How to Fix Credit Report Errors
You want to maintain a healthy credit report, that’s why you check it periodically. So, don’t be alarmed if you find errors, they’re more common than you think.
We will walk you through this step by step. If you have problems with the process, we have people who can help!
Discover ways errors get on your credit report.
The most efficient way to dispute your credit report is online and the process is free.
Federal law allows you to dispute any errors with the credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian or TransUnion.
What to do to Dispute Items on Your Credit Report
1. Contact the lender/creditor who reported the account in question
- You will find the contact information for the creditor on your report.
- You need to determine the situation that led to the inaccuracy before you can dispute the item on your credit report.
- Most institutions are able to correct the errors via a phone conversation and this will prevent inaccurate reporting in the future.
- Keep a record of your calls.
2. Contact each of the credit reporting agencies
You must dispute inaccuracies with each agency because the information reported may vary by report. In addition, some lenders do not report to all three agencies, so the information in question may not appear on all three reports.
Filing disputes online is highly recommended for a faster and a more efficient process. However, some agencies provide phone numbers and mailing addresses for dispute information.
If mailing your dispute, please send the following information:
- Your full name including middle initial (and generation such as JR, SR, II, III)
- Your date of birth
- Your Social Security number
- All addresses where you have lived during the past two years
- One copy of a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license or state ID card, etc.
- One copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement, etc.
- List each item on your report that you believe is inaccurate, the account number and the specific reason you feel the information is incorrect.
Equifax
You can dispute certain items online with Equifax, if you have an active Equifax credit report file number.
Experian
It’s easy to start a dispute process online with Experian.
TransUnion
You can quickly and easily dispute online with TransUnion.
3. 30 to 45 Day Follow-Up
Once the dispute is filed, the credit bureau will take about 30 to 45 days to investigate the claim and remove it from the report. Sometimes there are additional factors to consider and it may take a few more steps to remove inaccurate information.
If you completed the dispute online, the agency will most likely confirm the results via email. It’s very important that you follow-up to make sure all inaccuracies are fixed.
