Reading and Disputing Items on Your Credit Report

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com — the only site authorized by federal law to provide free reports — and request your report from all three major bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each bureau maintains a separate file and may contain different information, so reviewing all three matters. Download or print each report and keep them organized separately.

The first section lists your name, current and previous addresses, date of birth, Social Security number, and employer history. Verify that each detail is accurate. Unfamiliar addresses or name variations you don't recognize can occasionally signal mixed files or, in rare cases, identity theft. Minor formatting differences — such as an abbreviated middle name — are usually harmless but worth noting.

This is the largest section, listing open and closed credit accounts: credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, and installment loans. For each account, verify the creditor name, account number (often partially masked), open date, credit limit or original loan amount, current balance, and payment history. Look specifically for: accounts you don't recognize, payments marked late that you paid on time, incorrect balances or credit limits, and duplicate accounts listed more than once. For unfamiliar terminology, see our plain-language credit terminology reference.

This section may include bankruptcies and accounts sent to collections. Confirm that any listed bankruptcy matches your actual filing date and chapter type. For collection accounts, verify the original creditor, the amount, and the date of first delinquency — this date determines when the item must age off your report (typically seven years for most negative items under the FCRA). An incorrectly reported delinquency date can extend the time damaging information stays visible.

Hard inquiries — recorded when a lender pulls your credit after a formal application — remain on your report for up to two years and can modestly affect your score. Soft inquiries (such as pre-approval checks or your own report pulls) do not affect your score and are visible only to you. If you see a hard inquiry from a lender you never applied to, this could indicate an unauthorized credit application and warrants a dispute. Our article on common credit score myths clarifies what inquiries actually cost you.

Before filing a dispute, compile a written list of every item you believe is inaccurate. For each item, note: the bureau reporting it, the account or item name, the specific error, and what the correct information should be. Gather supporting documentation — bank statements, payment confirmations, or court records — that substantiates your claim. Solid documentation significantly strengthens a dispute.

Each bureau accepts disputes online, by phone, and by mail. Written disputes sent via certified mail provide the strongest paper trail. Your letter should identify: your full name and contact information, the specific item in dispute, a clear explanation of why the information is inaccurate, and a list of enclosed supporting documents (send copies, never originals). Address your letter to the bureau that reported the error; if all three report the same error, send separate letters to each.

Under the FCRA, you should also dispute the error directly with the company that originally provided the information to the bureau — known as the data furnisher (e.g., your bank or lender). Send a similar dispute letter with the same supporting documents to the furnisher's address for billing inquiries or disputes, which is typically found on your account statement. This parallel step puts the furnisher on notice and can strengthen your case.

Bureaus are generally required by federal law to complete their investigation within 30 days of receiving your dispute (45 days in some circumstances involving additional information). They must notify you of the results in writing. If the error is confirmed, the bureau must correct or delete the item and notify the other bureaus of the change. If your dispute is rejected, the bureau's response will explain why. You may then add a brief consumer statement to your file or escalate your complaint to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov.