How to Request Companies to Change a Credit Report

A good credit score can give you a large amount of credibility with lenders, retailers and employers. Your credit score is determined by the information submitted by your creditors each month to your credit report. However, this information is sometimes incorrect and must be disputed to help keep your credit score high. You can begin a dispute over an item on your credit report to get the company to change its reporting information. The company has 30 days to prove the information it reported or remove the derogatory notes from your credit report.

Instructions

1

Request a copy of your credit report from the top three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Visit the website of each credit bureau and navigate to the "Contact Us" page to find a toll-free number so you can call to request your credit report. All three credit bureaus offer one free credit report per year.

2

Review your credit report information thoroughly. Locate the company with whom you want to register a dispute. Write down the errors in the report you want corrected. You need this information to register a dispute with the credit bureaus.

3

Contact each credit bureau online or by phone to submit your dispute. Enter the reason for the dispute using the notes from your credit report. Alternatively, you can send a certified letter, including a copy of your credit report and a list of items that need correction, to the reporting company to give it an opportunity to resolve the matter directly. Filing your dispute with the credit bureau, however, allows you to have an official record of the dispute. If the company doesn't respond to the credit bureau within 30 days with documentation proving the information in dispute, the items must be dropped from your credit report.