Consumer guide · CFPB & FICO
How to Dispute Credit Report Errors
A step-by-step guide to correcting inaccurate information on your credit report.
Step 1: Get Your Credit Reports
Request free copies of your credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Review each report carefully, as the bureaus may have different information.
Step 2: Identify Errors
Look for common types of errors:
- Accounts you did not open
- Incorrect payment statuses
- Wrong account balances or credit limits
- Outdated negative information
- Accounts listed as open that you closed
- Incorrect personal information
Step 3: File a Dispute with the Credit Bureau
You can file disputes online, by mail, or by phone:
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-dispute
- Experian: experian.com/disputes
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-disputes
When filing by mail, send your dispute via certified mail with return receipt requested. Include copies (not originals) of supporting documents.
Step 4: What Happens After You File
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the bureau must:
- Investigate your dispute within 30 days (45 days if you provide additional information)
- Forward your dispute to the company that provided the information (the "furnisher")
- Notify you of the results in writing
- Remove or correct inaccurate information if the furnisher cannot verify it
Step 5: If the Dispute Is Not Resolved
If the bureau does not correct the error, you have several options:
- File a complaint with the CFPB: Submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. The CFPB will forward it to the company and work to get a response.
- Add a statement to your report: You can add a 100-word personal statement explaining the dispute.
- Contact your state attorney general: Many states have additional consumer protection laws.
- Consult a consumer rights attorney: If the error has caused significant financial harm, you may have legal recourse under the FCRA.
Tips for Effective Disputes
- Be specific about each error and explain why it is incorrect
- Include supporting documentation
- Keep copies of everything you send
- Track your disputes and follow up
- Dispute with each bureau separately, they do not share information
- File directly with the company (furnisher) in addition to the bureau
Your Rights Under the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to:
- Know what is in your credit report
- Dispute inaccurate information
- Have inaccurate information corrected or deleted
- Consent before your report is given to employers
- Limit prescreened offers of credit
- Seek damages from violators
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.
Step-by-step: Filing a tradeline dispute
Begin with the consumer-reporting agency that lists the disputed account. Each of the three NCRAs offers an online dispute portal, an option to mail a paper dispute under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and (for verified-identity accounts) a phone option. Online disputes typically receive a written response within thirty days; certified-mail disputes generate a paper trail that can be useful if the dispute escalates.
What to include in the dispute packet
A complete dispute packet contains the consumer's full legal name, current and prior addresses for the past two years, date of birth, the last four digits of Social Security number, the disputed tradeline's account number, and a clear statement of the alleged inaccuracy. Attach supporting documentation such as canceled checks, billing statements, identity-theft affidavits, or court records when applicable.
Typical dispute outcomes by category
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's annual reports show that bureau dispute outcomes vary substantially by error category, with identity-theft disputes resolved in the consumer's favor far more often than payment-history disputes that depend on furnisher recordkeeping.
| Category | Typical Resolution Rate | Median Time |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft | ~85% in consumer favor | 15-30 days |
| Account ownership | ~70% | 20-35 days |
| Payment history | ~40% | 25-45 days |
| Account status (closed/open) | ~60% | 15-30 days |
Worked example: Disputing a misreported late payment
A consumer disputed a late-payment furnisher entry that lowered their score from $750 effective credit profile estimated at $50,000 in available credit limit to $680. After a successful dispute supported by a $2,500 payment history record, the score returned to $735. In dispute terms, this represents a roughly 65% recovery vs the original 25% drop the misreport had caused, illustrating why pursuing payment-history disputes with documentation tends to outperform aggregate base rates.