How to Dispute Items on Your Credit Report: A Step-by-Step Guide

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable — directly with the credit bureau, at no cost. Here’s how to do it well.

1. Pull all three reports

Equifax, TransUnion and Experian each keep their own file. An error on one is often missing from the others. Get all three free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

2. Mark every item you believe is wrong

• Accounts you don’t recognize

• Wrong balances, limits or dates

• Late payments you made on time

• Negative items older than the reporting period (generally 7 years; 10 for some bankruptcies)

• Duplicate collections for the same debt

3. Gather documentation

Statements, payment confirmations, letters from the creditor — anything that shows what’s actually true. Disputes with evidence are stronger than disputes without it.

4. File with the bureau that reports the error

Be specific: identify the account, explain what’s wrong, and say what correction you want. Keep copies and send by certified mail if you mail it.

5. Watch the 30-day clock

Bureaus generally must investigate within 30 days. They’ll contact the furnisher to verify the item. If it can’t be verified, it must be corrected or deleted. You’ll get the results in writing, plus an updated report if anything changed.

What a dispute can’t do

Accurate, timely information generally can’t be removed — by you or by any company. Anyone promising to erase everything is telling you something the law doesn’t allow. That’s why Phase 1 of the $1M Playbook pairs disputes with a strategy for accurate items.