Fixing Credit Errors

You have the right, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to dispute the completeness and accuracy of information in your credit file. When a credit reporting agency receives a dispute, it must reinvestigate and record the current status of the disputed items within a "reasonable period of time," unless it believes the dispute is "frivolous or irrelevant." If the reporting agency cannot verify a disputed item, it must delete it. If your report contains erroneous information, the reporting agency must correct it. If an item is incomplete, the reporting agency must complete it.

For example, if your file shows that you were late in making payments on accounts, but fails to show that you are no longer delinquent, the reporting agency must show that your payments are now current. If your file shows an account that belongs to another person, the reporting agency would have to delete it. Also, at your request, the reporting agency must send a notice of correction to any report recipient who has checked your file in the past six months.

For items in your credit profile that you feel deserve further explanation (such as an account that was paid late due to the loss of job, military call-up, or unexpected medical bills), you can send a brief statement to the appropriate reporting agency. The information will be placed in your credit profile and will be disclosed each time it is accessed.