How to Dispute Something On Your Equifax Credit Report

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By maxmonkey
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Dispute Something On Your Equifax Credit Report

Equifax is one of the big three credit reporting companies. They keep track of everyone's credit ratings and history. It is very common for Equifax to have incorrect information on your credit report. Here is how to dispute something on your Equifax credit report so it does not harm your credit rating.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Get a copy of your Equifax credit report. Never pay for this. It is your legal right to obtain a copy of your Equifax credit report free of charge once per year. You can do this at annualcreditreport.com. A link to their website is provided in the Resources section below.
Step 2

Examine your Equifax credit report for errors. Do not assume that it is accurate. Most people will find several errors on their Equifax credit report over the course of their life. This is the result of millions of people with similar names and social security numbers conducting billions of transactions every year. 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.
Step 3

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 Equifax credit report that belong to someone with the same name but has a different social security number.
Step 4

Go directly to the Equifax website and file a dispute claim. A link is provided below in the References section. Enter your 10 digit report confirmation code from your Equifax credit report. Provide Equifax with specific information about the claim on your Equifax credit report that you are disputing along with your supporting documentation.
Step 5

Wait one month. An Equifax credit report dispute investigation 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 Equifax credit report dispute investigation status within one month. If you don't, contact Equifax directly and ask what's going on.

Comments

kip29 said

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on 7/19/2009 This is a very important topic, because a problem on your credit report can really hurt you down the road. I think step number 3, documenting everything, is very important and something everyone should get in the habit of when dealing with creditors!