You have the right to have your credit report completely and accurately reflect your credit history.  Negative information on your credit report can severely damage your credit score and your ability to obtain credit to buy things like a home or car, or be approved for a loan – it’s vitally important that your credit report be accurate.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA") provides a civil remedy for consumers who have been harmed by the failure to remove reported incorrect information placed on their credit reports by the credit bureaus or those who report credit information to the credit bureaus, called "furnishers."

The FCRA may provide a remedy for you if you notice: 

• someone viewed your credit report without your permission
• inaccurate information on your credit report 
• unfamiliar accounts
• other indicators of identity theft
• someone else’s credit data on your report
• inaccurate or obsolete criminal history in employment reports
• incorrect entries by creditors / credit furnishers
• obsolete information, old addresses, etc.
• inaccurate/ incorrect entries on your credit file

STEPS TO TAKE

1. Request a Current Copy of Your Credit Report

To request a copy of your credit report, you will need to provide a letter with your personal information, such as your Social Security Number, date of birth, your full name, current and former addresses, a current phone number and current and former employers.  To confirm your identity, it is helpful to include a copy of your driver’s license, a recent utility bill or a current paystub, with your request.  You can submit requests for your credit report online or you may write for your report.

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-685-1111
http://www.equifax.com

Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 949
Allen, TX 75013-0949
1-800-682-7654
http://www.experian.com

TransUnion
Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 390
Chester, PA 19064-0390
1-800-888-4213
http://www.transunion.com

2. Get a FREE Credit Report

Under the FCRA you have the right to receive one free credit report a year, every 12 months, from each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. The official website for requesting a credit report is: www.AnnualCreditReport.com.  Reports may be requested online, or by phone: 1-877-322-8228.  If you call, you will need to go through a verification process.  Your reports will be mailed to you within 10 – 15 days (allow 2 – 3 weeks for delivery).  Frequently a credit reporting agency may contact a consumer requesting proof of identity, such as a driver’s license, recent utility bill or a current pay stub, for security purposes.

If you have been denied credit within the past 60 days, or you are a victim of identity theft, you may receive a FREE copy of your credit report from the credit reporting agencies.  When you request your report, you will need to supply a copy of the credit denial letter, or in the case of identity theft, a copy of the police report.  We recommend that you do not request or dispute a credit report online.  The credit bureaus sometime bury a legal waiver in the "click" agreement!  Send a written request for credit reports, or disputes, via US mail.  Keep a copy of your correspondence for your files!

3. DISPUTE:  Send a Request to Reinvestigate Letter

• You have the right to dispute inaccurate or erroneous information with the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.  Be sure to send your disputes in writing and send by Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. 
  • Write dispute letters, referred to as a "Request to Reinvestigate" letter, to all three credit bureaus and the credit furnisher (the company whose entry you’re disputing). Provide a concise explanation why the information is inaccurate and needs to be corrected.  Also, supply supporting documentation illustrating the error.
  • Send your dispute letters via Certified Mail, return receipt requested.  Mark your calendar 30 days from the date your request was received by the credit bureau.  The credit bureaus must respond to your request within 30 days of that date.
  • Keep copies of all letters you send and receive.
    If the negative entry is not removed, repeat the dispute process.  Note in your dispute that this is your second, or perhaps third, request to have information corrected.  If your dispute letters do not correct the error, contact us – you may have a lawsuit. 
  • Again, dispute by mail, not online!  You can fully explain while preserving your rights.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS