What should I do if I find information that is inaccurate on my credit report?
Federal law gives you the right to you to dispute inaccurate information on your credit report. There is no fee for filing a dispute. You may submit your dispute to the business who provided the information to us and/or to us directly.
The Federal Trade Commission's website has information about how to dispute incorrect information on credit reports, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website provides additional guidance about disputing information on credit reports.
How does the dispute process work?
If you submit a dispute to a nationwide consumer credit reporting company, the company may make changes to your credit report based on the documents and information you provided. Otherwise, they will contact the business reporting the disputed information, supply them all relevant information and any documents you provide with your dispute, instruct them to investigate your dispute, and:
- Review all information you provided about your dispute
- Verify the accuracy of the information they are reporting to the credit reporting company
- Provide the credit reporting company with a response to your dispute, including any changes to the information reported
- Update their records and systems as necessary
- The credit reporting company will then notify you of the results of the investigation
If you submit a dispute with a business, they will conduct an investigation and will send you the results of the investigation directly. They will notify us of any changes that need to be made to the information as a result of the investigation.
How do I submit my dispute?
To submit a dispute, contact us by internet or by mail.
Online:
Experian - www.experian.com/dispute
Mail:
Experian
P.O. Box 9701
Allen, TX 75013
You may also submit documents in support of your dispute. Documents may be uploaded for online disputes at Experian.com/upload or submitted by mail. When submitting documents, please only submit copies of documents and not originals. Documents will not be returned to you following the investigation.
To submit a dispute with a business:
- Contact the business directly. The contact information for that business should be included on your credit report or monthly billing statement.
The Federal Trade Commission's website has more information on correcting your credit report, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website also provides additional information on disputing information on your credit report as well.
What information do I need to provide when submitting a dispute?
Types of information you should be prepared with:
- Your full name, including middle initial and suffix, such as Jr., Sr., II, III
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Current address
- Complete addresses for the past two years
Depending on how you submit your dispute (through the internet or by mail), you may also be asked to provide the following additional information:
- Email address
- A copy of a government issued identification card, such as a driver's license or state ID card
- A copy of a utility bill, bank or insurance statement
You should list each item on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, including the creditor name, the account number and the specific reason you feel the information is incorrect.
You may also submit documents to support your dispute. Depending on the type of information disputed, the following documents may be helpful in resolving your dispute:
- Police reports or an FTC Identity Theft Report, showing that an account was the result of identity theft
- Bankruptcy schedules showing that an account was included in or discharged in bankruptcy
- Letters from creditors showing how an account should be corrected
- Student loan disability letters showing that a student loan has been discharged due to disability
- Cancelled checks showing that a collection account has been paid
- Court documents regarding public records
What steps can I take if I have mistakenly been reported as deceased?
If you have been mistakenly reported as deceased, you should contact the credit reporting companies using the contact information provided below:
Mail:
Experian
P.O. Box 9701
Allen, TX 75013
How should I report that someone has died?
When someone dies, a family member or an appropriate person such as an executor should send a notice letter to Experian as well as the other credit reporting companies and request that we update the credit record to indicate that the person is deceased.
The letter should include the following information about the deceased:
- Legal Name
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Date of death
- A copy of the death certificate or letters testamentary
The letter should also include information about the spouse or executor, including:
- Their full name
- Address for sending final confirmation
Send the request and information to all three credit reporting companies.
How long will it take to complete the investigation?
You will need to allow up to 30 to 45 days for the investigation of your dispute to be completed by the credit reporting companies.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has additional information regarding the length of a dispute investigation.
What steps can I take if I do not agree with the dispute investigation results?
If you still believe that the information on your credit report is not accurate following your review of the investigation results, you have several options:
- You may contact the creditor that reported the information to us and dispute it directly with them. If you wish to obtain documentation or written verification concerning your accounts, please contact your creditors directly.
- You may provide additional information or documents to us relating to your dispute.
- You may request a brief statement be added to your report. Your statement should be specific to your dispute of credit information.
- You may file a complaint about the credit reporting company, or the business reporting the item, with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or your State's Attorney General's office.