How do I dispute inaccurate information on my credit report?
You must first order a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 bureaus. As of 12/01/04 you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year. You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to find out of your state is yet eligible for this. From there you can fill out the information requested to obtain a copy of your report. If your state is not yet eligible (all states will be by the end of 2005) you can order a copy of your report directly from each bureau. Once you have the information you can dispute items on line or through the mail.
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
PO Box 9556
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Equifax
PO Box 740241
800-685-1111
800-685-5000
www.equifax.com
Trans Union
Consumer Relations
760 Sproul Road
PO Box 403
Springfield, PA 19064
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
Sample Dispute Letter for use with Experian, Equifax & TransUnion
This is the formal for disputing error directly with the three credit bureaus, recommended by the FTC. For more information, visit the FTC’s website at www.ftc.gov.
Date
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Complaint Department
Name of Credit Reporting Agency
Address
City, State, Zip code
Dear Sire or Madam:
I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. The items I dispute also are encircled 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 deleted (or request another specific change) to correct the information.
Enclosed are copies (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records, court documents) supporing my position. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputes item(s) as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Your name
Enclosure: (List what you are enclosing)
