A Federal Trade Commission study found that about 20% of credit reports have an error. Some of those errors are trivial, a misspelled name or wrong address. Others are serious enough to lower your credit score by 50 points or more: accounts that aren’t yours, late payments you actually made on time, debts already paid showing as unpaid.
If your credit report has an error, you have the right to dispute it and the bureau has 30 days to investigate. The process is straightforward but has specific steps that make it more likely to succeed.
Step 1: get your reports
Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and pull reports from all three bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This is free and doesn’t affect your score.
You need reports from all three because the error might appear on one, two, or all three. Each bureau maintains its own file, and creditors don’t always report to every bureau.
Step 2: identify the errors
Go through each report line by line. Check every account listed. Check the balance, payment history, credit limit, and account status for each one. Common errors include accounts that don’t belong to you (identity mix-ups or identity theft), late payments that were actually on time, wrong balances or credit limits, closed accounts showing as open, paid collections showing as unpaid, and duplicate accounts.
Write down every error you find, which bureau reports it, and what the correct information should be.
Step 3: gather evidence
For each error, collect documentation that proves the correct information. Bank statements showing payments made on time. Letters from creditors confirming a balance was paid. Account statements showing the correct balance. An ID theft report if the accounts aren’t yours.
Having evidence isn’t strictly required for filing a dispute, but it significantly increases the chance of a successful resolution.
Step 4: file the dispute
You can dispute online through each bureau’s website (fastest), by mail (creates a paper trail), or by phone (least recommended because there’s no documentation).
Online is easiest. Each bureau’s website has a dispute section where you identify the account, describe the error, and upload supporting documents.
By mail, send a letter to the bureau identifying yourself (full name, address, Social Security number, date of birth), identifying each error (account name, account number, what’s wrong, and what the correct information is), and including copies (not originals) of your evidence. Send it certified mail with return receipt requested.
File a separate dispute with each bureau that shows the error.
Step 5: wait for the investigation
The bureau has 30 days to investigate after receiving your dispute. They contact the creditor that reported the information and ask them to verify it. If the creditor can’t verify, the bureau must remove or correct the item.
You’ll receive the results by mail or online. If the dispute is resolved in your favor, the bureau updates your report and sends you a free copy.
Step 6: if the first dispute fails
Sometimes the bureau sides with the creditor even when you’re right. If this happens, escalate to the creditor directly. Provide your evidence and ask them to correct what they’re reporting. If they update the information, the bureau has to update too.
File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB complaint process forces the company to respond, and many companies correct errors to resolve CFPB complaints.
Consult a consumer rights attorney if the error is costing you money. You may have a case under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Consumer rights attorneys typically work on contingency.
How long the process takes
Most disputes are resolved within 30 to 45 days. If the item is removed, your credit score should update within one to two statement cycles. Score improvements from removing errors vary, but removing a false late payment or a collections account that isn’t yours can boost your score by 20 to 100 points.
Check your reports at least once a year and dispute anything that’s wrong. Errors can appear at any time. Catching them early limits the damage to your score.