How to Change a Name With the Credit Bureaus

When it comes to your credit report, even the slightest error can greatly impact your credit score and whether you will be approved for credit. When you formally change your name (even if you just drop the middle initial or adopt a nickname), it's a good idea to update that information with your credit bureaus and creditors.

Instructions

1

Make copies of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, certificate of naturalization, court order or any other relevant document that shows that your name has been legally changed.

2

Send a letter to each of the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union) requesting that they change your name. Include documentation. Find a sample letter below.

3

Contact the Social Security Administration and inform them of your name change.

4

Contact each of your creditors, along with your bank, and inform them (in writing) of your name change. Be sure to include relevant documentation proving your name has been changed. Refer to the sample letter below.

5

In a month or two, pull your credit report to make sure that the changes have been made.