Skip to content
ScoreSense
  • Available Features
    • Credit Scores & Reports
    • Credit Insights
    • Credit Monitoring
    • Identity Theft Monitoring
    • Credit Tools
    • Mobile App
  • Blog
  • In The News
  • Credit Journeys
    • College
    • Military
    • Home Buying
  • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Reviews
  •   Sign In
  • Get My Scores
Main Menu
  • Credit Education
    • Credit Basics
      • Credit Bureaus
      • Types of Credit
    • Credit Scores
      • Credit Score Factors
      • Credit Score Tips
    • Credit Reports
      • Negative Credit Items
      • Credit Report Errors
      • Credit Report Disputes
    • Credit Monitoring
      • Signs of Credit Fraud
      • Credit Fraud Recovery
      • Credit Security Tactics
    • Credit Repair
      • Credit Repair Scams
    • Build Credit
      • Establish Credit for Teens & Students
    • News & Trends
  • Fraud
    • Identity Protection
    • ID Theft
      • Child ID Theft
      • Tax ID Theft
      • Medical ID Theft
    • ID Theft Recovery
    • Data Breaches
    • News & Trends
  • Personal Finance
    • Loans
      • Home Loans
      • Auto Loans
      • Student Loans
      • Personal Loans
      • Business Loans
    • Budgeting
    • Saving
    • Debt
    • Banking
    • Investing
      • 401K & IRAs
      • Stocks & Mutual Funds
    • Taxes
    • Life Events
      • Marriage
      • Parenthood
      • Retirement
      • Divorce
      • Death
      • Bankruptcy
      • Job Loss
      • Natural Disaster
    • News & Trends
  • Credit Cards
    • Interest Rates
    • Denied Credit
    • Card Types
    • Manage Balance
    • News & Trends
  • Credit Tools
    • Credit
      • Monitoring & Alerts
      • Credit Scores & Reports
      • Credit Insights
      • Credit Specialists
      • Score Simulators
    • Identity Theft Insurance
    • Identity Theft Monitoring
    • Sex Offender Monitoring
  • COVID-19
Search

CreditSense > Credit Education > Credit Basics > How to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Reports

How to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Reports

Picture of ScoreSense

ScoreSense

  • October 19, 2017

One in five consumers has had an error on at least one of their three credit reports, illustrating just how important it is to check your report for mistakes. But what errors should you check for, and what should you do if you spot one?

Knowing how to locate and dispute credit report mistakes could protect your pocketbook, prevent consumer fraud and even help your job hunt.

“More employers are starting to review credit before extending offers, and no one wants to lose a job opportunity because of a mistake on a credit report,” says Maricarmen Smith-Martinez, a financial educator at CredAbility .

The good news, thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act  (FCRA), is that consumers are entitled by law to a free annual credit report from each of the three national credit reporting agencies, available online at annualcreditreport.com . Once you have received a copy of your credit report, check to make sure the following information is accurate and up to date:

  1. Personal information, including name, address and phone number(s). Personal information can sometimes get mixed up for consumers with generational names. If you’re a junior or a third, for example, be certain your name is correct.
  2. Account information. This includes, for each creditor:
  3. Payment history
    b. Current balances
    c. Account age (the date the account was opened)
    d. Correct accounts listed3. Hard inquiries. This section of your credit report shows who has reviewed your credit report, a process that requires your authorization. An inquiry you don’t recognize could be a sign of fraudulent activity. Another red flag: inactive accounts that show new activity.

If you do detect errors on your credit report, consider taking the following steps:

  1. Notify the credit reporting agency immediately. All three of the national credit reporting agencies allow you to file your dispute online, by phone or by mail. Sending a dispute by snail mail creates a paper trail and can make it easier to send supporting documentation. Always send paperwork via certified mail to verify receipt, and send copies of documents, never originals.
  2. In addition to the credit reporting agency, immediately contact the creditor who furnished the disputed information.
  3. When reporting your dispute, specifically define the issue, says Norm Magnuson,
    vice president of public affairs for the Consumer Data Industry Association. “Don’t just say, ‘I don’t owe this much,’ but, ‘My balance is $200, not $300,'” he suggests. If you are unsure of how to word your dispute letter, the FTC provides a helpful template.

Once the credit reporting agency receives your dispute:

  1. It must send your dispute to the creditor or the organization that provided the information.
  1. If the original creditor denies your claim, the disputed information will remain on your credit report. However, you have the right to add a 100-word statement of explanation describing the dispute in your own words. Basically, the statement is your side of the story, Magnuson says.
  2. If your dispute results in a change, the credit reporting agency must give you the results in writing, as well as a free copy of your updated report.

The FCRA requires that the national credit reporting agencies respond to your dispute, usually within 30 days, unless your dispute is considered frivolous. According to Magnuson, about 75 percent of all disputes are resolved within 15 days.

A few more things to remember:

  1. When making your dispute, stay calm. “While the process can be frustrating, clarity and simplicity will help more than venting complaints, which could delay the process,” Smith-Martinez says.
  2. Check your credit report before you apply for new credit or a loan—this will give you a chance to resolve any errors before a new lender may see them.
  3. If you want to check your credit report more often than once a year, you can always purchase more copies directly from any of the three credit reporting agencies.
  4. Do your best to protect your credit. By placing a fraud alert on your credit report with any of the three credit reporting agencies, businesses will be required to get your permission before issuing credit in your name.

Smart Moves

Get your credit scores and reports from all three bureaus instantly.

Take Action

Shield your credit and finances with up to $1 million identity theft insurance*.

Get Protected

Find out how your score could change if you pay down a credit card or miss a mortgage payment.

Explore Tools

RELATED

How to Defer Your Mortgage During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Will Losing My Job Because of the Coronavirus Hurt My Credit Score?

How to Tighten Your Budget During the Coronavirus Lockdown

What Should I Do If My Information Is Part of a Data Breach?

Tax Season is High Risk

Why Are My 3 Credit Scores Different?

6 Ways to Spend Less This Holiday Season

What is a Write-off and How is it Different From a Charge-off

You are more than just 1 credit score.
Get your credit scores and reports from all three bureaus instantly.
Get My Scores

What's Your Credit Score?

Get Your credit scores & reports from all 3 bureaus, Instantly!**
Get my scores

Sign Up for Our Credit Newsletter

ScoreSense

  • Have an Account? Sign In
  • 1-800-972-7204
  • Mon-Fri: 8AM to 8PM CT
    Sat: 8AM to 5PM CT
    Sun: Noon to 6PM CT
  • customercare@scoresense.com
  • 3400 N Central Expy Ste #110-298
    Richardson, TX 75080

Company

Contact Us
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
OTL*ScoreSense

 

Facebook Youtube

Features

Credit Scores & Reports
Credit Insights
Credit Monitoring
Identity Theft Monitoring
Credit Tools

Resources

Learn About Credit
What is a Good Credit Score?
Credit Score Range

Mobile Apps

© 2001-2025 One Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved.

ScoreSense® is a trademark of One Technologies, LLC.

Do not sell/share my information |

*Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms, conditions, and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms, conditions, and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.

**After verification of your identity, your scores are available for secure online delivery in seconds.

 

Scroll to Top