How to Dispute a Credit Report Error
Incorrect information on your report can be disputed (challenged) for free. Examples you can challenge include:
- late payments that weren’t late
- incorrect account balances
- accounts that aren’t yours
Submitting a dispute doesn’t guarantee your credit will increase, but making sure your report is accurate and complete could help improve your credit. Submitting a dispute will not remove accurate negative information from your report.
Let’s say you’re disputing a late payment. Don’t simply ask them to “fix my credit.” Specify which account and month the late payment is for, and tell the bureau why you’re disputing it (i.e., it contradicts your records, etc.). The more specific you are about what’s inaccurate and how to correct the problem, the easier it’ll be for the bureau to look into the issue.
Start with the entry you need corrected
Compare your report with your records. Identify the name of the company, the account number, and the section you feel is in error. Order your reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, the authorized website for free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Don’t worry, ordering your own credit report won’t adversely affect your score. Once you’ve received your reports, make sure to save a dated copy before disputing. Look at the payment and account history sections of your report.
These sections should provide information on the balance and status of the account as well as your payment history. The same account can show up differently on each of the bureaus’ reports. It’s important to find out which one reported the error because disputing with one does not mean the other two will receive the dispute.
An account’s balance may be incorrect because the report is showing an earlier statement date. Before disputing, look at the date the account was updated and the date you made your payment. The account may be under a different name. Before disputing an unfamiliar company name, check to see if the name is just a trade name used by your lender or if it’s a new company servicing your account.
If the account may be identity theft
Your next step is to dispute inaccuracies and place fraud alerts and credit freezes. You’ll dispute inaccuracies by contacting the businesses directly. How you respond depends on the situation; for example, if it’s an account you recognize but you believe there was a reporting error (say, the company reported a late payment when the payment was actually on time but in the previous month), versus an account you don’t recognize at all and believe is the result of identity theft.
If you suspect that someone has used your identity, you can request that the bureaus block information resulting from identity theft from being on your reports. You’ll need to send the bureaus your identity theft report, your contact information, identity documents (send copies), a description of the information you want blocked, and your written confirmation that you did not make the transactions behind those entries.
The bureau has four business days to block those entries once your complete request arrives. This process is separate from the dispute process, although you may also want to file disputes with the bureaus. There are some circumstances when a bureau can refuse to block information, or can remove a block, such as if it determines you made a false statement of an important material fact. You can report the theft and build a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
A credit freeze is another option. Arrange one separately with each of the three bureaus. It prevents them from releasing your reports in connection with an application for new credit. A credit freeze doesn’t remove accounts from your reports, so you may still need to pursue the identity theft blocking process above. To dispute inaccuracies directly with the businesses, contact them using the information on their website or on a trustworthy statement.
Choose records that answer the disputed fact
Highlight the page on which the inaccuracy appears, and any information that might help to clarify the issue. A short summary, including dates, is easier to understand than lengthy documents.
| What is incorrect | Supporting documentation | What you should say in a dispute |
|---|---|---|
| A payment was posted as late | The statement showing the due date, proof of payment, and account activity | Specify the month and point out the difference between the due date and when the creditor recorded the payment |
| Balance or account status is wrong | A dated statement, a payoff or settlement letter, and proof of payment | State the balance or status that your documentation shows at the time in question |
| Information belongs to someone else | Records of your name or address and the company’s reply | Identify the item that doesn’t belong to you. Clarify any name or address confusion, but do not identify the person who actually owns the account |
| Unknown credit inquiry | Date of the inquiry, the company’s name, application records, and any related correspondence | After verifying the company’s name and purpose for pulling your report, state that the inquiry is incorrect |
If you dispute the date that a payment was received, be aware that the date that the transaction was initiated, as shown on your bank statement, might not be the same as the date that the transaction was received and recorded by the creditor. In this situation, it might be helpful to request information from the creditor.
If a collection account has been paid, make sure to distinguish between whether you’re challenging the amount charged or asking for the account to be removed from your report. Settling a balance does not make the collection account inaccurate.
A worked example: an installment marked 30 days late
For example, suppose your report showed that you were 30 days late in making your May payment on a certain installment account. But your statement for the month of May showed that you were not late, and that you had in fact sent in your payment by the payment due date of May 18. Also suppose that you had made all your previous monthly payments on time, and that a letter from the creditor showed that your $225 payment for the month of May was applied on May 16.
In that case, you could dispute the item by writing:
I am disputing the May payment history for the installment account ending in 4821. My May payment is showing as 30 days late on my credit report dated June 4. My May payment was not late. The enclosed May statement from the creditor shows my $225 payment was due May 18. The enclosed letter from the creditor shows that my $225 payment was credited on May 16. All previous monthly payments on this account have been made on time.
Please correct my payment history to show that my May payment was on time. Of course, if the circumstances surrounding your late payment are different, you’ll want to word your dispute letter differently. Use the letter above as a model, but describe your own situation.
Send the dispute where the error appears
Make sure to follow the instructions for proving your identity. Mark the disputed entry on a report copy and include it. Add copies of the records that back up your explanation. Follow up in writing. Send each bureau showing the error its own dispute. Use its online process, mail your packet to the dispute address printed on the report, or follow its phone instructions.
To find the dispute channels that each of the companies currently accepts, check out this page. Give your full name, mailing address, and any other contact details the bureau requests. Include the confirmation number for your report. Include an explanation of exactly what you’re disputing. Be specific; let the company know exactly which items you believe are inaccurate and why. It’s also a good idea to let the company know exactly what changes you’d like to see.
If you dispute online: Before you hit submit, make sure you save your full submission plus any documents you’ve uploaded. Once your dispute has been submitted, download or take a screenshot of your confirmation page. It should include your dispute/case number. If you dispute by mail: Save the full packet. For proof of delivery, consider a return receipt when you send the packet by certified mail. If you dispute by phone: Write down your dispute/case number. Ask how you can submit supporting documentation.
Also contact the company that supplied account data
If a debt collector sent you a letter demanding payment, responding to that letter is a separate process, and a furnisher dispute does not replace a separate dispute with the collector or a required response to a court summons. There are different deadlines for responding to debt collectors. Make sure you continue to pay your debts while the investigation is taking place.
The direct-dispute rule does not apply to all negative information that appears on your report. For example, the furnisher’s required direct-dispute investigation process does not apply to inquiries, or to problems that only involve your name and address. For those items, you should dispute the information with the bureau. A name discrepancy as to whether or not you owe a particular debt is different from an error involving just a change of address. Once the furnisher receives your dispute, it generally has 30 days to investigate your claim and send you a response.
If the furnisher determines that it sent inaccurate information about your account to the bureaus, it must report the accurate information to all the bureaus to which it furnished the disputed information. Once you receive the results of the investigation, you should still check your reports from each of the bureaus to make sure they are accurate.
If there are errors on your report about your payment history, whether your account is in balance, or who owns the account, you can challenge those details by contacting the furnisher – the business that supplied those details to the bureaus. Keep in mind that the furnisher will have a specific address for sending disputes about credit reports that may be different from the company’s mailing address for sending in payments. Check the report entry or the furnisher’s own dispute instructions for that address.
Track the receipt date and inspect the result
Save the packet, delivery receipt, replies, and case references in one place, and note when your dispute reached each bureau or furnisher (the deadline to respond starts when your dispute was received).
Keep a copy of the response and check to make sure the item is corrected appropriately. For example, if you disputed a late payment, the May entry should be corrected (not just the current balance). Your report may have been changed if the information was found inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable (inaccurate information must be corrected and unverifiable information must be deleted). Sometimes the response will indicate that the information has been verified. What if the information in my report is inaccurate? After finishing the investigation, each bureau has 5 business days to send you its findings.
The usual investigation deadline is 30 days after the bureau gets your dispute. A 45-day period can apply to a dispute following your free annual report, or when you supply new information relevant to your dispute during the first 30 days.
These are two separate time frames; see the CFPB’s guidance for more information.
When the bureau calls your dispute irrelevant or frivolous, it has five business days after that decision to send you a notice. It must give its reasons and identify any additional information needed to investigate. If this happens, read the reason why they did not process your dispute and look for anything you missed, then decide whether to send a new dispute.
When “verified” leaves the error unresolved
Under Section 611 of the FCRA, the furnisher must certify that deleted information is complete and accurate before a bureau may put it back. After reinserting the entry, it has five business days to send you written notice. You’ll want to save this notification, as well as the original dispute results if you can. An item that a bureau was unable to verify, or found to be incomplete or inaccurate, may not be reinserted unless the data furnisher certifies the information is now accurate.
Compare the letter to your original dispute. Did you dispute the right balance? Was the balance for the right month? Is the response about the right account? Note any discrepancies between the letter and your original dispute. Enclose any additional documentation you think will help prove the item is inaccurate.
Ask for an explanation of the investigation. You’re entitled to ask the bureau to explain how they conducted their investigation. That should include identifying the furnisher they contacted. After your request arrives, the bureau has 15 days to provide that description.
The CFPB accepts complaints about unresolved reporting problems. You can use its portal once your bureau dispute is no longer pending, or after more than 45 days have passed since you filed it. A complaint leaves the bureau’s investigation deadline unchanged.
Include as much information as you can:
- The report page containing the disputed entry (send a copy with that entry circled or highlighted)
- Your dispute letter
- Any documentation you submitted with your dispute
- The bureau’s response
- Case numbers and dates, if applicable
Describe the problem you’re having in your own words. If you’ve already disputed the information with the bureau, explain what information you believe is still inaccurate.
Consider seeking legal advice. If a credit reporting error is having a significant impact on your life, and you’ve already tried disputing the information more than once, consider speaking with a consumer law attorney. Save any denial or rejection letters, or other documentation that demonstrates how the inaccurate credit reporting has negatively impacted you.
You can submit a brief statement describing your position for a bureau to include with the disputed item. While this won’t have the item removed or corrected, it will show future users of the report that you dispute the information.