How to dispute credit report errors (step by step)
Step-by-step guide to disputing errors with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for free, with deadlines and what to send.
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Credit report guides
Plain-language steps for fixing credit report errors yourself. No sign-up.
A collection account on my credit report isn't mine
What to do when a collection account you don't recognize shows up on your credit report: check for identity theft, dispute it, and ask the collector for proof.
Read the guideDebt validation letter: make a collector prove the debt
How to ask a debt collector to verify a debt in writing, when to send it, and what the collector must do.
Read the guideLate payment on your credit report: dispute or goodwill letter?
How to handle a late payment on your credit report: dispute it if it's wrong, or send a goodwill letter if it's accurate.
Read the guideIdentity theft on your credit report: what to do first
First steps after identity theft: IdentityTheft.gov report, fraud alert, credit freeze, and blocking fraudulent accounts from your credit report.
Read the guideCredit repair scams: red flags (and why CPNs are illegal)
How to spot a credit repair scam: upfront fees, guaranteed results, CPNs and new credit identities.
Read the guideHow long things stay on your credit report
How long late payments, collections, charge-offs, bankruptcies and hard inquiries stay on your credit report, and what does not restart the clock.
Read the guideHard inquiries: what they are and when to dispute them
What hard and soft credit inquiries are, how long they stay, how rate shopping works, and how to dispute an inquiry you didn't authorize.
Read the guideHow to freeze your credit for free, step by step
How to place and lift a free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and how a freeze differs from a fraud alert.
Read the guideHow to read your credit report, section by section
A plain-language walkthrough of your credit report: personal information, accounts, payment history codes, collections, public records and inquiries.
Read the guideMedical debt on your credit report: California rules
California bans medical debt on credit reports since 2025. What the law says, what the three credit bureaus no longer report, and how to dispute medical debt that still shows.
Read the guideWhat a charge-off means and when to dispute it
What a charge-off is, how long it stays on your credit report, why you may still owe it, and which charge-off errors you can dispute.
Read the guideHow long a credit report dispute takes, and what if they don't answer
Credit bureaus usually have 30 days to investigate a dispute. What happens next, what to do if they don't answer, and how to file a CFPB complaint.
Read the guideSomeone else's accounts on your credit report (mixed file)
Why another person's name, address or accounts can show on your credit report, how to tell a mixed file from identity theft, and how to dispute it.
Read the guideCredit report errors after bankruptcy
How debts should show on your credit report after a bankruptcy discharge, how long the bankruptcy stays, and the common errors to dispute.
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