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Fix an Error on Your Credit Report

Credit reports are full of mistakes. Mistakes on your credit report cost you money.

To clear up errors, you will need to dispute the information to the respective credit agencies. It appears that the quickest and most effective way of disputing information is to do it online. Below are instructions for disputing the claims with each of the 3 credit bureau agencies:

EXPERIAN

1. Have a copy of your current credit report from EXPERIAN handy. Click here to receive your free annual copy, as required by the law.

2a. Looking at the report online:

  • Access the dispute process while viewing your report. Look for a link to online disputes.
  • Go to the entries in question and then click on the blue "Dispute this item" button that appears next to it.

2b. Looking at the report on paper:

  • Go to the following web site www.experian.com/disputes/index.html and click on the "Request a dispute online" tab in the left-hand margin.
  • Complete the "Personal Credit Report" with the appropriate information and click the "Submit" button at the bottom.
  • Follow the instructions so that you can get to the entries in question and click on the blue "Dispute this item" button that appears next to them.

3. Select a specific reason why you feel the information is inaccurate, and enter any additional information that further explains your reason and click on "Submit." Be sure to read the "Tell me more about dispute reasons" for tips on how to dispute particular information (FYI - accurate information, or information verified as accurate, cannot be removed from your report).

4. A notice is immediately sent to the source of the information requesting that they verify your account information. Within 30 days, the source must respond and Experian will notify you that the results of your dispute investigation are ready to be viewed, and they will give you a link to your results. Make sure to give Experian your email address so they can notify you via email. It's the fastest way to get the results of your investigation.

EQUIFAX

1. Have a copy of your current credit report from EQUIFAX handy. Click here to receive your free annual copy, as required by the law.

2. Access the following web site www.equifax.com and click on the "Online Dispute" tab near the right hand corner, then scroll down to "Investigation Methods" and enter your zip code.

3a. If you do NOT have a confirmation number then click on the link at the top of the screen and complete the relevant info on the new screen.

3b. If you do have a confirmation number then click on 'Next' at the bottom of the screen. A screen titled "Start an Investigation Request" will appear. Complete the requested information (you will need to enter the a) Report Confirmation Number located on top of your credit report; b) your last name; c) your street number; d) last 4 digits in your SSN; and e) you must complete the "Confirm your Registration" box), then click the green "Start Dispute" button at the bottom. Follow the remainder of the instructions to report the issues with the entries in question.

4. Within a month of your inquiry, Equifax should notify you of the results of its investigation and provide you with a new credit report free of charge. Examine it carefully to ensure that the inaccuracies have been fixed or removed. If the error has been fixed, you can have Equifax send the correct report to anyone who received the inaccurate report in the past six months (two years in the case of employers).

TRANSUNION

1. Have a copy of your current credit report from TRANSUNION handy. Click here to receive your free annual copy, as required by the law.

Go to www.transunion.com and under the "More for Customers" column click on the "Dispute an item on your report". When the next screen appears, click on the blue "Online", then click on the orange "First Time Click Here" tab.

2. When you get to the screen "Disputing an Item on Your Personal Credit Report", complete the information. If you already have a TransUnion or TrueCredit account, click on the "click here to login now".

3. The next screens will be to "Confirm your identity" and "View your Report." Follow the remainder of the instructions to report the entries in question and request that they are removed/corrected.

4. When TransUnion receives your dispute request, they will contact the data provider or source that provided them with the information. That source might have up to 45 days to verify whether the information they reported is correct.

5. TransUnion documents the outcome of the investigation and makes any necessary changes to your credit report. They will notify you of the outcome of your dispute approximately 3-5 business days after the investigation is complete. If the dispute was initiated online, they will notify you via email and you can view the results of the investigation immediately.

 

Good luck,
Your Financial Ally

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