How to Remove False Entries From a Credit Report

Your credit report is your pathway to obtaining auto loans, mortgages and credit cards--even employment or rental housing. The integrity of your credit report is very important, so ensuring that the information contained in it is accurate is critical. If you find incorrect information on your credit report, getting it fixed is a relatively pain-free process that can be done through the mail or from the comfort of your own home on your computer.

Instructions

1

Take note of all credit report items that you feel are incorrect or are unfamiliar with.

Jot down all available information for these items: the creditor's name, account numbers, the balance that is reporting or other things that make the listing false. Take special care to notate accounts with which you are not familiar, such as credit card accounts that you do not recognize, if there are any.

2

Mail in a dispute letter and supporting documentation to the credit report bureau.

The dispute letter should include your full name, address and phone number. Let the bureau know that you are contacting them because you feel that there is false or incorrect information on your credit report. Include the names of creditors, account numbers, balances or other information that makes each item false. Tell the agency why you believe each item is false, as well as what the correct information is.

Include with your letter documents that support the validity of your point. Copies of credit card statements, cancelled checks, letters from the creditor, bank statements or other documentation can help the bureau to investigate your report and clear or correct the incorrect information. At the bottom of the dispute letter, include a list of documents that you've included with the letter.

Mail the envelope to the correct credit reporting agency:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
(800) 865-1111
www.equifax.com

TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Springfield, PA 19022
(800) 888-4213
www.transunion.com

Experian
P.O. Box 2014
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742
www.experian.com

3

File your credit report dispute online at the credit bureau's website.

From the bureau's home page, click on "disputes". Each credit reporting agency has an online dispute application that can be used to file disputes online.

Indicate the name of the creditor, balance and account numbers for accounts you are disputing. Enter text to explain why these items are incorrect and explain what would correct them, i.e. "Balance on Citi Mastercard from CitiBank, account number 4442123456780900, displays $1,212.32. The balance on the card should be $0.00, as I paid this card off six months ago."

After filing the online dispute, take note of the confirmation number so that you can periodically check the status of your dispute. The credit reporting agency will contact you via email to tell you when your investigation is complete, in most cases.

4

Await the amount of time allotted by the credit reporting agency to investigate your dispute(s). For online disputes, it can take up to 45 days to receive a response. Mailed-in disputes should be completed within 30 days of the bureau receiving your letter.