How to Dispute Delinquencies With Credit Agencies & Creditors

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to challenge any information on your credit report, including delinquencies. Under the law, the credit bureaus have 30 days to investigate your claim and then must notify you of the findings. The information remains if the credit bureau was able to confirm its accuracy by contacting the creditor. However, the information must be removed -- even if accurate -- if the creditor fails to respond within the 30 days. The information will also be removed if the creditor informs the credit bureau that it is inaccurate.

Instructions

1

Obtain current copies of your credit reports from the three national credit reporting bureaus -- TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Federal law entitles you to one free copy of your reports, every 12 months, from each of the credit bureaus. Get your free reports at the website Annual Credit Report. Go to the homepage, click on "Request Report" and follow the prompts to see your reports. You will be required to enter identifying information such as your Social Security number and driver's license before viewing the reports. Print the reports or save them to your computer.

2

Find the delinquent accounts by reviewing your credit reports.

3

Write your dispute letters for the credit bureaus. The same wording can be included in each letter. Remember to include your name, address, telephone number and Social Security number. In the letter, state that you wish to dispute certain delinquencies on your report. List the creditor's name and the account number, along with a reason for your dispute. You can dispute delinquencies by stating that you never paid the bill late or that the account belongs to someone else and should not be listed on your credit report. Include any documentation that supports your case, such as recent billing statements showing your account as current. Mail the letter and documentation to the credit bureau's address on the credit report. Wait for a response.

4

Enter a dispute online. Use your Internet browser to navigate to the websites for TransUnion, Equifax or Experian. Find the customer service or personal services menu tab. Click on that to find a link for the disputes menu. Click on disputes and follow the prompts to log into the system. You will need the reference number from the credit reports your retrieved from Annual Credit Report, along with identifying information such as your Social Security number and driver's license. Once you are logged on you will see all of your accounts online with options to dispute each account and provide a reason. End the session by clicking on the exit or logout tabs. A response will be sent to you by email after about 30 days.

5

Call or write your creditors. You can also dispute a delinquency by working directly with the creditor. Send the same letter you drafted for the credit bureaus, or simply call the number on the back of your card. Contacting the creditor directly may lead to a faster answer.