1 in 5 credit reports contains errors. Disputing them is free and legally guaranteed — bureaus must investigate within 30 days. Here's exactly how.
Before you file a dispute, you need to know what you're looking for. Pull your reports and check for these four categories of errors:
| Error Type | What It Looks Like | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong account information | Incorrect balance, wrong credit limit, wrong account opening date, wrong account status | Inflated debt-to-income, lower score |
| Accounts that aren't yours | Accounts you never opened (identity theft or mixed file with another person) | Major score damage; possible fraud flag |
| Wrong payment status | Account shows "late" or "delinquent" when you paid on time; wrong delinquency date | Severe score drop; rejection by lenders |
| Duplicate accounts | Same debt listed twice — once from original creditor, once from collector, but counting against you as two separate debts | Double the negative impact |
Other errors include: outdated personal information (old addresses, wrong name spellings), accounts that should have been removed after 7 years, and debts discharged in bankruptcy still showing balances owed.
Go to AnnualCreditReport.com — the only federally authorized free report site. You can pull your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports once per week for free (this was made permanent after a pandemic-era rule change).
Important: Pull all three reports at the same time. Errors often appear on one or two bureaus, not all three — you need the full picture before filing disputes.
For each error you find, gather supporting documents before you file. The strength of your dispute depends on the evidence you can provide. Common supporting documents include:
Create a simple spreadsheet listing each error, which bureau(s) it appears on, and what documentation supports your dispute. This keeps your process organized when managing disputes across multiple bureaus simultaneously.
Both online and mail disputes are legally equivalent under the FCRA. Here's how to decide:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Online Portal | Fast (processed in days), status tracking, instant confirmation | Less paper trail, harder to document if escalation needed |
| Certified Mail | Full paper trail, timestamped proof of delivery, stronger if you escalate to CFPB or court | Slower (1-2 weeks to process), no real-time tracking |
Create a myEquifax account to file and track disputes online. Can upload supporting documents.
File Equifax Dispute →Dispute online through Experian's dispute center. Results typically arrive in 10-14 days.
File Experian Dispute →TransUnion's dispute portal allows online filing and document uploads with account tracking.
File TransUnion Dispute →If you're disputing by mail, use this template. Send via USPS certified mail with return receipt requested. Keep a copy of everything you send.
Once your dispute is received, the clock starts. Here's the required timeline under the FCRA:
The bureau logs your dispute and is required to forward the relevant information to the furnisher (the creditor or lender that reported the data) within 5 business days.
The furnisher investigates and reports back to the bureau. The bureau must complete its investigation within 30 days (45 days if you submit additional information during this window).
The bureau must notify you of the results in writing within 5 days of completing the investigation. If the item was inaccurate, it must be corrected or deleted. If deleted, you can request that the bureau notify anyone who received your report in the past 2 years.
The disputed item must be deleted. This is an automatic FCRA requirement — the bureau cannot keep information it failed to investigate in time.
If the bureau completes its investigation and concludes the information is accurate (even when you know it isn't), you are not out of options. Here are your escalation paths, in order:
The furnisher (the creditor or lender that originally reported the data) is separately required under FCRA Section 1681s-2(b) to investigate disputes. Write directly to the creditor's credit reporting or compliance department — not customer service — with your evidence. If they agree the information is wrong, they must notify all three bureaus to correct it.
You have the right to ask the bureau how they verified the information. Request this in writing. Bureaus often simply check that the furnisher confirms the data matches — they don't conduct a genuine investigation. If the method used was inadequate, that strengthens a future CFPB complaint or legal claim.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) accepts complaints against credit bureaus and furnishers. Filing a CFPB complaint often triggers a more thorough re-investigation because bureaus must respond to CFPB within 15 days.
File at: consumerfinance.gov/complaint
If the bureau maintains the information is accurate, you can add a 100-word consumer statement to your credit file explaining your dispute. This doesn't change your score, but it appears when lenders pull your full report and can help explain derogatory items during manual reviews.
If a bureau or furnisher violated the FCRA — for example, by failing to investigate within 30 days, failing to correct information they knew was wrong, or ignoring your dispute entirely — you may have grounds for a lawsuit. The FCRA allows consumers to recover actual damages, statutory damages ($100–$1,000 per violation), and attorney's fees. Many consumer law attorneys take these cases on contingency.
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When a bureau investigates, it primarily asks the furnisher — the bank, lender, or collection agency that reported the data — whether the information is accurate. If the furnisher says yes, the bureau typically sides with the furnisher. This creates a frustrating loop.
Here's how to break it:
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains a public complaint database. When you file a complaint:
File online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Choose "Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports" as the product category, then select the specific issue.
You can also contact the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov for identity theft-related errors, and your state attorney general for state-level enforcement.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), credit bureaus must complete their investigation within 30 days of receiving your dispute — or 45 days if you submit additional information during the investigation window. If they fail to respond in time, the disputed item must be deleted from your report.
Yes, completely free. The FCRA gives every consumer the right to dispute inaccurate information at no charge. You can file online, by mail, or by phone. Beware of companies charging fees to dispute on your behalf — you have the exact same legal rights they do, and the process costs nothing.
You have several options: (1) Request the method of verification in writing. (2) Dispute directly with the furnisher (the creditor who reported it). (3) File a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. (4) Add a 100-word consumer statement to your file. (5) Consult a consumer law attorney — FCRA violations can entitle you to statutory damages up to $1,000 per violation plus attorney's fees.
Both are legally valid. Online is faster (results in days vs. weeks), while certified mail creates a documented paper trail that's valuable if you need to escalate to the CFPB or file a lawsuit. For complex disputes involving identity theft or accounts that aren't yours, certified mail is the safer choice.
No. Filing a dispute does not affect your credit score in any way. The dispute process is a separate administrative procedure from scoring. If the dispute results in removal or correction of a negative item, your score will likely improve once the bureaus update their records.