How to Remove Something From Your Credit Report
To remove something from your credit report, you must first find out which credit reporting bureau has the questionable item in their records. There are three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Equifax, and TransUnion. If you appeal the questionable item in the right way, it could be removed from your credit report.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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Get a free copy of all your credit reports. It is your legal right to obtain a copy of your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit reports at no expense once per year. Go to annualcreditreport.com. A link to their website is provided in the Resources section below.
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Examine your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion credit reports for errors. Do not assume that they are accurate. You might find several errors or mitakes on one but not the others. Be sure to check every claim of default, late payment, credit card, and loan. You might find things that do not even belong to you.
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Document everything that you are contesting. Gather all canceled checks, statements, and letters that prove you made timely payments. If an item does not belong to you at all, make note of discrepancies in their documents. For example, you could have items on your credit report that belong to someone with a similar name or social security number.
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Go directly to the website of the credit reporting bureau that has the error on your credit report to file a dispute. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion all have claim forms that allow you to do this online. Links are provided below in the References section. Enter your 10 digit report confirmation code from your credit report. Provide specific information about the claim along with your supporting documentation.
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Wait six weeks. A credit report dispute investigation from Equifax, Experian or TransUnion takes between 30 and 45 days to complete. It is up to them to prove that the information on their credit report is correct. If they can't, they will remove it from your record. You should receive a letter in the mail informing you of the outcome of the dispute investigation. If you do not get a letter, contact Equifax, Experian or TransUnion directly for an update.
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