My credit score has dropped due to actions on my credit history that I didn’t do, such as loans that I never took out, debt that I already paid off, and late payments on bills that I’ve paid on time. What can I do to fix these errors on my credit report?

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Credit report blunders happen more often than consumers think, everything from small inaccuracies, erroneous late payments, and even misplaced data due to mistaken identities. If you notice an error on your credit report, it is definitely in your benefit to resolve and fix these issues as soon as possible.

Here's how to set the record straight:

Before you start, be in the mindset to record every step of the dispute with proper documentation, evidence, records of phone conversations, paper trails of all transactions, etc. This additional precaution will help to support your claim.
Get on the phone and talk with the company that has reported the erroneous data to the bureau. They have the best visibility into your account history and ultimately will have to be the company to acknowledge the error.
If talking with the company doesn’t help or you don’t get a response, request an investigation and file your dispute with credit bureaus that have the mistake on your credit file. Sometimes an error may only be within one or two of the bureaus’ data files. You can dispute an error online or by phone, but the best way is an old-fashioned, formal written letter of complaint detailing the company you have a dispute with, the account number of the disputed item, reason for dispute, and request for correction. A written letter will provide physical proof that the bureau received your claim. It also doesn’t hurt to inform the company you are disputing an item with that you are investigating your credit report via the bureaus.
From this point on, the credit bureau should be busy investigating your claim. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, bureaus have to investigate your claim within 30 days and correct any errors they find. If the investigation is resolved in your favor, the bureau will correct the error and notify other credit bureaus, update your credit history, and send you a free credit report with the correction.
If the company still does not acknowledge their error, you can ask the bureau to include your version of the dispute (restricted to a 100 word addition to your credit report) on your record so that creditors who pull your credit report know that there is another side to the story. From here, keep working towards a cleaner credit history by paying bills on time and managing your credit wisely.

Access your credit report for free once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion via AnnualCreditReport.com and review each and every line item for accuracy. One error can cause a credit score change of 5-50 points – the difference between being Approved or Not Approved. For more frequent tri-bureaus monitoring, you can use a service like TrueCredit.

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Comments

(3 Total Comments)

Here is my problem, my cs dropped with Credit Karma one reason stated recent late payment, I checked CR directly with EQ and TU and EX and nothing. My scores and report were the same."

chriscm at 12:17 pm Nov 20

Look for changes in your credit report card. That is more indicative of credit report changes.

CK Moderator

I have never been late in any payment yet my creditkarma report is showing that I was late in 1 payment...how to identify which one to whom to contact and how to correct it??"

Vikas7274 at 7:53 am Sep 17

You can view your detailed credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. That is the free government site. You can also view it at anytime at TrueCredit (charges may apply).

CK Moderator

I had many errors,another person / ss# linked to my account, as well as a bankrupcy that was not mine. I disputed and got the issues with my credit report fixed and received my new copy of my report by mail. I am wondering how long it takes for this to reflect on to my credit score. I am trying to take out more money on a lown interest rate loan i have though my credit union to pay off high interest bills that i have and they keep telling me taht my credit score is hasnt changed from when all this other stuff was on it. Is it just a matter of time its been over a month now...?"

Nova278527 at 9:25 am Sep 2