How to fix a mistake on your credit report
The short version
- Get your free reports from all three credit bureaus.
- Find what is wrong and write down why.
- Send a dispute to each bureau that shows it, with copies of your proof.
- They usually have 30 days to check it, and they must send you the results in writing.
Get your free reports
Go to AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site. Your reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are free there every week. Get all three, because a mistake can show on one and not the others.
Look for what is wrong
- An account you never opened
- A late payment you paid on time
- A balance or credit limit that is wrong
- The same account listed twice with a balance owed on both
- An old debt that should have dropped off
- A name, address or employer that is not yours
Write down each item and what is wrong with it. Find any proof you have, like a bank statement, a receipt or a letter.
If someone used your name
If someone else opened an account in your name, report it at IdentityTheft.gov first. Send that report to the credit bureaus with proof of who you are and ask them to block the accounts. They must block them within four business days, which is faster than a regular dispute.
Send your dispute
Dispute with each credit bureau that shows the mistake. You can do it online, by phone or by mail. Mail gives you the best record.
- Say who you are and which item is wrong.
- Say what is wrong and why.
- Ask them to fix it or take it off.
- Add copies of your proof. Never send originals.
- Keep a copy of everything you send.
If you mail it, use certified mail with a return receipt, so you can prove the day it arrived. You can also dispute with the company that reported the item, like the bank or the collection agency.
What happens next
The credit bureau sends your dispute and your proof to the company that reported the item. The bureau usually has 30 days to finish. If that company cannot show the item is right, it has to be fixed or taken off.
The bureau must send you the results in writing. If anything changed, you also get a free copy of your report.
If they say it stays
- Ask the credit bureau how they checked it.
- Send new proof if you find more.
- Dispute with the company that reported it.
- Ask the bureau to add a short statement about your dispute to your report.
- File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
If it is yours and it is right
A dispute is for mistakes. It will not take off something that is true, and anyone who promises that is not being straight with you. Most late payments and collections drop off after seven years. Bankruptcy can stay for ten.
You can still write a goodwill letter asking the lender to remove a late payment that really happened. Some lenders say yes, mostly when the rest of your history is good.
About credit repair companies
You do not need to pay anyone to dispute for you. Everything they do, you can do yourself for free. By law, a credit repair company cannot charge you before it finishes the work it promised. If one asks for money up front, walk away.
Do it from your phone
ZungiDill walks you through every step above. Open your report, tap what is wrong, and it writes the letter and reminds you when the answer is due.
Where this comes from
- Federal Trade Commission: Disputing errors on your credit reports
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- IdentityTheft.gov
- AnnualCreditReport.com
This guide is general information, not legal advice.