How to Dispute Things on Your Credit

Equifax, one of the United States' largest credit reporting agencies, documents the credit histories of over 200 million consumers, making over 2 billion updates monthly. Inevitably, errors happen. If you discover erroneous records or data on your credit report, take steps to initiate the removal of such data from your credit history. Contact all three credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian) with the dispute to clear all incorrect histories.

Instructions

1

Send a dispute letter via certified mail with return receipt to each credit bureau listing the error. Be very specific as to what you are disputing, include copies of proof you have to support your case. Ask the bureaus to initiate an immediate investigation. The credit bureaus generally have 30 days to investigate and respond.

2

Wait 30 days, then send a demand letter ordering the bureaus to remove the information from your credit report since it has exceeded the 30-day limit. Include a copy of the original dispute letter and a copy of the return receipt you will have received via mail. Repeat in 15 days if you do not receive a reply.

3

Contact the creditor directly with a new dispute letter, asking for verification of the negative information and proof that it is correct. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the original creditor must verify the information or have the bureau remove the information from your report. Repeat with a demand letter in 30 days.

4

Check your credit report weekly to monitor status of the disputed item.

5

Wait for the credit bureau to contact you with the results of the investigation. If information is corrected, a new copy of your credit report will be included. If not, you have the right to include a 100-word explanation describing the dispute on your credit report.