Disputing errors on your credit report is one of the easiest ways to begin repairing your credit. If someone else’s accounts are incorrectly associated with yours, or if incorrect or outdated information is hurting your credit, you can easily file a dispute with each of the credit bureaus online.

Resolving these types of issues will help focus your attention on what you can control, like your on-time payments and good credit habits. Be sure to look out for these errors:

Credit Dispute Checklist

  • Wrong addresses
  • Employers you never worked for
  • Incorrect balances or credit limits
  • Collections records that are inaccurate or older than seven years
  • Public records of foreclosures and bankruptcies that are inaccurate or older than seven years
  • Credit inquiries associated with accounts you didn’t apply for or open

You can dispute multiple items in a single claim to save time. When you do submit your dispute(s), be sure to note the date you submitted and keep copies of everything for your records.

Here’s how to access, review and dispute incorrect information on your credit report for the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax

  1. Log in or create an account to start a dispute. You can initiate a dispute online through Equifax’s dispute page.
  2. Verify your personal information. The first section you’ll review are your personal identification details. Dispute anything that is incorrect.
  3. Review each account on your credit report. Equifax allows you to filter your account by negative information, and that’s likely where you’ll want to focus your attention, since inaccuracies there can affect your credit score. However, it’s important to review your entire report.
  4. Review hard inquiries. Equifax is the only credit bureau that allows you to contest hard inquiries online. These are a record of when your credit report was provided in response to a credit application.  Dispute these if you didn’t apply for the credit indicated.  You can choose from three reasons for disputing an inquiry: “Not mine,” “I did not authorize this inquiry,” and “This is a fraudulent inquiry.”
  5. Look for updates on your dispute. Equifax will send you emails or update your online account as your dispute is moved through the resolution process.

TransUnion

  1. Initiate online dispute. Visit TransUnion’s dispute page and click “Start Dispute” to begin.
  2. Check your report section by section. Flag any inaccuracies as you see them. You’ll have a chance to add more disputes before submitting if you missed any on first glance.
  3. Submit your report. Be sure to include any items you want to dispute because you won’t be able to add or modify your claim until the current submission is resolved.
  4. Review hard inquiries. These are a record of when your credit report was provided in response to a credit application.  If any inquiries are not yours, you'll need to dispute them in writing.  You can find details provided by Transunion here.
  5. Look for updates in the coming weeks. TransUnion will send you updates through email or your online account.

Experian

  1. Create an account or log in and select “Start a new dispute online.” You can begin the process from the dispute page.
  2. Review all of the items on your report. Mark anything that is inaccurate.
  3. Submit your dispute claims. After you’ve reviewed your report, you can digitally submit your claims.
  4. Review hard inquiries. These are a record of when your credit report what provided in response to a credit application.  If any inquiries are not yours, you'll need to dispute them. Experian prefers to handle disputed inquires over the phone and you can find information about this in the dispute center above.  Experian has provided some information on their website as well.
  5. Check your email and online account for updates. Experian will send you emails and post updates to your account as they process your claim.

After Filing your Disputes

After you’ve filed your disputes, you may not hear back for a while — meanwhile, there are things you can do to help the process along:

  • Set reminders on your phone to check the status of your dispute once a week to make sure you haven’t missed key updates.
  • Keep your documents and notes handy in case you need to clarify any information during the dispute review process.

The content provided on Elevate.com is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Elevate is not acting as a credit counseling or repair service, debt consolidation service, or credit services organization in providing this content. Elevate makes no representations about the reliability or suitability of the information provided – any action you take based on this content is at your own risk.