How Long Does a Collection Agency Have to Remove Incorrect Information From a Credit Report?
Federal law gives you the right to an accurate credit report. This means a collection agency can't continue to include inaccurate information on your credit report, especially after you've disputed it.
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What You Can Dispute
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If you review your credit report and find a debt collection that shouldn't be there, you have the right to dispute the account. You may dispute a debt collection if: the account doesn't belong to you, it's already been paid, it's older than seven years, or the collection agency doesn't have the right to collect the debt from you.
How to Dispute Collections
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Send your dispute to any of the three credit bureaus who've listed the debt collection on your credit report. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the three major credit bureaus. Write a letter stating the account you're disputing and the reason for the dispute.
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When Will the Information Be Removed
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The credit bureau will investigate and must remove the inaccurate information from your credit report within 30 days. The credit bureau also has to notify the other bureaus that the information was inaccurate.
Warning
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The collection agency can reinsert the account on your credit report if it later finds proof that the account is accurate and can legally be placed on your credit report. Debt collection accounts are often sold and the account might reappear on your credit report by another collection agency .
Prevention
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Check your credit report periodically to make sure rogue collection accounts don't get updated on your report.
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