How to Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report
An incorrect balance, unfamiliar account, or payment mistakenly reported as late can affect your ability to qualify for credit, housing, insurance, or other services. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information at no charge.
This article provides general U.S. information, not individualized legal advice. Federal law supplies the main dispute process, but state laws may provide additional rights or remedies.
Review All Three Credit Reports
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion maintain separate credit files. An error may appear on one report, two reports, or all three.
You can review your reports free each week through AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized website. Check each report for:
Accounts you do not recognize
Incorrect balances or payment histories
Payments reported late when they were made on time
Closed accounts shown as open
Accounts incorrectly listed more than once
Someone else’s information mixed with yours
Incorrect personal information
Negative information that should no longer be reported
Confirm that something is actually inaccurate before disputing it. Accurate negative information generally cannot be removed simply because it is unfavorable.
Gather Supporting Documents
Collect records that clearly show what should be corrected. Depending on the error, useful documents may include account statements, payment confirmations, canceled checks, correspondence from the creditor, identity-theft reports, or court records.
Send copies rather than original documents. Keep a complete file containing everything you submit, the date of submission, confirmation numbers, delivery receipts, and all responses.
Avoid sending more sensitive information than the company needs to identify you and investigate the specific dispute.
Dispute the Error With the Credit Bureau
Submit a separate dispute to every credit bureau displaying the error. Disputes can usually be filed online, by mail, or by telephone, although a written dispute makes it easier to provide a detailed explanation and supporting records.
Identify each disputed item separately and include:
Your name, address, and contact information
The credit report or confirmation number, if available
The creditor’s name and relevant account number
The exact information you believe is inaccurate
A brief explanation of why it is wrong
The correction or deletion you are requesting
Copies of relevant evidence
A marked copy of the report showing the disputed entry
If mailing the dispute, consider using a trackable method or certified mail with a return receipt. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides sample dispute letters that can be adapted to the situation.
Be specific. A bureau may reject a dispute as frivolous or irrelevant if it does not contain enough information to investigate.
Contact the Company That Reported the Information
You should also dispute the error directly with the information furnisher—the bank, lender, credit card issuer, landlord, collection agency, or other company that supplied the information.
Use the dispute address shown on the credit report or an address the company specifically provides for credit-reporting disputes. Send the same explanation and supporting documents provided to the bureau.
If the furnisher determines that its reporting was inaccurate, it generally must correct the information and notify the credit bureaus to which it supplied the error.
Allow Time for the Investigation
A credit bureau generally must complete a reasonable reinvestigation within 30 days after receiving a dispute. In certain situations, the period may be as long as 45 days, including when relevant additional information is submitted during the investigation.
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, the bureau must review relevant information supplied by the consumer. Information found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable must be deleted or appropriately modified.
The bureau generally must provide written results within five business days after completing its investigation. If the report changes, the response should include a free updated copy.
Check That the Correction Appears Everywhere
Review the investigation results carefully. Confirm that the account, balance, payment status, or other disputed information was corrected as requested.
A correction on one bureau’s report does not always mean the others have updated their records. Check all three reports again and retain the results with your supporting documents.
If previously deleted information is reinserted, federal law generally requires the bureau to notify you. The furnisher must also certify that the reinserted information is complete and accurate.
What to Do if the Dispute Is Not Resolved
If the bureau or furnisher does not correct an error, review its explanation and determine whether additional evidence is available. You can request information about the procedure used during the investigation and ask the bureau to add a brief statement explaining the unresolved dispute to your credit file.
After completing the bureau’s dispute process, you may submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB advises consumers not to submit an inaccuracy complaint while the original dispute is still active unless 45 days have passed.
Consider consulting a consumer-law attorney when a serious, well-documented error remains unresolved or causes financial harm. Applicable remedies and deadlines can vary by jurisdiction.
Treat Identity Theft Differently
An account you never opened may indicate identity theft rather than an ordinary reporting mistake. Report the incident through IdentityTheft.gov to create a recovery plan and an FTC Identity Theft Report.
Identity-theft victims have specific rights, including requesting that fraudulent information be blocked from their credit files. A fraud alert or credit freeze may also help prevent new accounts from being opened. A freeze must generally be placed separately with each credit bureau.
Act promptly, but keep the dispute focused and well documented. A clear explanation supported by relevant records gives the bureau and furnisher the information needed to investigate the error properly.
