The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to file a dispute with the credit bureau that houses records on your credit report under very specific circumstances. Negative information that reflects your inability to manage your own finances can pose a hazard if you try to get new credit, or even if you attempt to rent a home or seek employment. The key to removing unwanted records from your credit report is first knowing if the record can successfully be disputed.
Filing a Credit Bureau Dispute
Step 1
Know your most important right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act: the right to have accurate, timely information reflected in your credit reports. This act establishes a process for you to dispute erroneous information noted on your reports maintained by credit bureaus (as described in subsequent steps). However, it also requires a credit bureau to maintain negative records in your files that are both accurate and timely. Credit bureaus aren't obliged to look into disputes they consider frivolous, so make sure that you are disputing information that is erroneous, inaccurate or outdated. For more information about your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, see the Resources link below.
Step 2
Examine your credit report carefully and identify legitimate errors and inaccuracies. More obvious errors that might jump out at you are records of an account that you never opened, such as for a credit card. But the records in your report also have an expiration date. Most types of negative information, such as a debt that was charged off, should be removed from your report after seven years. Bankruptcies stay on your report for ten years. Some items, such as tax liens, can remain on your report indefinitely if this debt is not satisfied--and even after you pay the lien, it remains on your report for another seven years. For a full list of what types of records you might see in your report and when they expire, see Resources below.
Step 3
Correspond with the credit bureau in writing if you find a legitimate error. Although the three credit bureaus have an online presence where consumers can file a dispute, the Federal Trade Commission advises putting your dispute on paper. In addition to your name and contact information, briefly describe the negative record that you wish to dispute and why it is in error. You may wish to include a copy of your credit report with the record highlighted and copies of any supporting documentation you may have that supports the veracity of your dispute.
Step 4
Send your correspondence certified mail, return receipt requested so you can make sure it is received--but make copies of everything you send the credit bureau first, so you can maintain your own set of records. The three major credit bureaus can be reached at these addresses:
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
(800) 685-1111
Experian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-0949
TransUnion
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
Tips and Warnings
- The FTC notes that it takes a credit bureau around 30 days to investigate a dispute, after which you'll be notified of its findings and sent a revised copy of your credit report, if changes are made. If the credit bureau discovers that the negative information in your credit report is indeed erroneous, the party or company that reported it is responsible for informing all consumer reporting agencies to which it reported the information that it is in error.
- Negative information reported on your Experian credit report isn't necessarily reflected on your reports from TransUnion and Equifax. If you're attempting a full-scale credit report repair, it's best to order all three reports and examine them individually. You can access your free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.Com, the only official website authorized to provide them.
Things You'll Need
- Copy of your credit report (plus a duplicate)
- Copies of documentation supporting your dispute (if needed)
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