How To Dispute Credit Report Errors
Key takeaways
- Credit report errors can negatively impact your credit score and history and may make you responsible for someone else’s financial mistakes.
- These errors can stem from identity or data theft, or simply result from inaccurate records.
- Make a habit of regularly checking your credit report, and dispute any inaccuracies you find to the three consumer credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Your credit report represents your financial stability, encompassing your history of repaying money owed on your home, car, education or credit cards. Errors that appear on your credit report can hurt your chances of qualifying for future loans.
Financial experts recommend checking your credit report on a regular basis and immediately disputing any errors you find. This step-by-step guide walks you through finding and reading your credit report and shows you how to challenge or correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
Where and how to dispute credit report errors
Your credit report is a reflection of your financial history, which means banks, lenders and more may use this to determine how creditworthy you are. If you find an error on your credit report, you can dispute the issue with the three major consumer bureaus to have it removed.
| Contact information | Equifax | Experian | TransUnion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Equifax website | Experian website | TransUnion website |
| Phone | 1-888-Equifax (1-888-378-4329) | 1-888-Experian (1-888-397-3742) | 800-916-8800 |
| Address | P.O. Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374-0256 | P.O. Box 4500 Allen, TX 75013 | P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016 |
Submitting a dispute online is the quickest way to file a credit report error with any of the credit bureaus. Learn how to file a credit report dispute with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
How to dispute a credit report error with Equifax
To file a dispute with Equifax, navigate to the Equifax Consumer Services Center and click on the “Submit a Dispute” button in the center left of the page. You’ll be asked for your first and last name, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), current mailing address and cell phone number. On the following page, you’ll be asked to set up or log into your Equifax account by adding an email address and a secure password.
Once you’ve logged in to myEquifax, click on the “File a Dispute” button in the center of the page. You’ll choose from one of four dispute categories:
- Personal information such as name, date of birth, SSN and employment data
- Credit accounts including revolving, installment and mortgage accounts
- Collections or bankruptcy
- Inquiries such as requests to view your credit report
Under the appropriate category, click on the “Dispute This” button to submit a report. The button can be found to the right of each line item.
Once you submit a dispute, Equifax will investigate your claim and respond within 30 days. If Equifax finds that your dispute is accurate, the bureau will automatically resolve the issue for you.
You can also submit your dispute by phone or regular mail.
How to dispute a credit report error with Experian
Filing a dispute claim with Experian follows a similar process. From the Experian Disputes landing page, click on “Start a new dispute online” to verify your identity via mobile device and get started. You’ll need to submit the last four digits of your SSN and your cell phone number to receive a verification link by text. Once you click through the secure link, you’ll be able to set up an Experian account or log in to begin your dispute.
Once you log into Experian, you’ll see a list of activities associated with your credit account. Click on the arrow to the right of each line item to begin a dispute. After clicking on the “Start a Dispute” button, use the dropdown menu to select the reason that most closely aligns with your challenge. Options include:
- Account paid in full
- Account closed
- Not mine or no knowledge of account
- Unauthorized charges
As with Equifax, you can also submit your Experian dispute via phone or regular mail.
How to dispute a credit report error with TransUnion
You can submit a dispute online with TransUnion by setting up an account or logging in to the TransUnion Service Center. You’ll need the same personal identifying information: full name, date of birth, cell phone number, mailing address and the last four digits of your SSN.
Once logged in, click on “Start a new request” to dispute information such as your full name, date of birth, phone number, current and past addresses, employment history, credit inquiries, promotional inquiries and open accounts.
You can also dispute your credit report via phone or mail.
How to fix credit report errors: 5 steps
Resolving a credit report error is usually fairly straightforward. Simply identify any information you believe to be inaccurate or incorrect, then submit your findings and evidence to the contrary.
1. Review your credit report for mistakes
Checking your credit report on a regular basis is the easiest way to keep an eye out for errors and make sure your credit score isn’t negatively impacted. Financial experts recommend checking once every three months if possible, but it’s better to check your credit report infrequently than not at all.
You can get a free credit report once a week from each of the three major credit bureaus.
2. Gather evidence
Once you find a mistake, collect all the data you’ll need to make your case. For example, if the records of someone with a similar name are winding up on your report, you should be able to resolve the issue by providing copies of your identification with the correct spelling of your name. If you need to show that you closed a bank account, that can be addressed by submitting a confirmation document from your financial institution.
3. Submit a dispute to credit reporting agency
All three credit bureaus offer easy online portals for quickly submitting your complaint. If your issue cannot be resolved using the “dispute” button next to an individual line item, select “other” and attach your supporting documentation via the attachment tools on each site.
4. Submit a dispute to the company that provided the information
The issue on your credit report might have been caused by inaccurate information submitted by a bank, a retailer or even an employer. For example, an unauthorized hard inquiry might show up on your credit report. In that sort of situation, you can also reach out directly to the institution at fault to ask them to correct the record.
In most cases, you can find the organization’s contact information by scrolling to the bottom of the company website.
5. Track your progress
The three major credit bureaus should automatically respond to your dispute, but it’s in your best interest to track your claim’s progress. Set regular calendar alerts for yourself to follow up if the issue hasn’t been resolved by the end of 30 business days. Once the issue has been resolved, save a copy of the resolution confirmation in your personal files for future reference.
What you can and can’t dispute
While you may not like every line item on your credit report, not everything is up for dispute. Here’s a short list of what you can and cannot dispute:
| A credit card or loan that was opened in your name without your knowledge An account that was closed more than seven years ago and is still on your report (accounts in good standing typically drop off after 10 years) An account that shows a higher or lower credit limit or balance than it should Hard credit inquiries Incorrect late payments or other inaccurate negative marks on one of your accounts Previously disputed accounts appearing on your credit reports again Incorrect dates on an account, such as the date it was opened, past due or closed Incorrect public records, like a bankruptcy that never happened Multiple open accounts for a single debt | Legitimate information, like your current and previous addresses Public records, such as bankruptcies Accurate information that has not yet aged out (seven years) Soft credit inquiries (but you can limit soft inquiries by using OptOutPrescreen.com) |
Examples of credit report errors
The most common credit report errors include identity inaccuracies, incorrect reporting of financial activity and data entry mistakes. These can include:
- Wrong names, phone numbers or mailing addresses
- Confusing you with someone else with the same name or a similar name, especially if you are a Jr. or Sr.
- Combining two or more consumers’ information into a single file (also known as a mixed file)
- Identity-theft-related issues
- Previously closed accounts mistakenly listed as still open
- Incorrect reports of late or delinquent accounts
- Inaccurate dates of payment or lack thereof
- Showing the same debt across multiple accounts or under different names
- Accounts with an incorrect current balance
- Accounts with an incorrect credit limit
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What happens if a credit dispute is denied?
In most cases, a credit dispute will not be denied if the evidence you submit is accurate, especially if it’s a straightforward issue such as personal identity information.
If your credit dispute is denied but you believe your case is misunderstood or misrepresented, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or add a statement to your file.
Contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The CFPB is a U.S. government agency that exists to do exactly what its name suggests: Protect your financial interests. If you aren’t able to resolve your credit dispute, you can submit a complaint online in seven to 10 minutes, or call the agency at (855) 411-2372 (TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except on federal holidays).
Add a statement to your credit file
If your dispute remains unresolved or it’s taking longer to resolve than you like, ask the credit bureau to add a brief statement regarding the dispute to your credit file that will be included or summarized in future credit reports. These statements can only be added to disputes filed with a credit bureau, not to the companies that submitted the inaccurate information in the first place.