How to dispute errors on your credit report

If you found an account on your credit reportcredit reportA credit report is a statement that has information about your credit activity and current credit situation: your loans and cards, the balances, whether you have paid on time, accounts in collection and who has checked your credit. Credit reporting companies, also called credit bureaus, compile it from what banks and creditors report; your credit score is computed from it. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender pulls your report from the three bureaus. You have the right to see it for free and to dispute anything that is wrong.See the full definitionClose that is not yours, a late payment you never made or someone else’s information, this guide is for you. Fixing it is free and you can do it yourself: here are the common errors, what to send and to whom, the legal timelines step by step, what to do if the answer is no and how to avoid “credit repair” scams.

The bureau reinvestigates without charging you

Free⁶

For the bureau to finish, from when it receives your dispute (up to 15 more if you send relevant information)

30 days⁶

To send you the results in writing, after finishing

5 business days⁶

To cancel a credit repair contract without penalty

3 business days¹⁵

The most common errors

The CFPB asks you to check that your report contains only items about you and to look for anything inaccurate or incomplete. These are the errors it lists:²

Type	Examples
Identity	Wrong name, phone number or address; accounts belonging to someone with the same or a similar name; accounts opened through identity theftidentity theftIdentity theft happens when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud: for example, your name, your Social Security or Medicare number, or your credit card or bank account number. With that information, a thief can rent a home, get credit cards, receive government benefits or tax refunds, or open other accounts in your name. You often find out when your credit report or a statement shows accounts or charges you do not recognize, or when a debt collector calls. The federal site IdentityTheft.gov takes reports and gives you a recovery plan.See the full definitionClose
Account status	Closed accounts shown as open; you are listed as the owner when you are just an authorized userauthorized userAn authorized user is a person who has permission to use someone else's credit card account; that other person is the account holder. An authorized user is not the same as a joint account owner, who shares the account. Generally, being an authorized user does not obligate you to pay the card's debt, even if the account holder dies. Card issuers usually report authorized users' status to the credit bureaus, so the account may appear on your credit report. The account holder can ask the issuer to remove you from the account.See the full definitionClose; late payments you never had; wrong date of last payment, date opened or date of first delinquency; the same debt listed more than once, possibly under different names
Data	Wrong balance or credit limit

When a file combines two people’s information, it is called a mixed file.² If you have not gone through your report carefully yet, start with How to read your credit report, which walks through it part by part.

Check the dates on negative items, too. Most negative information can generally be reported for seven years, and a bankruptcy for up to ten.³ An account in collectionscollection accountA collection account is a past-due debt that the original creditor (the company that gave you the loan or credit) handed to a debt collector or sold to another company. A debt collector is a person or company that regularly collects debts owed to others, such as a collection agency, a lawyer or a debt buyer. The account can show up on your credit report; once you pay it, it should generally show a zero balance as a paid collection. Most negative information can be reported for up to seven years. If you think you do not owe the debt or the amount is wrong, you can dispute it with the collector and with the credit reporting company.See the full definitionClose cannot appear after seven years, counted from the point 180 days after the delinquency began. That limit does not apply to reports used for credit or life insurance of $150,000 or more, or for a job paying $75,000 or more a year.⁴ That is why the date of first delinquency has to be right.²

Step 1: dispute with the credit bureau

The three nationwide credit bureauscredit reporting agencyA credit reporting agency, also called a credit bureau or credit reporting company, is a company that gathers information about people and sells credit reports to other businesses. The three nationwide ones are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The businesses that buy those reports use them to decide whether to give you credit, a job, a rental home or insurance. There are also specialty agencies, for example for rental history or check writing. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to request a copy of your report and to dispute information that is wrong.See the full definitionClose are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Fixing an error generally means contacting the bureau and also the company that provided the item.¹ Start with the bureau and explain in writing what is wrong and why. The bureaus take disputes online, by mail or by phone. If you mail your disputecredit report disputeA credit report dispute is the complaint you make when your credit report has wrong or incomplete information. You have the right to dispute it, and the investigation is free. It is usually done in two places: with the credit reporting company and with the company that supplied the information, called a furnisher, such as your bank, your landlord or your credit card company. You explain in writing what is wrong and why, with copies of your documents. The credit reporting company must investigate, generally within thirty days, and delete or correct anything found to be inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable.See the full definitionClose, the CFPB says to include:¹

• Your complete name, address and phone number, and the report confirmation number if you have it.
• Each error, with the account number, and a clear explanation of why you are disputing it.
• A request that it be removed or corrected.
• A copy of the part of the report with the errors circled or highlighted.
• Copies (not originals) of your proof.

The CFPB’s template letter adds one copy of a government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license or state ID) and one of a utility bill or bank or insurance statement. Requirements may vary by company, so it is worth confirming them with each one.⁵

Bureau	Online	By phone
Equifax	equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute/	The number on your report or (866) 349-5191
Experian	experian.com/disputes/main.html	The number on your report or (888) 397-3742
TransUnion	dispute.transunion.com	(800) 916-8800

To dispute by mail, look up the current address or instructions on each bureau’s site.¹

Step 2: dispute with the company that provided the item

Bureaus get your information from other companies (furnishers), such as your bank, your landlord or your card issuer.¹ According to the CFPB, you write to that company by certified mail, at the address on your report or one it specifies for disputes. It generally must investigate and respond within 30 days. If the item was wrong or cannot be verified, it must correct or remove it and notify all the bureaus, and then the bureaus must update your reports.¹

Your notice must identify the account, say which item you dispute and why, and include the proof the company reasonably requires, such as account statements or a police report. The company has to investigate whether the debt is yours, the account terms and how you have paid, but through this route not your identifying information or what another company reported.⁸ And once you dispute an item with it, it may not report that item to any bureau without noting that you dispute it.⁷

The credit bureau or the company that provided the item

Equifax, Experian or TransUnion

Credit bureau

• You can dispute any item in your file, including your personal information.⁶
• It reinvestigates for free and finishes in 30 days, with up to 15 more if you send relevant information.⁶
• If it does not agree with you, you can add a brief statement to your file.⁶

Your bank, your landlord, your card issuer

Company that provided the item

• You write to it by certified mail; it generally responds within 30 days.¹
• It investigates whether the debt is yours, the account terms and your payments, not your identifying information.⁸
• While you dispute it, it may not report the item without noting the dispute.⁷

Write to both: fixing an error generally means contacting the bureau and the company.¹

The legal timelines, step by step

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the bureau must reinvestigate free of charge and review all the relevant information you send.⁶ This is what happens after it receives your dispute, in order:

What happens after you send your dispute

1. 1. You send your dispute to the bureau

   Day 0

   By certified mail with a return receipt, so you have proof of the date it was received.¹

2. 2. The bureau notifies the company that provided the item

   No later than 5 business days after receiving it

   It must also review and consider all the relevant information you send.⁶

3. 3. If it finds the dispute frivolous, it tells you

   No later than 5 business days after deciding

   With its reasons and the information needed to investigate.⁶

4. 4. The company that provided the item investigates

   Before the bureau's deadline runs out

   It reviews what the bureau sent and reports the results; if the item is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, it corrects it, deletes it or blocks its reporting.⁷

5. 5. The bureau finishes the reinvestigation

   30 days from receiving your dispute

   Up to 15 more days if you send relevant information within those 30 days. If the item is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, it deletes or corrects it.⁶⁶

6. 6. You receive the results in writing

   No later than 5 business days after it finishes

   With a report based on your corrected file and a notice of your right to add a statement.⁶

7. 7. If a deleted item comes back

   You are told no later than 5 business days afterward

   It can come back only if the company that provided it certifies that it is complete and accurate.⁶

8. 8. If you disagree

   After the results

   You can add a brief statement to your file and submit a complaint to the CFPB.¹⁰⁶

If the item turns out to be inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, the bureau must delete or correct it and notify whoever provided it. It can put it back only if that company certifies it is complete and accurate. The results come with a report based on your corrected file.⁶

A dispute without enough information can end up labeled “frivolous”,⁶ so be specific: which item, on which account, why it is wrong and what proves it. Keep a sheet with the date you mailed each letter, the date on the return receipt and the date of each answer.

If the answer is no

If the company says the item is accurate, you can ask the bureaus to include a statement explaining the dispute in your reports; it goes to whoever requests your report in the future.¹ By law, the bureau may limit it to 100 words if it helps you write a clear summary and, unless it has reasonable grounds to believe it is frivolous, later reports must note that you dispute the item. If you ask, it must send notice of the deleted item or your statement to anyone you name who received your report in the past two years for a job, or in the past six months for any other purpose.⁶ According to the CFPB, this right applies to disputes sent to a bureau, not to those sent only to the company that provided the item.⁹

A complaint to the CFPB. To complain about a bureau over inaccurate or incomplete information, you must first have disputed it with that bureau. You generally cannot submit a second complaint about the same problem, so include the most important dates, amounts and communications, and your documents (up to 50 pages). Companies generally respond in 15 days. You are asked for your name, email, phone number and address; the complaint data the CFPB publishes leaves out information that directly identifies you. If you file for a relative, companies generally require that person’s signed, written authorization.¹⁰

Other options. The CFPB explains that bureaus that break the law can be held liable for damages (time limits apply to lawsuits), that you may qualify for free legal services in your community and that you can complain to your state attorney general, since your state may have additional protections.⁹ Free legal aidlegal aidLegal aid is the free civil legal help that nonprofit organizations and their lawyers provide to low-income people in civil, not criminal, matters. In housing, that includes representing families facing eviction or foreclosure, alongside matters such as custody, child support, protection from domestic violence and access to benefits. In the United States, the Legal Services Corporation, created by Congress, funds a nationwide network of these organizations; its finder points you to the one in your area. Each sets its own income limits.See the full definitionClose offices are linked at the end of this guide.

If the accounts come from identity theft

The CFPB points you to IdentityTheft.gov,¹ where you report it to the FTC and get an Identity Theft Report and a recovery plan. A fraud alertfraud alertA fraud alert is a note in your credit file that requires creditors who check your report to verify your identity before opening a new account, issuing an additional card or raising your credit limit. You only need to ask one of the nationwide credit reporting companies, which must notify the others. An initial alert is for anyone who suspects they are, or are about to become, a victim of fraud or identity theft, and it lasts one year unless you ask to remove it sooner. An extended alert requires an identity theft report and lasts seven years. When you place one, you are entitled to free copies of your report.See the full definitionClose is placed with one bureau, which must notify the others, and an initial alert lasts one year. A credit freezesecurity freezeA security freeze, also called a credit freeze, keeps new creditors from seeing your credit file, which helps stop an identity thief from opening new accounts in your name. By law it is free to place and to lift, and you must ask each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies separately. While it is on, only a few can see your file, such as creditors on accounts you already have, and you can still review your reports. It does not affect your score. Because creditors rarely lend without checking your file, it stops you too; you can lift it for free for a period of time when you need to.See the full definitionClose is free under federal law, but you request it from each bureau. If you send your identity theft report, proof of identity and a letter identifying the fraudulent items, the bureaus must block them within four business days. That block is only for debts resulting from identity theft; for other errors, use the dispute process.¹¹

Watch out for “credit repair”

According to the CFPB, warning signs of a scam include being asked to pay before services are provided (sometimes through monthly plans meant to get around the rule), promises to remove accurate negative information, advice to dispute everything even if it is correct, no explanation of your rights, or being told not to contact the bureaus. Disputing errors is a free right.¹²

The federal Credit Repair Organizations Act prohibits these companies from charging before the service is fully performed, and prohibits making, or advising you to make, untrue or misleading statements about your credit.¹³ Before you sign, they must give you a written statement of your rights, including that you can dispute directly with the bureau yourself and that no one has the right to remove accurate, current and verifiable information.¹⁴ You may cancel the contract without penalty before midnight of the third business day after signing.¹⁵ And if the company that provided the item reasonably believes one of these companies prepared or submitted your direct dispute, it does not have to investigate it.⁸

If this is you

A relative has your same name

If their account shows up on your report, that is a mixed file: a common error you dispute with the bureau and with the company.²

Your landlord reported the wrong information

Your landlord can also be the company that provided the item: write to it by certified mail, at the address on your report or the one it gives for disputes.¹

You will apply for a mortgage soon

Start now: the bureau has 30 days, plus up to 15 more, to reinvestigate.⁶ Check your three reports first with the guide to reading them.

Mistakes that slow a dispute down

• Mistake: Sending a vague letter that does not say which item or why.

  Instead: Be specific: a dispute without enough information can end up labeled frivolous.⁶

• Mistake: Disputing the whole report «just in case».

  Instead: Dispute only what is wrong: being told to dispute accurate items is a scam warning sign.¹²

• Mistake: Writing only to the bureau and forgetting the company that provided the item.

  Instead: Write to both: fixing an error generally means contacting both.¹

• Mistake: Sending your original documents.

  Instead: Send copies and keep the originals.⁵

• Mistake: Keeping no copy and no proof of mailing.

  Instead: Use certified mail with a return receipt and keep a copy of everything you send.¹

• Mistake: Paying a credit repair company up front.

  Instead: The law bars them from charging before the service is done, and you can dispute for free yourself.¹³

Free help

A HUD-approved housing counselor gives independent advice on credit issues, often at little or no cost, and you search for one by ZIP code.¹⁶ If you are thinking about a lawsuit, the CFPB notes that you may qualify for free legal services in your community.⁹ If you are just starting to build your history, Credit from zero explains the first steps.

HUD-approved housing counselors by state

State	HUD-approved counselors
Alabama	25
Alaska	1
Arizona	21
Arkansas	14
California	81
Colorado	26
Connecticut	13
Delaware	12
District of Columbia	17
Florida	98
Georgia	42
Hawaii	17
Idaho	10
Illinois	81
Indiana	21
Iowa	11
Kansas	3
Kentucky	19
Louisiana	26
Maine	7
Maryland	41
Massachusetts	37
Michigan	59
Minnesota	33
Mississippi	16
Missouri	18
Montana	11
Nebraska	8
Nevada	8
New Hampshire	5
New Jersey	34
New Mexico	7
New York	93
North Carolina	52
North Dakota	3
Ohio	54
Oklahoma	6
Oregon	25
Pennsylvania	75
Puerto Rico	9
Rhode Island	5
South Carolina	13
South Dakota	13
Tennessee	32
Texas	51
Utah	7
Vermont	7
Virginia	49
Washington	15
West Virginia	8
Wisconsin	26
Wyoming	1

They advise on credit, among other topics, often at little or no cost.¹⁶ Source: HUD

What to do this week

1. Get your reports and mark every error; our guide How to read your credit report helps.²
2. Gather copies (not originals) of your proof, your ID and a bill or statement.⁵
3. Send your letter to each bureau that shows the error, by certified mail with a return receipt.¹
4. Also write to the company that provided the item.¹
5. Mark on your calendar day 30 from when they received your letter, and keep every response.⁶
6. If it is not resolved, ask them to add your statement and consider a complaint to the CFPB. Organize the steps with our credit plan.¹⁰