Disputing Credit Report Errors: A Step-by-Step Process
Errors on credit reports can lower scores and cost money. Federal law gives you the right to dispute inaccurate information with the credit bureaus and with the company that reported it. Here is how.
Credit reports sometimes contain errors: accounts that aren't yours, wrong balances, payments marked late that weren't, duplicate accounts, or outdated negative items. Under federal law, you can dispute inaccurate information, and both the credit bureau and the company that reported it have obligations to investigate.
Common errors
- Accounts that belong to someone else, or that resulted from identity theft.
- Incorrect late payments.
- Wrong balances or credit limits; see credit utilization.
- Closed accounts reported as open.
- Duplicate debts, such as the same debt listed by both the original creditor and a collector with balances.
- Negative items older than the reporting period allows; see how long negative items stay.
The process
- Get your reports. From each of the three nationwide bureaus.
- Document the error. Statements, letters, payment records; copies only.
- Dispute with the bureau. Online, by mail, or by phone; certified mail creates a record.
- Dispute with the furnisher. The company that reported the information.
- Review the results. Bureau generally has 30 days to investigate and must report results in writing.
Include in your dispute:
- your name, address, and identifying information;
- each item you're disputing and why it's wrong;
- copies of supporting documents;
- a request that the item be corrected or removed.
What happens next
- The bureau forwards your dispute to the company that reported the information, which must investigate.
- If the information is found inaccurate or can't be verified, it must be corrected or deleted, and the company must notify the bureaus.
- You'll receive written results and, if your file changed, a free copy of your report.
- You can ask the bureau to send the corrected report to anyone who received it recently.
If the dispute doesn't resolve it
- Ask the bureau to include a statement of dispute in your file.
- Submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- If the error came from identity theft, report it to the federal identity theft reporting site and consider a freeze; see credit freezes and fraud alerts.
Avoid credit repair scams
You can dispute errors yourself for free. Be cautious of companies that charge upfront, promise to remove accurate information, or tell you to create a new credit identity.
The takeaway
Check your reports regularly, dispute inaccurate information with both the bureau and the company that reported it, and keep copies of everything. The process is free, and fixing errors can improve your scores and your borrowing costs.
Sources
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