October 2011

How to Dispute Credit Report Errors

our credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether youve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nations credit reporting companies. Some financial advisors and consumer advocates suggest that you review your credit report periodically. Why?
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To help guard against identity theft. Thats when someone uses your personal information like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they dont pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.

How to Order Your Free Report

The FCRA requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. For details, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit.

Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan and how much you will have to pay to borrow money.

To make sure the information is accurate, complete, and uptodate before you apply for a The three nationwide credit reporting companies loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy have set up one website, tollfree telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order insurance, or apply for a job.

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your free annual report. To order, visit your application for credit, insurance, or annualcreditreport.com, call 18773228228, employment, based on information in your report. or complete the Annual Credit Report Request You must ask for your report within 60 days of Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request receiving notice of the action. The notice will give Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 303485281. you the name, address, and phone number of the You can use the form in this brochure, or you can credit reporting company. print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the Youre also entitled to one three nationwide credit reporting free report a year if youre companies individually. They The law allows you to unemployed and plan to look are providing free annual credit reports only through order one free copy of your for a job within 60 days; if youre on welfare; or if your annualcreditreport.com, credit report from report is inaccurate because of 18773228228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, each of the nationwide fraud, including identity theft. P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA credit reporting companies Otherwise, a credit reporting 303485281. company may charge you every 12 months. up to $11.00 for another You may get your free reports copy of your report within a from each of the three nationwide 12month period. To buy a credit reporting companies at the same time, or copy of your report, contact: from only one or two. The FCRA allows you to get one free report from each of the nationwide credit Experian 18883973742; experian.com reporting companies every 12 months. TransUnion 18009168800; transunion.com You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide credit reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources. Equifax 18006851111; equifax.com For details, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit.

Correcting Errors
Under the FCRA, both the credit reporting company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a credit reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage of all your rights under this law, contact the credit reporting company and the information provider.

Other situations where you might be eligible for a free report

Youre also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying

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Step One

Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your report with If you ask, the credit reporting company must send the items in question circled. Your letter may look notices of any corrections to anyone who received something like the one on page 4. Send your letter your report in the past six months. by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you You can have a corrected can document what the credit copy of your report sent reporting company received. to anyone who received When the investigation is Keep copies of your dispute a copy during the past letter and enclosures. complete, the consumer two years for employment reporting company must give purposes. Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in you the results in writing and If an investigation doesnt question usually within 30 a free copy of your report if the resolve your dispute days unless they consider with the credit reporting your dispute frivolous. They dispute results in a change. company, you can ask also must forward all the that a statement of the relevant data you provide about dispute be included in the inaccuracy to the organization that provided your file and in future reports. You also can ask the the information. After the information provider credit reporting company to provide your statement receives notice of a dispute from the credit reporting to anyone who received a copy of your report in company, it must investigate, review the relevant the recent past. You can expect to pay a fee for this information, and report the results back to the credit service. reporting company. If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify Step Two Tell the creditor or other information provider, in all three nationwide credit reporting companies so writing, that you dispute an item. Be sure to include they can correct the information in your file. copies (NOT originals) of documents that support When the investigation is complete, the credit your position. Many providers specify an address for reporting company must give you the results in disputes. If the provider reports the item to a credit writing and a free copy of your report if the dispute reporting company, it must include a notice of your

results in a change. This free report does not count as your annual free report. If an item is changed or deleted, the credit reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. The credit reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider.

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dispute. And if you are correct that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate the information provider may not report it again.

Sample Dispute Letter

Date Your Name Your Address, City, State, Zip Code Complaint Department Name of Company Address City, State, Zip Code Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. I have circled the items I dispute on the attached copy of the report I received. This item (identify item(s) disputed by name of source, such as creditors or tax court, and identify type of item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.) is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be removed (or request another specific change) to correct the information. Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records and court documents) supporting my position. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon as possible.

About Your File

Your credit file may not reflect all your credit accounts. Although most national department store and allpurpose bank credit card accounts will be included in your file, not all creditors supply information to credit reporting companies: some local retailers, credit unions, and travel, entertainment, and gasoline card companies are among the creditors that dont.

When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. A credit reporting company can report most accurate Sincerely, negative information for seven Your name years and bankruptcy information Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.) for 10 years. Information about an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. There is no time limit on insurance. There is a standard method for calculating reporting: information about criminal convictions; the sevenyear reporting period. Generally, the information reported in response to your application period runs from the date that the event took place. for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year; For more information, see Building a Better Credit and information reported because youve applied Report at ftc.gov/credit. for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life

You have the right to get a free copy of your credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months, from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. For more information on obtaining your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Use this form if you prefer to write to request your credit report from any, or all, of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. The following information is required to process your request. Omission of any information may delay your request. Once complete, fold (do not staple or tape), place into a #10 envelope, affix required postage and mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281 Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Please use a Black or Blue Pen and write your responses in PRINTED CAPITAL LETTERS without touching the sides of the boxes like the examples listed below:

Annual Credit Report Request Form

For instant access to your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Social Security Number:

Date of Birth:

Month Fold Here

/
Day

/
Year Fold Here

First Name

M.I.

Last Name

JR, SR, III, etc.

Current Mailing Address:

House Number Street Name

Apartment Number / Private Mailbox

For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name

City

State

ZipCode

Previous Mailing Address (complete only if at current mailing address for less than two years):
House Number Street Name Fold Here Fold Here

Apartment Number / Private Mailbox

For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name

City

State I want a credit report from (shade each that you would like to receive): Equifax Experian TransUnion

ZipCode

Shade Circle Like This > Not Like This >

Shade here if, for security reasons, you want your credit report to include no more than the last four digits of your Social Security Number.

If additional information is needed to process your request, the consumer credit reporting company will contact you by mail. Your request will be processed within 15 days of receipt and then mailed to you.
Copyright 2004, Central Source LLC

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The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc. gov or call tollfree, 1877FTCHELP (1877 3824357); TTY: 18666534261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Division of Consumer and Business Education For The Consumer ftc.gov Federal Trade Commission 1-877-ftc-help