You have the legal right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, FCRA, to dispute incorrect information on any of your credit files. Late payments, bankruptcies, auto repossessions, collection accounts and home foreclosures all negatively affect your credit file. If these events really did happen, then you must allow time to take its course — usually seven years. However, if some part of the negative credit entry is wrong or the event simply did not happen, then you can dispute the report.
Contact Experian via telephone, mail or online. Be ready to provide personal information like your full name, current address, date of birth and Social Security number. You will also need to know the lender's name and briefly state why the account is incorrect.
2
Get your Social Security card and keep it handy, if you don't have the number memorized.
3
Visit the company's website to dispute your Experian credit report online (see Resources), if you prefer. Complete the investigation request form in its entirety. You should receive an email confirmation. Continue to Step 7.
4
Call 888-397-3742, whether you wish to dispute your credit report via telephone or mail. The credit bureau does not publish its investigations address online because there are different addresses, depending on the consumer's state of residence.
5
Explain to the operator briefly why you disagree with the negative credit entry. If you want a letter, politely make that request. If you requested an investigation over the telephone, move to Step 7.
6
Write a short letter about why you are disputing your Experian credit report. If you need an example, check out the Federal Trade Commission website (see Resources). Send the letter through a traceable delivery method and retain a copy for your records.
7
Wait about 45 days to learn if your investigation led to removal of a negative entry. You will receive a mailed letter and if applicable, an updated copy of your credit file. If the effort to dispute the report failed, you may want to send a letter requesting a new investigation. You also have the option to add a brief statement to your file explaining why you disagree with the negative entry in question.
Tips & Warnings
Remember you can get free credit file copies from annualcreditreport.com (see Resources).
Be careful not to make up reasons that a negative credit entry should be removed; this can cause you potential legal problems and rarely works.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) established in 1970, credit reporting agencies must follow specific regulations involving the data on your...
