Once the home of Cator Woolford, a principal founder of what is now known as Equifax, the Italian-style gardens serve as a wedding and event venue infused with decades of classic beauty and Southern charm. During this period, it began reporting for automotive liability insurance. Reese, Krista. The company experienced rapid growth, and by 1920 it had opened offices all over Canada and the United States, and by the 1960s, the agency was one of the leading credit bureaus. Woolford relied on a large number of correspondents, primarily lawyers and merchants in small towns across the Southeast, to fill out reports on people trying to get insurance. As consumers, we often take for granted all the hard work that goes into building a great company. A decade later, the state legislature consented to the establishment of a home for underprivileged boys, Boys Estate, on the property. 1986: The company amasses data on more than 150 million consumers in 28 states. Equifax Similar Companies Jobs Equifax History FAQs How Old Is Equifax? Not long after, the government accused the company of rating employees based on how much negative information they could find about consumers. 20042023 Georgia Humanities, University of Georgia Press. Another concern was growing consumer dissatisfaction. Learn more about managing a memorial . Riley, Michael, Anita Sharpe, and Jordan Robertson, "The New Equifax Boss Wants to Make Amends. In 2015, Equifax was ranked number 13 on the American Banker FinTech Forward list. "Equifax." In addition to credit and demographic data and services to business,[5] Equifax sells credit monitoring and fraud prevention services directly to consumers. The Retail Credit Company continued to expand, going public in 1965 and (with other credit agencies) coming under Federal Trade Commission oversight in 1971. In 1904 a fourth office was opened in Kansas City, Missouri. Veda had previously acquired the Australian market research and opinion polling company ReachTEL in September 2015, which continues to produce opinion polls in Australia. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. We Have Some Questions", "Equifax, Inc. (EFX) Income Statement - Yahoo Finance", "Equifax Inc. 2022 Annual Report (Form 10-K)", "How to protect yourself against the theft of your identity", "All Products and Solutions | Business | Equifax", "All Credit Score, Credit Report & Identity Theft Products | Equifax", "Equifax breach just another page in the sordid history of credit bureaus", "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act", "ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001", "GeoTrust acquires Equifax's digital certificate business", "DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENTS RELATING TO MERGER OR ACQUISITION", "Equifax buys local eThority: Company to stay, grow in Charleston, founder says", "Who controls opinion polling in Australia, what else we need to know about the polls, and why it matters", "The Dizzying Number Of CFPB Complaints Against Equifax Since 2012 Should Infuriate You", "Equifax just discovered 2.4M more account breaches", "Equifax, Apache Struts, and CVE-2017-5638 vulnerability | Synopsys", "Equifax CIO Put '2 and 2 Together' Then Sold Stock, SEC Says", "Former Equifax employee sentenced for insider trading", "Former Equifax Executive Gets 4 Months for Insider Trading | SecurityWeek.Com", "Former Equifax manager sentenced to 8 months home confinement for insider trading", "Ex-Equifax Manager Gets Home Confinement for Insider Trading | SecurityWeek.Com", "Equifax Is Said to Be Near $650 Million Settlement for Data Breach", "Equifax agrees to pay $700M after massive data breach", "Report: Equifax to pay $700 million in breach settlement", "Opinion | Equifax Doesn't Want You to Get Your $125. (TRW's credit bureau was spun off as Experian Inc. in 1996.). Retail Credit attempted to make up the slack by increasing automobile insurance reporting; by the following year, more than one-fifth of the agency's business was contributed by this division. Miller's lawyer, Justin Baxter, explained that the false reporting damaged Miller's reputation, she was denied credit, and her private information was given to businesses Miller had no relationship with. The Cator Woolford Gardens is a mission-driven event space for life's most important moments. Finally, we can read about how these great companies came about with Company Histories.. In addition, the company hoped to avoid the expensive class action suits over its activities that competitors had suffered. Equifax is 124 years old. Try again later. After several visits to the city, the Woolfords rented an office consisting of a single room on the fifth floor of the Gould Building, at 10 Decatur Street, and had the words "Retail Credit Company" printed on the door in large black letters. The agency has recorded a very big growth over the years, and they have total assets worth $7.23 billion. Cator Woolford (1869-1944) moved to Georgia and formed a credit bureau there with his brother Guy. CFO of Equifax John Gamble is the Chief Financial Officer at Equifax and is responsible for all financial functions, including corporate finance, investor relations, accounting, audit, tax and treasury, as well as global procurement, real estate, and the Equifax shared service center in Costa Rica. The trouble-plagued ChoicePoint made headlines in 2005 for leaking consumers confidential information to identity thieves. 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. Towards this end, the company opened five new insurance-related offices in that year. Our History: From Cator Woolford Gardens to Our Disabilities Programs Our History Frazer Center is tucked away on 39 acres of old-growth forest in the heart of Atlanta. As one of the key players in the increasingly electronic world of commerce, however, Equifax was likely to survive the thrive. Please reset your password. And though Equifaxs story isnt quite as tenured as Experian, its roots date back to the late1800swhen it began as a grocery store. Retail Credit set a pattern of aggressive development in the life insurance-related business that would later be applied when entering other fields. 1899: The Woolfords moved to Atlanta with the goal of making credit reporting their new career. Retail Credit changed its name in 1979 to Equifax Inc., derived from "equitable factual information." Drag images here or select from your computer for Cator Ringgold Woolford memorial. By 1913 Retail Credit had developed a special form for automobile insurance, to be completed by the investigator. Today, in addition to its credit-reporting and risk-management businesses, Equifax markets credit cards and provides fraud-detection services, database marketing, and risk consulting. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. [74] An Equifax spokesperson said that Equifax is considering appealing the jury's verdict. Following these failings, Equifax has faced several lawsuits as well as fines over the years. Other failings were on the exposure of American salary data, and website malware. "Equifax." Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Cator Ringgold Woolford I found on Findagrave.com. Its customers included retailers, government agencies, healthcare providers, insurance firms, and credit unions, among many others. This entity was later sold. [76], In 2014, Equifax and Heartland Bank were sued by Kimberly Haman of the St. Louis area for reporting she was dead. (France); UAPT-Infolink, plc (U.K.). In a ten-year period, 104 smaller credit bureaus had been added to the Equifax network alone. In addition, the agency sells fraud prevention and credit monitoring services to their customers. Guy Woolford was also inclined to make lasting contributions to his community. Try again later. [36], On 2 August 2022, a week after its CEO Mark Begor was deemed "uniquely qualified to lead the Company" and was granted a $25 million bonus package by Equifax's board, the Wall Street Journal reported that Equifax had sent millions of incorrectly calculated credit scores to lenders. The following year the company also opened a branch office in Cincinnati. Along withTransUnionand Experian, Equifax helps make up the big three of the credit reporting bureaus. Learn more about merges. 1901: Retail Credit Company expands into the moral hazard market, selling credit information to life insurance companies. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. In the late 1920s Woolford befriended Franklin D. Roosevelt and was one of the founders of the . Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [66], In 1982, Retail Credit Company was criticized for collecting "facts, statistics, inaccuracies and rumors about virtually every phase of a person's life; his marital troubles, jobs, school history, childhood, sex life, and political activities. [82], Equifax software engineer Sudhakar Reddy was charged with insider trading for purchasing options prior to the disclosure of the 2017 data breach. Equifax has been operational for over a decade, during which time it has experienced immense success. Principal Operating Units: North American Information Services; Payment Services; Equifax Europe; Equifax Latin America; Knowledge Engineering. Cator Woolford, Co-Founder Guy Woolford, Co-Founder Equifax Board Members Mark Begor, Director Elane B. Their downtown office quickly expanded, as the brothers offered life and auto insurance. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. All rights reserved. Equifax also confirmed at least 209,000 consumers' credit card credentials were taken in the attack. In doing so, the company expanded its computerized files enormously and paved the way for greater diversification. Cator Woolford got his start in the credit bureau business as a grocer in Chattanooga, Tennessee. [56], On October 8, 2017, Krebs reported that The Work Number, a website operated by Equifax's TALX division, exposed the salary histories for employees of tens of thousands of US companies to anyone in possession of the employee's Social Security Number and date of birth. However, in February 2020, the United States Department of Justice indicted four members of China's People's Liberation Army on nine charges related to the breach, which China has denied. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Principal Subsidiaries: 1nfo Inc.; Acrofax Inc. (Canada); CBI Ventures, Inc.; Computer Ventures, Inc.; Credence, Inc.; Credit Northwest Corporation; Credit Union Card Services, Inc.; Equifax Asia Pacific Holdings, Inc.; Equifax Card Services (Madison), Inc.; Equifax Check Services, Inc.; Equifax Card Services, Inc.; Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc.; The Equifax Database Company Ltd. (Ireland); Equifax Decision Systems B.V. (Netherlands); Equifax de Mexico Sociedad de Informacion Creditica, S.A.; Equifax Europe Ltd.; Equifax Europe (U.K.) Ltd.; Equifax Healthcare Information Services, Inc.; Equifax Holdings (Mexico) Inc.; Equifax India Private Ltd.; Equifax Information Technology, Inc.; Equifax Investments (Mexico) Inc.; Equifax Investments (U.S.) Inc.; Equifax Luxembourg S.A.; Equifax Luxembourg (No. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Son of John Stevens Brohawn and Mary Ellen Rees Woolford.Founder of the Retail Credit Company of Atlanta, Ga., now Equifax, one of the three major credit-rating agencies in the US.Married Charlotte Louise Boyd (19001965) on 01 Jan 1920, at the home of her parents in Griffin, Spalding, GA, U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-2020, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Equifax, one of the largest credit-reporting agencies in the country, collects data on more than 400 million credit holders nationwide. New Georgia Encyclopedia, 03 November 2006, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/equifax/. As a trustee of the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Woolford helped to acquire land that would become a buffer for the Fernbank Forest. [85][86] Equifax ultimately reached a settlement with regulators for up to $700 million. By 1920, it had numerous branch offices throughout the United States and Canada, and became a publicly owned corporation in 1965. Among other directives given, the U.S. government ordered Retail Credit to stop rating employees by how much negative information they collected on consumers and to stop having investigators misrepresent themselves when conducting inquiries. The following day, a class-action lawsuit was filed by Jacksonville, Florida resident Nydia Jenkins against Equifax alleging she had received a "substantially pricier car loan" (resulting in an additional loan payment of $2,352 more per year) due to Equifax reporting her credit score 130 points off from what it should have been. There is a problem with your email/password. Equifax Inc. is the largest consumer credit bureau in the United States, providing information about consumers to clients in several industries, including insurance, finance, credit card, banking, retail, and telecommunications. Insurance companies paid much more highly for the information they needed; Retail Credit quickly expanded operations into this lucrative area. 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. Equifax Inc. Gilbert. Cator Woolford (1869-1944), Atlanta businessman, civic leader and philanthropist, founded the Retail Credit Company (the precursor to Equifax) in 1899. [35], In July 2020, Equifax reported that, after purchasing Ansonia Credit Data (Ansonia), a major source of consumer credit, payments, and invoice receivables (AR) data used by financial companies and other borrowers and businesses in the shipping and logistics sectors, the firm has expanded its position in commercial payment technology solutions. The business soon became very successful. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. That year also saw Equifax introduce a record 25 new products. These 39 acres of property are nestled in the heart of the North Druid Hills area. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Son of John Stevens Brohawn and Mary Ellen Rees Woolford. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. This beautiful garden underwent major renovations in 1996 and 2017. Cooper Sanchez, an artist, gardener, and designer, has used his magical skills to convert the Cator Woodford Garden to a popular event venue in Atlanta. Three years later, Retail Credit ran afoul of the new federal regulations and was charged with violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Federal Trade Commission Act. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Cator Woolford got his start in the credit bureau business as a grocer in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Add to your scrapbook. Try again. The origins of these gardens date back to the 1920's and was once home to Cator Woolford himself - one of the leading founders of what we know today as Equifax. In New Georgia Encyclopedia. Different inspectors carried out the two types of investigations. Many years later, after Woolfords death in 1944, his former Druid Hills estate became the site of the Frazer Center, a rehabilitation facility for children and adults with disabilities, and the Cator Woolford Gardens, designed by landscape architect Edward Daugherty. [42] Credit reports provide detailed information on the personal credit and payment history of individuals, indicating how they have honored financial obligations such as paying bills or repaying a loan. 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. 2015 mmwoodruff (Atlas Obscura User) The Cator Woolford Gardens, a 39-acre park just a few miles outside of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, are one of the last remaining historic estates anywhere in . 1920: Retail Credit Company continues to grow. Two brothers, Cator and Guy Woolford, created the company. The U.S. entry into World War II had a serious impact on Retail Credit's business. based on information from your browser. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [57][58] For roughly half the US population, both of the latter pieces of data are known to be in possession of criminals, following Equifax's MayJuly 2017 security breach. All these figures have been every rising every year for the past couple of years. There is intrinsic vulnerability in collecting and storing personal financial information, and we need to have a meaningful discussion on how to protect and limit access to it. [17], In February 2016, Equifax acquired the Australasian company Veda, the largest credit reference agency in Australia at the time. [53][54], On September 7, 2017, the same day as Equifax announced a large security breach, Equifax removed its official mobile apps from the Apple App Store and from Google Play. [42] Equifax and other credit monitoring agencies are required by law to provide US residents with one free credit file disclosure every 12 months; the Annualcreditreport.com website incorporates data from U.S. Equifax credit records. Equifax was founded by Cator and Guy Woolford in Atlanta, Georgia, as Retail Credit Company in 1899. 2) S.A.; Equifax Mauritius Private Limited; Equifax Payment Services, Inc.; Equifax Properties, Inc.; Equifax-Rochester, Inc.; Equifax South America, Inc.; Equifax U.K. Finance Ltd.; Equifax U.K. Finance (No. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [25][26] An Equifax manager, Sudhakar Reddy Bonthu, also pleaded guilty to insider trading and received a sentence of 8 months of home confinement. They started their credit investigations by going door-to-door among merchants, asking about their customers and noting the findings in ledgers. A publicly owned corporation in 1965 ) again credit monitoring Services to their customers and noting the in... Equifax has been operational for over a decade later, the company amasses data on more 150... 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