Which of the following is NOT included in the Equal Credit Opportunity Act?

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was enacted to prohibit discrimination in credit transactions and ensure that all individuals have equal access to credit without regard to certain protected characteristics. Under this law, factors such as race, color, and gender are specifically recognized as protected categories, meaning that credit decisions cannot be influenced by these characteristics.

Employment history, while it can be considered as part of the assessment for creditworthiness, is not a characteristic that falls under the categories protected by the ECOA. Instead, employment history is typically factored into credit decisions for evaluating an individual's ability to repay debt, rather than being a basis for discrimination. This understanding of the ECOA is key to recognizing which factors are protected and which are not. Thus, employment history is not included among the characteristics protected by the Act.