How to dispute a credit report error

To fix a mistake on your credit report, dispute it with each credit bureau that shows it - Equifax, Experian or TransUnion - and, ideally, with the company that reported it. Disputing is free. The bureau generally has 30 days to investigate (45 in some cases), and anything that turns out to be inaccurate, incomplete or impossible to verify must be corrected or deleted.

Start by getting your reports

You can get free credit reports from all three nationwide bureaus every week at annualcreditreport.com, the only site authorized by federal law for free reports. Pull all three. Each bureau keeps its own file, so an error can show up on one report and not the others.

Read every section, not just the score summary. Common errors include:

• accounts you never opened, which can be a sign of identity theft
• late payments on months you paid on time
• wrong balances, credit limits or account status
• accounts shown as open that you closed, or as unpaid when you paid them off
• debts discharged in bankruptcy still shown as owed
• the same debt listed twice with a balance, for example by the original lender and a debt collector
• negative items older than the reporting limit - most negative information must come off after 7 years, and a Chapter 7 bankruptcy after 10
• wrong name, address, Social Security number or employer, or someone else's accounts mixed into your file

Two places you can dispute

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you can dispute with the credit bureau, with the "furnisher" - the bank, lender, card issuer or debt collector that sent the information - or with both.

Doing both is often the fastest route. The furnisher holds the original records, and a direct dispute puts the problem in front of the people who can actually check them.

What to send

Keep your dispute short, factual and specific. One clear dispute with evidence works better than a long letter or a dispute of every item on the report.

• your full name, current address and date of birth
• a copy of the report page with the error circled or highlighted
• for each item: the company name, the account number (the last few digits are enough), what is wrong and what it should say
• copies, never originals, of your evidence - bank statements showing the payment, a payoff or "paid in full" letter, a bankruptcy discharge, or an identity theft report
• a copy of an ID and proof of address, which the bureaus often ask for

Disputing online is quick, but the form may limit how much you can explain or upload. A mailed dispute sent by certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of what you sent and when it arrived. Whichever you choose, save confirmation numbers and copies. Our guide on how to write a complaint letter has tips on keeping a letter clear and brief.

A bureau can refuse a dispute it considers frivolous, for example one with no explanation, but it must tell you within 5 business days and say what information it needs.

How the investigation works

1. The bureau forwards your dispute. Within 5 business days it must send the furnisher your dispute and the relevant information you provided.
2. The furnisher checks its records. It must review what you sent, investigate and report the result back to the bureau.
3. The bureau finishes the investigation. It generally has 30 days from receiving your dispute. That can be extended by up to 15 days (45 in total) if you send more information during the first 30 days, or if you dispute after getting your free report through annualcreditreport.com.
4. You get the results. The bureau must tell you the outcome within 5 business days of finishing. If anything changed, you get a free updated report.
5. Ask for corrections to be sent on. If an item was changed or deleted, you can ask the bureau to send the corrected report to anyone who checked your credit in the past 6 months, or the past 2 years for employment checks.

If information is deleted, it should not come back. If a furnisher later certifies that it is accurate and the bureau puts it back, the bureau must tell you in writing within 5 business days.

If they "verify" it anyway

Sometimes the answer comes back "verified as reported" even when you know the information is wrong. You still have options:

• Ask how it was verified. You can ask the bureau for a description of how it investigated, including the name, address and phone number of the company it contacted. The bureau should answer within 15 days of your request.
• Dispute directly with the furnisher. If you only disputed with the bureau, send the furnisher your evidence too.
• Dispute again with new information. Sending the same dispute again rarely helps. Adding new evidence, such as a letter from the lender or a court record, can.
• Add a statement of dispute. You can ask each bureau to add a short statement, generally up to 100 words, explaining your side. Lenders who pull your report will see it. It does not change your score, so use it when the explanation genuinely helps.
• File a complaint. You can submit a complaint about a bureau or a furnisher to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the federal regulator, at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, and to your state attorney general. See how to file a complaint against a company.
• Talk to a consumer attorney. The FCRA lets you sue a bureau or furnisher that fails to follow the law, and you may be able to recover damages and attorney's fees. Deadlines apply, and many consumer attorneys offer a free first consultation.

Special situations

Accounts from identity theft

If accounts on your report were opened by someone else, file a report at IdentityTheft.gov. With an identity theft report, you can ask each bureau to block the fraudulent information, and the bureau generally must do so within 4 business days of accepting your request. See identity theft and credit freezes.

Collections you do not recognize

If a debt collector is reporting a debt you do not recognize or think is wrong, dispute it with the bureaus and ask the collector to prove it. Our debt validation letter guide has a template.

Medical debt

The three nationwide bureaus no longer report paid medical collections or those under $500. If you see one, dispute it. See medical debt and your credit.

A late payment that really was late

Accurate information can stay on your report for the full reporting period, so a dispute will not remove it. You can still write to the lender and ask for a "goodwill" adjustment, especially if you have a good record otherwise. Lenders do not have to agree.

Keep records

• copies of every dispute, letter and piece of evidence you send
• certified mail receipts and confirmation numbers
• the dates you sent each dispute and the dates you got answers
• every results letter and updated report
• notes of phone calls, with the date and the name of the person you spoke to

Good records make it much easier to escalate if the first dispute does not work.

Questions and answers