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Financial Credit Charge Information
Please save the form, complete and submit via email to IDHR.Intake@illinois.gov. You may also mail your completed form to the Department’s address listed on the bottom of the form. If your Acrobat Reader doesn't open the CIS form, click here for help.
Financial Credit
All financial institutions doing business in Illinois are prohibited from discriminating in the granting of commercial or personal loans, and credit cards. The Illinois Department of Human Rights can investigate charges of Financial Credit discrimination filed against any bank, credit union, insurance company, mortgage banking company or savings and loan association.
Prohibited Financial Activities
It is against the law for financial institutions to discriminate by:
- Denying or modifying services normally offered.
- Denying or varying the terms of a loan, where:
- A parcel of real estate offered as security is located in a specific geographical area;
- The institution does not consider all of the regular and dependable income of each person who would be liable for repayment of the loan;
- Lending standards are used that have no economic basis.
- Refusing to issue a credit card despite a proper application.
Types Of Discrimination Covered
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- National Origin
- Ancestry
- Military Status
- Age - (40 and over)
- Sex
- Disability - (physical and mental)
- Marital Status
- Order of Protection Status
- Sexual Orientation - (including gender-related identity)
- Pregnancy - (including child birth, or related medical or common conditions)
- Unfavorable Military Discharge
What The Department Cannot Do
The Department cannot investigate Financial Credit charges:
- Based on political affiliations, personality conflicts, etc.
- Against the federal government.
To File A Charge
Submit a completed Financial Credit Complainant Information Sheet (CIS) either by email, mail, fax or in person. If your allegations are covered under the Illinois Human Rights Act, a charge will be drafter for your signature. A charge of Financial Credit discrimination must be filed within 300 days of the alleged discrimination. Download the CIS form using the button above.
NOTE: Allegations of discrimination related to a mortgage are covered by Fair Housing and must be filed within one year of the date of the alleged discrimination. Please see the Fair Housing section of our website to obtain a Fair Housing Complainant Information Sheet (CIS) and additional information.
The Department's brochure for Financial Credit is available as a downloadable pdf on the Publications page.