Your credit report contains key information that identifies you and how you’ve paid your bills. Whenever you make a credit-based application, your credit report is reviewed to help make a decision. If, for some reason, your information is reported incorrectly, it could cause you to be denied for services for which you would otherwise have been approved. That’s why it’s so important to check your credit report periodically for errors.

If you find mistakes on your credit report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, FCRA, gives you the right to submit a credit report dispute to remove inaccurate information.

When you find something incorrect in your credit report, you should alert, in writing, both the credit bureau who provided the report and the information provider. This is the process to dispute credit report information.

If you have statements or cancelled checks that support your claim, include copies of them with your statement (keep the originals for records). In your statement, include your name, complete address, the information you are disputing, and the reason the information is not accurate. It will be helpful to include a copy of your credit report with the disputed information highlighted.

Send your credit report dispute via certified mail with return receipt requested. This way you not only have proof that you sent the dispute, but also that the credit bureau received your dispute. Keep a copy of the letter along with any enclosures you sent.

The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate your dispute and respond to you, in writing, with the results of the investigation. Any data you provided about the inaccuracy of the information will be forwarded to the original information provider. The information provider is then required to investigate and respond back to the credit bureau. Best of luck to you!