If you have found something wrong on your credit report, you have a legal right to dispute it, the process is free, and you do not need anyone's help to file.
Here is how it works.
Dispute in both directions
Two parties are involved in every item on your report, and you can dispute with either. Doing both is usually stronger.
The credit bureau — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion — is the company that compiled the report. Dispute with each bureau that shows the error, since the same mistake is not always on all three.
The furnisher is the business that supplied the information: the lender, card issuer, collection agency, or utility. Disputing directly with them creates an obligation on their end as well.
What to include
Keep it factual and specific. A dispute is not a place to explain hardship — it is a claim that a particular piece of information is inaccurate.
- Your full name, current address, and date of birth
- The specific account or item, with the account number as it appears on the report
- What exactly is wrong: "This account is not mine," "This was paid in full on [date]," "This payment was made on time," "This debt is listed twice"
- What you want corrected — removal, or correction to accurate information
- Copies of any supporting documents
Send copies, never originals. If you mail it, consider certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of the date.
Supporting documents that help
- Payment confirmations or bank statements showing a payment was made
- A letter from the creditor confirming an account was paid or closed
- A police report or FTC identity theft report if the account is fraudulent
- Military orders, which can help explain address discrepancies or a mixed file
- Anything showing the correct spelling of your name or your correct Social Security number, for mixed-file cases
What happens next
The bureau generally has 30 days to investigate, extended in some circumstances. They contact the furnisher, who reviews and reports back.
Then one of three things happens:
The item is corrected or removed. You get written notice, and the bureau must send you a free copy of your updated report.
The furnisher verifies it as accurate. The item stays. This is not the end of the road — see below.
The furnisher does not respond in time. The item generally must be removed.
If your dispute is rejected
This happens, and it does not mean you were wrong.
Ask for the investigation method. You can request a description of how the investigation was conducted, including who was contacted.
Dispute again with better documentation. A dispute that failed with no supporting paperwork can succeed with a payment record attached.
Add a statement to your file. You can include a brief statement giving your version, which appears on the report.
File a complaint. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints about credit bureaus and furnishers, and companies generally respond.
A few practical notes
Dispute one item at a time, with real grounds. Blanket disputes of everything on a report can be dismissed as frivolous, and it is a tactic disreputable credit repair companies use. Precision works better.
Keep records of everything. Dates, copies, and confirmation numbers. If an item reappears later — which does happen — your file is what resolves it quickly.
Check all three bureaus afterward. Correcting an error at one does not automatically correct it at the others.
Expect it to take some time. Thirty days is the investigation window, and a case that requires a second round takes longer. That is normal.
Where we can help
The most common thing veterans tell us is not that the process is hard, but that they are not sure whether a given item is genuinely disputable or simply unwelcome. That is a real distinction and it decides whether a dispute goes anywhere.
If you have your reports and a list of things that look wrong, bring them to us. We will go through them with you at no cost and help you figure out which ones are worth filing on.
Sources: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — how to dispute credit report errors