How to File a Bad Credit Report

Having a good credit report is very important. Your credit can make the difference in qualifying for a loan. Even with carefully management of your credit, there are times when mistakes can show up in your credit report. However, credit bureaus have effective ways for you to file a dispute. There are also laws that help you if the dispute is not resolved in a timely fashion.

Instructions

1

Purchase a credit report through one of the credit report agencies: Experian, Equifax or TransUnion. You are allowed one free report each year and whenever you are denied credit.

2

Examine your credit report and take note of any errors you see. Common errors can include incorrect name, Social Security number, address, incorrect amounts on open account, or accounts that you never opened. Accounts that are in your name but that you did not open could signal fraud, so you want to act fast.

3

Fill out a dispute form with the agency you found the error with. This can be done online for the quickest results. Make sure you have as much information about the item as possible to ensure timely processing. Refer back to your credit report if you need to. Once the dispute is place, the company in question has 30 days by law to respond. The item will be corrected, removed, or left as is.