Equifax was founded by Cator and Guy Woolford in Atlanta, Georgia, as Retail Credit Company in 1899. Drag images here or select from your computer for Cator Ringgold Woolford memorial. Equifax also divested itself of two unprofitable units in 1989, Equifax Insurance Systems and Enercon, Inc. As the 1990s arrived, the company strove to enter the European market. Equifax was forced to confront growing consumer hostility in the early 1990s, as watchdog groups contended that credit bureaus' files were often inaccurate and were used in inappropriate ways. Woolford was sympathetic to Roosevelts illness, and he became one of the founders of the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation (later, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation). The Retail Credit Company continued to expand, going public in 1965 and (with other credit agencies) coming under Federal Trade Commission oversight in 1971. Equifax also holds the number one position in check guarantee and verification in the United States, Canada, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Equifax, one of the largest credit-reporting agencies in the country, collects data on more than 400 million credit holders nationwide. As a result of its growing insurance business, Guy Woolford opened a second company office in Dallas, Texas, in March 1902. The company started providing information to accident insurers and soliciting work related to fire insurance. Think Again", "- AN EXAMINATION OF THE EQUIFAX CYBERSECURITY BREACH", "Breaking: Equifax Knew of Security Flaws Months Before It Was Hacked", "Equifax Suffered a Hack Almost Five Months Earlier Than the Date It Disclosed", "Credit reporting firm Equifax says cybersecurity incident could potentially affect 143 million US consumers", "Equifax to Pay $575 Million as Part of Settlement with FTC, CFPB, and States Related to 2017 Data Breach", "U.S. Charges Chinese Military Officers in 2017 Equifax Hacking", "Data from Equifax credit hack could "end up on the black market," expert warns", "Equifax reportedly used 'admin' as password in Argentina", "Equifax's app has disappeared from Apple's App Store and Google Play", "Here's Why Equifax Yanked Its Apps From Apple And Google Last Week", "Equifax Breach Fallout: Your Salary History Krebs on Security", "Equifax will give your salary history to anyone with your SSN and date of birth / Boing Boing", "Equifax owes you a lot more, but here's how to get $125 from this week's settlement", "Equifax website hacked again, this time to redirect to fake Flash update", "Equifax may have been hacked again and it's not even funny anymore", "Equifax rival TransUnion also sends site visitors to malicious pages", "Malicious Redirects on Equifax, TransUnion Sites Caused by Third-Party Script | SecurityWeek.Com", "After second bungle, IRS suspends Equifax's "taxpayer identity" contract", "Equifax to Pay $250,000 to Settle Charges", "An $18 Million Lesson in Handling Credit Report Errors", "Equifax must pay $18.6 million after failing to fix Oregon woman's credit report", "Jury Awards $18.6M For Equifax Credit Report Mix-up", "Equifax weighs appealing $18.6M award to consumer", "Judge cuts Oregon woman's award in Equifax case", "Woman sues in effort to prove she is alive", "Woman Listed as Deceased Files Lawsuit Claiming She's Alive", "God Just Wants Some Credit, So He's Suing Equifax", "Oklahomans File Lawsuit Against Equifax", "Former Equifax manager charged with insider trading linked to cyber breach", "Former Equifax Manager Charged With Insider Trading", public domain material from this U.S government document, "Equifax Breach Affected 147 Million, but Most Sit Out Settlement", Equifax Consumer Identity Protection website, 2019 Eligibility site related to 2017 data breach, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Equifax&oldid=1147501990, This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 11:16. By 1920, the company had offices throughout the United States and Canada. [81], Consumer lawsuits claiming damages under the FCRA have been successful in small claims court. The New Georgia Encyclopedia is supported by funding from A More Perfect Union, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the late 1920s Woolford befriended Franklin D. Roosevelt and was one of the founders of the . Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Cator also served on the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation where President Roosevelt and he became friends. With over 14,000 employees worldwide, Equifax has nearly US$5 billion in annual revenue and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX.[7]. Despite this setback, geographical expansion continued and New York premises were opened in 1907. Equifax Courtesy of Equifax Beginnings In 1899 Cator and Guy Woolford, two brothers from Woolford, Maryland, began operations as the Retail Credit Company in Atlanta. There he supervised the compilation of a list of customers, with indications of their creditworthiness, for the local Retail Grocer's Association." This episode of our daily podcast, The Outline World Dispatch was all about the Equifax breach. The agency agreed to a global settlement in January 2020 with different institutions like the Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, and 50 U.S. states and territories. During this time, Retail Credit also took its first steps toward automation, converting files written on 3x5 index cards to electronic data systems. Once the estate of Cator Woolford, founder of the company now known as Equifax, these lovely grounds include the beautiful Cator Woolford Gardens. For instance, in 1908 the company began issuing reports for automobile liability insurers. The change symbolized the company's growing capabilities and prepared the way for further diversification of its activities, from operations centered in the insurance industry to wider marketing functions. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Equifax is headed by Mark L. Feidler as the chairman of the board, Mark W. Begor, as the CEO, and John W. as the vice president as well as the CFC. 1923: The company forms Credit Service Exchange, a credit rating operations firm. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Cator Woolford (73468528)? [9] By the 1960s, Retail Credit Company was one of the nation's largest credit bureaus, holding files on millions of American and Canadian citizens. Nestled on 39 acres of mature hardwoods, the Cator Woolford Gardens are situated on one of the few remaining intact historic estates in Metropolitan Atlanta and are located just a few miles from the heart of downtown. The researcher requested anonymity out of professional concerns. With opportunities for expansion growing more limited in the developed world, Equifax turned to the Latin American and Asian markets, acquiring full or partial ownership of firms in Chile, India, Argentina, Peru, and El Salvador. In addition, the company modified the processes for correcting mistakes in its files, making it easier for consumers to set the record straight. Learn more about managing a memorial . Retail Credit changed its name in 1979 to Equifax Inc., derived from "equitable factual information." Sorry! According to the reporting, despite receiving this warning from the security researcher, the affected portal was not closed until six months later in June, well after the March and MayJuly breaches had begun. There was also a security breach in 2017, and the same year, there was an exposure of consumer data on their Argentine customers. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Cator Ringgold Woolford I found on Findagrave.com. ", The same types of sensitive private information of American consumers (names, birth dates, social security numbers, etc.) [25][26] An Equifax manager, Sudhakar Reddy Bonthu, also pleaded guilty to insider trading and received a sentence of 8 months of home confinement. One of Atlanta's most meaningful hidden gems, the Cator Woolford Gardens provides a beautiful event space for life's special moments with all proceeds directly supporting the Frazer Center's mission of fostering inclusion and celebrating diversity in the Atlanta community. Insurance companies paid much more highly for the information they needed; Retail Credit quickly expanded operations into this lucrative area. Equifax Inc. is an American multinational consumer credit reporting agency headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and is one of the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies, along with Experian and TransUnion (together known as the "Big Three"). In June 1996 the company gained full ownership of Transax plc, the largest check guarantee company in the United Kingdom, while in March 1998 it acquired a leading U.K. risk and credit management firm, CCI Group Plc. [57][58] In July 2019, Equifax settled with the Federal Trade Commission for $700 million. [51][52], In September 2017, Brian Krebs revealed that the Argentine arm of Equifax had left private data from approximately 14,000 consumers, and more than 100 staff members, available to anyone who entered "admin" as both the username and password for one of its online systems. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. 0 cemeteries found in Woolford, Dorchester County, Maryland, USA. 1901: Retail Credit Company expands into the moral hazard market, selling credit information to life insurance companies. Try again later. 2); Equifax Ventures, Inc.; Financial Institution Benefit Association, Inc.; Financial Insurance Marketing Group, Inc.; First Bankcard Systems, Inc.; Global Scan Ltd. (U.K.); Global Scan (USA), Inc.; Goldleaf Technologies, Inc.; High Integrity Systems, Inc.; The Infocheck Group Ltd. (U.K.); Infolink Ltd. (U.K.); Light Signatures, Inc.; Market Knowledge, Incorporated; Stewardship, Inc.; Tecnicob S.A. (France); Transax Australia plc (U.K.); Transax France plc (U.K.); Transax (Ireland) plc; Transax Ltd. (New Zealand); Transax plc. Its 2005 market value of nearly $5 billion makes it one of the largest publicly traded companies in the state. 1989: Equifax forms an alliance with CSC Credit Services. "[45], According to an October 2017 report from Motherboard, around December 2016, a security researcher examining Equifax's servers found that an online portal, created for Equifax employees only, was accessible to the open Internet. [11], In 1970, after the company had computerized its records, which led to wider availability of the personal information it held, the U.S. Congress held hearings that led to the enactment of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. [15] Also in 2001, Equifax spun off its payment services division, forming the publicly listed company Certegy, which subsequently acquired Fidelity National Information Services in 2006. Cator Woolford (1869-1944), Atlanta businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, founded the Retail Credit Company (the precursor to Equifax) in 1899. In the first full year of U.S. military involvement, the company lost 1,200 workers. The company was also alleged to reward its employees for collecting derogatory information on consumers. Equifax Inc. Equifax disclosed the breach on September 7, 2017, after determining the means and scope of the breach. According to Bloomberg, Equifax enlisted Mandiant (owned by FireEye, Inc.) to assist in investigating the March attack. Equifax Inc. - then called the Retail Credit Company - was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by brothers Cator and Guy Woolford in 1899. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Its stock value consistently outperforms the market, and the company often explores new ventures, although with varying degrees of success. The agency has recorded a very big growth over the years, and they have total assets worth $7.23 billion. The enterprise was newly christened the Retail Credit Company, Inc., on December 29, 1913. Also proving helpful was the advent of credit bureau associations which had begun springing up as the exchange of information between fellow creditors became more common. [83][84], In January 2020, Equifax agreed to a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and 50 U.S. states and territories. The company's purchase of Telecredit was complicated by a sizable drop in the value of Equifax stock during 1990, as investors grew concerned about the stability of the company's profits in an economic downturn. Most of the credit work was then being done by a subsidiary, Retailers Commercial Agency. During the second half of 1998 Equifax purchased an 80 percent stake in Segurana ao Crdito e Informaes, the leading financial information company in Brazil; a 59 percent controlling stake in Unnisa-Solues em Meios de Pagamento Ltda., Brazil's leading credit card processing firm; and a 34 percent interest in Proceda Tecnologia e Informtica S.A., the second largest outsourcer of information technology in Brazil. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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