Back to Top of Page
Q: What is the relationship between BIG and Fieldprint?
A: Business Information Group (BIG) and Fieldprint are sister companies. BIG has served the financial services industry
for more than 28 years. Fieldprint was originally developed in response to BIG clients’ requests for fingerprinting services. BIG provides
fingerprinting services to its clients exclusively through Fieldprint.
More information on Fieldprint is available at www.fieldprint.com.
Back to Top of Page
Q: Is my firm required to pay for applicants to be fingerprinted, or can applicants pay for fingerprinting?
A: You can choose a "firm pay" or an "applicant pay" option during the set-up process.
Back to Top of Page
Q: What information is needed in order to sign up for electronic fingerprinting services?
A: To sign up, you need your firm’s CRD number, contact information (authorized representative, address, phone, e-mail, etc.)
and information on whether fingerprinting will be paid for by your firm or by the applicants.
Back to Top of Page
Q: What is the difference between a Livescan site and a print-card site?
A: Livescan sites collect fingerprints electronically via an inkless process. Print-card facilities collect “wet” fingerprints,
rolling the applicant’s fingertips in ink and pressing them to a fingerprint card. Print-cards are scanned into an electronic
format upon receipt by BIG-Fieldprint. The discount fee is the same for the Livescan and print-card processes.
Q: What is a Fieldprint code and how do I obtain it?
A: A Fieldprint code is a unique combination of letters and numbers assigned to your firm. Your applicants use this code when
registering and scheduling their fingerprinting appointments through Fieldprint.com. A Fieldprint code ensures that the fingerprints are properly matched to the applicant and to your firm when they are transmitted to FINRA and then the FBI on your behalf. The code also reflects who is paying for the service, whether it’s your firm or the applicant. You are provided with a Fieldprint code upon sign-up.
Q: What happens to the fingerprint files after they’ve been submitted to FINRA?
A: FINRA sends the fingerprints to the FBI, which compares them against its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification
System (IAFIS) to determine if an individual has a criminal record.
Q: What is the average turnaround time for fingerprint results?
A:The average turnaround time for results for fingerprints collected electronically is 24-72 hours.
Q: Why are some fingerprints returned as illegible and what happens if FINRA displays that status?
A: Fingerprints may be deemed illegible for a number of reasons. For example, if the applicant has a missing digit or if the
ridges of their fingerprints are worn down and difficult to capture, their prints may be illegible. If fingerprint submissions are posted on Web
CRD with an “illegible” result, please call our customer service team at 877-228-3909 so that we may schedule a new collection appointment for your
applicant. In that case, there is no additional cost to re-print the applicant.
Back to Top of Page
Q: I forgot my password to the myBIG.net client site. How do I log in?
A: Please e-mail us at help@bigreport.com and we can help you retrieve or reset your password.
Back to Top of Page
Q: Why is an on-site inspection required and what is involved?
A: In order to start using the monitoring services, federal regulations
require that a physical inspection of your office location be performed in order to establish that your
office is a legitimate business site. The inspection is performed by a third-party company that visits
your site and completes a security checklist to ensure you have proper data controls in place, such as
locked offices and shredders. The inspection, which typically takes 10 to 20 minutes to complete, does not
involve accessing any of your computer systems or files or any confidential information.
Back to Top of Page
Q: Can I share the information I receive from the monitoring services with the employee or representative?
A: Yes. Under federal law, the employee or representative has the right to see any information obtained through
the monitoring services.
Q: Can I share the information I receive from the monitoring services with other companies?
A: No. The information obtained through the monitoring services is strictly for your use and
may not be shared with any third party.
Q: How can an employee or representative obtain a copy of their report from Business Information Group (BIG)?
A: Employees can contact BIG by phone at 1-800-260-1680 or access our Consumer Care portal to obtain a free copy of their report.
Q: What do I do if I receive negative information on an employee or representative?
A: Before taking any action that is based in whole or in part on information obtained through the monitoring services, you
must provide a copy of that information to the employee or representative and give them an opportunity to dispute its accuracy with Business Information
Group. This process is defined by the federal Fair Credit Report Act. For more information, please click
here: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre35.pdf.
Back to Top of Page
Q: Do I need permission from my employee or contracted representative to run the monitoring services?
A: Yes. Under state and federal law, you must obtain written permission from each individual before
performing either criminal or financial searches. You are provided with a sample permission template when you sign up for the service.
Q: Do I need a new authorization from the employee or representative every time I conduct a search?
A: Yes. While federal law and most state laws allow you to run subsequent reports without obtaining a new release,
California requires a new release to be signed each time you run the monitoring service.
Back to Top of Page
Q: Can I use the monitoring services to check out prospective clients?
A: No. The monitoring services – Criminal Records Monitoring and Financial Disclosure
Monitoring – may only be used with applicants, employees or contracted representatives and only to confirm that their U4 information is current.
Q: How often should I run the monitoring services on employees or representatives?
A: The frequency of monitoring is determined by each firm. Some firms choose to perform monitoring on an annual basis, while others perform it monthly.
Q: Once I run the monitoring services on an employee or representative, will it monitor them on a continual basis, or do I need to run it again?
A: No. The monitoring only provides criminal or financial information at the time it is conducted, rather than on an ongoing basis. To re-check an individual
or search for new information, you must conduct a new search. However, BIG offers a tool that allows clients to save the last search they conducted, making it fast and easy to
re-run the same search as frequently as you choose.
Q: Can I run the monitoring services on some employees or representatives, but not others?
A: Yes. The monitoring services are designed to provide either financial or criminal information on applicants, employees and registered representatives to
help ensure compliance with FINRA reporting guidelines. It is recommended that the monitoring be conducted fairly and consistently, not on a selective basis.
Back to Top of Page
Q: What does the Criminal Records Monitoring search cover?
A: The search is performed using a private database of criminal records information. The information in the database is collected from court records, prison
records, arrest records, probation and parole offices and other public record sources around the country.
Q: Is the criminal search the same as an FBI fingerprint-based search?
A: No. The private database used for the criminal search is not the same as the FBI database. The FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database is
the only true national repository of criminal records information. The private database, while it contains hundreds of millions of records, does not include records from all jurisdictions.
Q: Can I limit the time period covered by the criminal records search?
A: Yes. During the implementation process, you can specify a timeframe for reporting, and your account is set up accordingly. For example, you can specify
that you only want to search for criminal records dated within the past year, or you can search any criminal records from the past seven years.
Back to Top of Page
Q: What information does the Financial Disclosure Monitoring service cover?
A: The search is performed by checking the individual’s TransUnion credit report. Credit report data
typically includes bankruptcy records, tax lien and judgment information, as well as detailed account payment history
information.
Q: Will running the Financial Disclosure Monitoring service affect the individual’s credit score?
A: No. The inquiry performed as part of this service falls under the permissible purpose of “employment purposes”
and is considered a “soft” inquiry, or one that is not factored into credit risk scores.
Q: Can I use the Financial Disclosure Monitoring service in other situations where I want to run a person’s credit report?
A: No. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit reports can only be run if there is a “permissible purpose,” such as for employment purposes. Therefore, the service can only be used with applicants, employees and Registered Representatives to ensure their U4 information is current. Any other use of the service is strictly prohibited.
