In this article, we cover how to dispute credit report errors. If there are mistakes on your credit report, it can lower your credit score, which affects your ability to borrow money, as well as the interest rates you’re offered.
Be sure to check your credit reports regularly, so if there are errors, you can deal with them promptly. When you do this, ensure your personal information, such as address, birthdate, and Social Security number, are correct. Look at your open and closed accounts to be sure what’s listed there is accurate. If there are negative marks or hard inquiries, you should know why they appeared.
If you see any of the following errors, it could indicate a serious problem:
- Wrong account numbers
- Accounts that aren’t yours
- Inaccurate loan balances or credit limits
- Wrong account status information
If there is something on your report that you don’t recognize, you should check on it. You have to contact credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) separately to have a hard inquiry removed if you can prove it’s wrong.
After you spot issues, you have to put together evidence to support your case. Expect to provide:
- Your name, date of birth, Social Security number
- Copy of driver’s license or other government-issued ID
- Current address and addresses going back two years
- Copy of a bill or statement that lists your name and address
- List of items you’re disputing, why you believe they are wrong, and supporting documents
Other helpful documents you could include are bank or credit card statements, birth and death certificates, loan documents, a police report on identity theft or more.
Once you have the necessary paperwork, there are a few ways to file a dispute. You can go to the websites for each credit bureau to submit an online dispute form, write a dispute letter, or call. To find the contact information you need, visit the websites of each bureau:
- TransUnion: www.transunion.com
- Experian: www.experian.com
- Equifax: www.equifax.com/personal/
Find more resources below: