How to Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report

A credit report is a record that other people use to make decisions about you, so a mistake on it can quietly cost you. The good news is that you have a legal right to dispute inaccurate information, and the process is built around paperwork you can handle yourself.

Start with your own copies

In the United States you can get free copies of your credit reports from the nationwide credit bureaus through the federally authorized free report service. Get reports from all three, because they are not always identical. An account that appears on one may be missing or different on another.

Read each one slowly. Look for accounts you do not recognize, balances that are wrong, late payments you made on time, accounts shown as open that you closed, duplicate entries and personal details that are not yours, such as an address you never lived at.

Decide what exactly is wrong

Write down each error in one sentence. "The account ending Account digits here is reported as thirty days late for a month when I have a payment confirmation dated before the due date." Specific beats general. A vague complaint is easier to dismiss, and a specific one tells the investigator what to check.

Collect evidence for each item: statements, payment confirmations, closing letters, or a police report or similar record if the issue is identity theft.

Dispute in two places

Federal law gives you two routes, and using both is the stronger approach. First, dispute with the credit bureau that is showing the error. Second, dispute directly with the company that supplied the information, sometimes called the furnisher. The bureau can only repeat what its data sources report, so fixing the source matters.

Send disputes in writing and use a trackable mail method. Many bureaus also offer online dispute forms, which are convenient, but a letter gives you a clean paper record. Include copies, never originals, of your evidence.

Example only, with placeholder details: "I am disputing the following item on my credit report: Creditor name here, account ending Account digits here. The report shows a late payment for Month here. I paid on Date here, and I have enclosed a copy of my confirmation. Please investigate and correct the record, and send me the results in writing."

What happens next

The bureau generally has about thirty days to investigate, and that period can be longer if you send additional information during the investigation. When it finishes, it should send you the results in writing and a free updated copy of your report if anything changed.

If the investigation does not resolve it, you can ask the bureau to include a short statement of your side in your file. You can also file a complaint with the federal consumer finance regulator, and for serious or repeated problems you may want to talk to a consumer attorney or a legal aid service.

Common mistakes

• Disputing everything at once with no evidence, which makes your strongest points harder to see.
• Disputing only with the bureau and never contacting the company that reported the information.
• Sending original documents instead of copies.
• Forgetting to keep dates and a record of what you sent.
• Paying a stranger to "fix" your credit when the dispute process is something you can start yourself for free.

Try this today

1. Request your reports from all three bureaus and mark every item you cannot explain.
2. For each error, gather the single best document that proves it, and write a one-sentence description.
3. Send one dispute to the bureau and one to the company that reported it, by trackable mail, and note the dates on a calendar for following up.

Key takeaways

• Check all three reports, because they can differ.
• Be specific about each error and attach proof.
• Dispute with the bureau and with the company that supplied the data.
• Expect an investigation of about a month, and follow up in writing.
• Keep copies and delivery proof of everything you send.

This article is general information for consumers in the United States, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines vary by state and by situation, and rules change over time. If a large amount of money or a legal deadline is involved, check the current rules with the relevant agency or speak to a licensed attorney or a free consumer legal aid service.