Disputing Credit Information | Disputing Credit Reports

Information contained in your credit report is seen by companies you wish to borrow from, and will impact on their decision to lend to you. You are entitled to query any information contained in your credit report which is not accurate. This could mean that an entry was incorrect because it did not relate to you, or that the entry was inaccurate in stating that a payment was late.

You need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus and get copies of your credit reports together with your credit scores.  Read through the reports carefully, noting any errors, then contact the bureaus, in writing, to request that the errors be investigated and removed.

It is important that the tone of your letter is factual, and in no way abusive or argumentative, and that it clearly states the entries being challenged as inaccurate, or not relating to you,  

You should further mention that you are aware that the bureaus are required to investigate disputes within thirty days, and that you will be following up your letter. Make sure that you do follow up the matters mentioned in your letter.

Sometimes it is possible to correct errors contained in your credit report online, and information on the credit bureaus' web sites can advise you exactly how disputes should be processed, to be effectively removed.  It is imperative that you follow this information to the letter, in order that inaccuracies are removed, and that your credit score is modified, promptly.

More about disputing credit information

Correcting errors in your personal credit report