal opportunity?

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is fair treatment in employment, promotion, training, and other personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, and physical or mental disability.

What isn't a protected class?

What Is Not Considered a Protected Class? Groups not explicitly outlined in federal anti-discrimination laws do not fall under protected classes. For example, discrimination based on political affiliation, physical appearance, or income level is generally not protected under federal law.

What is the difference between a protected class and a suspect class?

The concept of a protected class is distinct from suspect classification, which is part of Equal Protection Clause jurisprudence. While a protected class may overlap with a suspect classification, protected classes are explicitly protected by statute.

What falls under the Equal Protection Clause?

The Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause requires states to practice equal protection. Equal protection forces a state to govern impartially—not draw distinctions between individuals solely on differences that are irrelevant to a legitimate governmental objective.

Who is covered by ECOA?

Regulation B, issued by the CFPB to implement ECOA, applies to all persons who are creditors, meaning persons who, in the ordinary course of business, regularly participate in credit decisions, set the terms of credit, or refer applicants to creditors.

What is a red flag for an Equal Credit Opportunity Act violation?

Look for red flags, such as: Treated differently in person than on the phone or online. Discouraged from applying for credit. Encouraged or told to apply for a type of loan that has less favorable terms (for example, a higher interest rate)

What is the ECOA rule?

'' Moreover, the statute makes it unlawful for ''any creditor to discriminate against any applicant with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction (1) on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age (provided the applicant has the capacity to con tract); (2) because all or part ...

What groups are protected by ECOA?

The FHAct prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing ...

What are three categories under ECOA on which creditors may not base credit decisions?

Under ECOA, creditors may not make credit decisions based on the following categories: Race, Color,Religion, National Origin, Sex, Marital Status, Age, Receipt of public assistance.

What is an example of an ECOA violation?

Imposing unfair terms or conditions on a loan (such as lower loan amount or higher interest rates) based on personal characteristics protected under the ECOA. Asking detailed personal information regarding marital status, such as whether you are widowed or divorced.

What are 4 examples of protected classes?

FEHA and other federal laws declare those characteristics of age and race to be protected, in order to safeguard the right of persons possessing these characteristics to fair employment. FEHA protected classes include sex, color, national origin and disability.

What are the list of protected classes in Canada?

3 (1) For all purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been ...

What are the 14 protected categories?

Federal protected classes include:
  • Race.
  • Color.
  • Religion or creed.
  • National origin or ancestry.
  • Sex (including gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity).
  • Pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions.
  • Age.
  • Physical or mental disability.

What are the 9 protected groups?

The nine protected characteristics are:
  • age.
  • disability.
  • gender reassignment.
  • marriage and civil partnership.
  • pregnancy and maternity.
  • race.
  • religion or belief.
  • sex.

What is not a protected class?

Some of these unprotected classes include education level, economic class, social membership, immigration status and criminal records. For example, if you experience discrimination at a job because you didn't graduate from college, you aren't protected by the law.

Who is not protected under the Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act affords no protections to individuals with or without disabilities who present a direct threat to the persons or property of others.