Credit Repair
After You Dispute Your Credit Report: What's Next?
Part of the series: The Credit Repair Process
Apr 5, 2021 5 min read
SUMMARY
- Set up weekly reminders to check-in on your dispute.
- Provide additional supporting documents if they are requested by the credit bureau.
- Take our Score 40 quiz to find other ways to improve your credit score.
So, you’ve filed a dispute about an error on your credit report and you want to keep making progress on your credit repair journey. While disputes are generally required to be resolved within 30 days, the majority are resolved much sooner, so you shouldn’t have to wait for long.
What Happens After You File?
After you file your initial dispute, the bureaus may update you via email and through your online account. It’s a good idea to log into your credit bureau accounts every few days to see if there are any new requests for information or status updates.
While you wait:
- File disputes with the other two bureaus. If an error appears across multiple credit reports, you should file individually.
- Add the credit bureaus’ email address to your contacts or mark emails as important so communications don’t inadvertently go to your spam box.
- Set a calendar reminder to regularly check-in on your disputes.
- Review the rest of your credit report to see where improvements could be made.
How Long Do You Have to Wait?
Upon completion of the investigation, they have five business days to notify you of the results under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). When you dispute online, the process goes a little faster since you’re cutting out time needed for the mail to reach the credit bureau — and it makes it easier for them to process it. Speaking to the experts at TransUnion, they told us that they resolve over 25% of disputes within one week of processing them and the majority within two weeks. When they can’t resolve the issue alone, they work with the provider of the disputed information to conclude the investigation within 30 days in most cases. Note, there are some instances where more than 30 days is needed and legally acceptable for credit report disputes to be resolved.
Here’s what’s happening during that time:
- Each bureau will review your dispute and contact you if it needs any additional information or documentation.
- If you disputed something related to a lender, such as an incorrect balance or payment history, the bureau will contact the lender. By law, the bureau has five days after a dispute is received to contact the lender.
- You’ll receive a notification from the bureau after the dispute is complete. If there is more than one item in the dispute you filed, all items will be addressed before the dispute is closed.
- If your credit report has been changed, you’ll receive a copy of the new report.
If your dispute involves a lender, the lender is legally required to send corrected information to all three bureaus so they can correct your file. However, you always want to verify that your report has been updated across the bureaus so any future creditor sees only accurate information.
It’s quicker and easier to use the bureaus’ online dispute processes because you can log in and check the status of your claim. You’ll also get faster updates than you would via the mail-in and phone options.
What Should You Do in the Meantime?
There are some instances where you may have to wait 30 days to find out how your dispute will be resolved, but there are other ways to work on your credit in the meantime:
- Set up auto-pay where possible. Establishing a history of on-time payments is one of the best ways to repair your credit. If your lender or creditor offers an auto-pay option, enroll in it ASAP. This way you can set it and forget it.
- Review your budget. Look over your monthly expenses to see if there’s any extra money to put into savings or to make bigger payments on your bills. The more money you have in your savings account, the better insulated you are from being late on payments or accruing high balances, both of which affect your credit score.
- Check out our Score 40 program to see what actions you could take to build your credit even more!
What Happens After the Bureau Makes Its Decision?
The bureau will approve or deny your dispute within 30 days. If your claim is accepted, the updated information will appear in your report. If the bureau does not make the requested changes, you can ask that it keep the claim on file so there is a record of you having filed a dispute.
When Will Your Credit Score Change?
If a bureau verifies your dispute and approves your claim, it will update the information in your credit report right away. Most disputes don’t significantly impact your credit score, but some — like removing a late payment or collection account— can have a big impact. Once your credit report has been updated, any new credit score will reflect the changes made.
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.
About the author
Nathan Foley questions everything — and thinks you should too. As Elevate’s resident mathematician, he pores over datasets to find the truth amid the fluff and translates insights into ideas for improving personal financial resilience.
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The Credit Repair Process