How to dispute credit report errors

Good credit could open doors when you want to borrow money. One of the best things you can do to build up your score is to know what's on your credit report.

A credit report includes details about your debts, which are used to calculate your credit scores. As you look over your credit report, it's important to make sure that all the information is accurate. 

More than a quarter of Americans have serious mistakes on their credit reports. If you happen to be one of them, we'll show you how to dispute credit report errors (and explain why you should). 

Credit report disputes: Why bother? 

Credit report errors happen for different reasons. Your creditor might make a mistake and forget to report your latest payment. Or maybe an account that you don't own shows up on your credit report because you have the same name as someone else. 

The credit report dispute process exists so that people can make sure their credit reports only contain correct and accurate information. Why? Because credit report mistakes could work against you as you work to boost your credit score.

Credit report mistakes could be big or small, but they're all worth the effort to dispute. If you are able to get an error removed or corrected from your report, that could have a positive credit score impact. At the very least, it's good to know your report is completely accurate. 

How to get your credit report

To check credit report errors, you'll need to know what's in your credit reports. Three credit bureaus issue credit reports: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can get a free credit report from all three. If you come to a screen requesting your credit card number, click away and start over. You don’t have to provide a credit card number to get your free credit reports.

Equifax

You can get your credit report free with a myEquifax account. Here's what you'll need to create your account:

• First and last name

• Date of birth

• Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

• Mobile phone number

• Current address

Once you plug those items into the myEquifax sign-up form, you'll just follow the prompts to complete your enrollment. 

Experian

Experian offers free credit reports and FICO scores. To get your credit reports, you'll need to register using the last four digits of your Social Security number and your mobile phone number. 

Once you've done that, Experian will send you a text message link for verification. You'll click the link and follow the prompts to create your free account.

Inside your Experian account, you can:

• View your Experian credit report

• Access helpful money tools, like Experian Boost, which could help you grow your credit score when you pay bills

• Compare loan and credit card offers

You also have the option to add your Equifax and TransUnion credit reports to your Experian account, for a fee. 

TransUnion

TransUnion offers free weekly credit reports online. To get yours, you'll enroll with your:

• Name

• Address

• Date of birth

• Email address

• Mobile number

• The last four digits of your Social Security number

TransUnion creates your account and verifies your identity. Once you're logged in, you can request a free credit report or submit a credit error dispute. 

You also have the option to access all three credit reports by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. 

Should you get one credit report or all three? If you want to do a thorough credit report check, it's a good idea to pull all three to compare them. 

What to look for on your credit report

What kinds of mistakes could be on my credit report? That's a good question to ask so you know what to look for as you check for credit report accuracy. 

Common credit report error examples include:

• Incorrect payment history, including improperly reported late payments or loans in default that you're current on

• Incorrect balances or inaccurate credit limits

• Collection accounts or judgments reported incorrectly

• Open accounts that are listed as closed or closed accounts that are listed as open

• Duplicate accounts

• Accounts that don't belong to you

• Accounts opened fraudulently in your name 

• Incorrect name, address, phone number, or employment history

Here's one thing to know: Negative items on a credit report don't count as errors if the information is correct. For example, if you have an account showing two late payments and you really did pay late, your dispute is likely to be unsuccessful. You can dispute an accurate item if it shows up more than once on your credit report.

How to dispute an error on your credit report

Each credit bureau has a process for how to dispute credit report errors, which you can do over the phone, by mail, or online. An online dispute is the easiest and fastest method. 

To file a credit report dispute online, you'll contact the credit bureau and complete the dispute form. Be prepared to tell the credit bureau:

• Which account you want to dispute, with the account number and creditor name

• The error that you would like the credit bureau to address

• Why you believe the item on your credit report is inaccurate

• How you would like the error to be resolved (corrected or removed)

You may be asked to upload documentation to submit a credit report dispute. Some of the documents you may be asked for include:

• A driver's license of valid, government-issued ID

• Utility bills or other proof of residence

• Court papers that show a legal name change

• Your Social Security card

• W-2s or other tax forms

• Receipts that show payment of a debt

• A debt resolution agreement

• Canceled checks

• A police report if you filed a claim for identity theft

• Bank statements

You'll upload copies of any documents the credit bureau asks for and keep the originals. Here's where you can go to file a credit report dispute online:

• Equifax dispute

• Experian dispute

• TransUnion dispute

If the same error appears on more than one credit report, you'll need to dispute it with each bureau individually. 

Will disputing an error on your credit report affect your credit score? It depends on the type of error. If you ask for the removal of a previous address you never lived at, your score won’t be affected. If you ask for the removal of a fraudulent account, your score could change.

If the change to your report is positive, you may see a positive credit score impact. If the change to your report is negative, the impact on your score could also be negative. 

What to expect after filing your dispute

Once you submit your request, the credit bureau launches a dispute investigation. As part of the credit dispute process, the credit bureau will attempt to verify whether the information you've challenged is correct or not. 

How long does it take to resolve a credit dispute? 

A typical dispute response time is within five business days after the conclusion of the credit bureau's investigation. Credit bureaus could take up to 30 days to investigate a dispute, or up to 45 days if additional information is required. 

What if the dispute doesn't work?

Credit report disputes sometimes result in a change to your credit file, but not always. If the credit bureau verifies that the information is correct, no correction or removal is made. 

What if you disagree with the outcome? You could escalate a credit report dispute and sue the credit bureau, but that's an extreme step. Before you think about that, you could try these methods to deal with a rejected credit dispute. 

• Add a statement to your credit file. If you believe the credit bureau is wrong, you could add a statement to your credit file that explains the nature of the dispute and the item you believe is inaccurate. 

• Dispute your credit report with the creditor. You could also dispute the error with the creditor that reported the information. Contact the business to find out where to send disputes, then draft a letter that includes the details of the dispute and why you believe the information is inaccurate. 

If the business finds that there is an error, it has to tell the credit bureau to remove or correct the information on your credit report. Getting the creditor to stop reporting the information is one way to remove data from your credit reports.

Tips for keeping your credit report clean

There are a few ways to keep your credit report free of errors that don't require a lot of effort. Here's how to do it:

• Check your reports regularly. Once a year is good; once a quarter might be better if you're worried about errors on your report. 

• Sign up for credit monitoring. Free credit monitoring services keep an eye on your credit reports for you. You'll get a notification if there's a change to your credit report that affects your credit score. 

• Consider a credit freeze. A credit freeze locks down your credit report so that no one can apply for new credit in your name. You might consider this option if you don't plan to apply for credit any time soon. You need to place a freeze on your credit with each bureau separately.

You could also do things to improve your credit, like pay bills on time and pay down debt. A credit counselor could help you put together an action plan if you need help getting consistent with these things.