How to Dispute Credit Report Errors

Your credit report--a type of consumergive you the written results and a free copy of your
report--contains information about where you workreport if the dispute results in a change. If an item is
and live and how you pay your bills. It also may showchanged or removed, the CRA cannot put the
whether you've been sued or arrested or have fileddisputed information back in your file unless the
for bankruptcy. Companies called consumer reportinginformation provider verifies its accuracy and
agencies (CRAs) or credit bureaus compile and sellcompleteness, and the CRA gives you a written
your credit report to businesses. Because businessesnotice that includes the name, address, and phone
use this information to evaluate your applications fornumber of the provider.
credit, insurance, employment, and other purposesAlso, if you request, the CRA must send notices of
allowed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), it'scorrections to anyone who received your report in
important that the information in your report isthe past six months. Job applicants can have a
complete and accurate.corrected copy of their report sent to anyone who
Some financial advisors suggest that you periodicallyreceived a copy during the past two years for
review your credit report for inaccuracies oremployment purposes. If a reinvestigation does not
omissions. This could be especially important if you'reresolve your dispute, ask the CRA to include your
considering making a major purchase, such as buyingstatement of the dispute in your file and in future
a home. Checking in advance on the accuracy ofreports.
information in your credit file could speed theSecond, in addition to writing to the CRA, tell the
credit-granting process.creditor or other information provider in writing that
Getting Your Credit Reportyou dispute an item. Again, include copies (NOT
If you've been denied credit, insurance, ororiginals) of documents that support your position.
employment because of information supplied by aMany providers specify an address for disputes. If
CRA, the FCRA says the company you applied tothe provider then reports the item to any CRA, it
must give you the CRA's name, address, andmust include a notice of your dispute. In addition, if
telephone number. If you contact the agency for ayou are correct-that is, if the disputed information is
copy of your report within 60 days of receiving anot accurate-the information provider may not use it
denial notice, the report is free. In addition, you'reagain. Accurate Negative Information When negative
entitled to one free copy of your report a year ifinformation in your report is accurate, only the
you certify in writing thatpassage of time can assure its removal. Accurate
(1) you're unemployed and plan to look for a jobnegative information can generally stay on your
within 60 days,report for 7 years. There are certain exceptions:
(2) you're on welfare, or·Information about criminal convictions may be
(3) your report is inaccurate because of fraud.reported without any time limitation.
Otherwise, a CRA may charge you up to $9.00 for a·Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10
copy of your report.years.
If you simply want a copy of your report, call the·Credit information reported in response to an
CRAs listed in the Yellow Pages under "credit" orapplication for a job with a salary of more than
"credit rating and reporting." Call each credit bureau$75,000 has no time limit.
listed since more than one agency may have a file on·Credit information reported because of an
you, some with different information. The threeapplication for more than $150,000 worth of credit or
major national credit bureaus are:life insurance has no time limit.
·Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA·Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid
30374-0241; (800) 685-1111.judgment against you can be reported for seven
·Experian P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013; (888)years or until the statute of limitations runs out,
EXPERIAN (397-3742).whichever is longer. Criminal convictions can be
·Trans Union, P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022;reported without any time limit.
(800) 916-8800.Adding Accounts to Your File
Correcting ErrorsYour credit file may not reflect all your credit
Under the FCRA, both the CRA and the organizationaccounts. Although most national department store
that provided the information to the CRA, such as aand all-purpose bank credit card accounts will be
bank or credit card company, have responsibilities forincluded in your file, not all creditors supply
correcting inaccurate or incomplete information ininformation to CRAs: Some travel, entertainment,
your report. To protect all your rights under the law,gasoline card companies, local retailers, and credit
contact both the CRA and the information provider.unions are among those creditors that don't. If
First, tell the CRA in writing what information youyou've been told you were denied credit because of
believe is inaccurate. Include copies (NOT originals) ofan "insufficient credit file" or "no credit file" and you
documents that support your position. In addition tohave accounts with creditors that don't appear in
providing your complete name and address, youryour credit file, ask the CRA to add this information
letter should clearly identify each item in your reportto future reports. Although they are not required to
you dispute, state the facts and explain why youdo so, many CRAs will add verifiable accounts for a
dispute the information, and request deletion orfee. You should, however, understand that if these
correction. You may want to enclose a copy of yourcreditors do not report to the CRA on a regular
report with the items in question circled. Your letterbasis, these added items will not be updated in your
may look something like the sample below. Send yourfile.
letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, soSample Dispute Letter
you can document what the CRA received. KeepDate
copies of your dispute letter and enclosures.Your Name
CRAs must reinvestigate the items inYour Address
question--usually within 30 days--unless they considerYour City, State, Zip Code
your dispute frivolous. They also must forward allComplaint Department
relevant data you provide about the dispute to theName of Credit Reporting Agency
information provider. After the information providerAddress
receives notice of a dispute from the CRA, it mustCity, State, Zip Code
investigate, review all relevant information providedDear Sir or Madam:
by the CRA, and report the results to the CRA. IfI am writing to dispute the following information in
the information provider finds the disputedmy file. The items I dispute are also encircled on the
information to be inaccurate, it must notify allattached copy of the report I received. (Identify
nationwide CRAs so they can correct this informationitem(s) disputed by name of source, such as
in your file. l Disputed information that cannot becreditors or tax court, and identify type of item,
verified must be deleted from your file.such as credit account, judgment, etc.)
·If your report contains erroneous information,This item is (inaccurate or incomplete) because
the CRA must correct it.(describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why).
·If an item is incomplete, the CRA mustI am requesting that the item be deleted (or request
complete it. For example, if your file showed thatanother specific change) to correct the information.
you were late making payments, but failed to showEnclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable
that you were no longer delinquent, the CRA mustand describe any enclosed documentation, such as
show that you're current.payment records, court documents) supporting my
·If your file shows an account that belongs onlyposition. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s)
to another person, the CRA must delete it.and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon
When the reinvestigation is complete, the CRA mustas possible.