What If There's a Discrepancy in Your Credit Report?
How to dispute – and correct – an inaccuracy
It's unfortunate, but it happens –
credit reports may contain inaccuracies. And, even a seemingly harmless error can have a negative impact on your credit rating.
So what's to be done?
Federal law allows consumers to challenge
credit report inaccuracies and correct their credit files. The major credit bureaus –
Equifax®,
Experian® and
TransUnionSM– allow consumers to dispute incorrect data. There is no fee for filing a dispute. The fastest way to initiate the dispute process is to file your dispute online; each of the major credit reporting companies provides a web-based form for this purpose. You may also file your dispute directly with the creditor. File your dispute online:
A credit report discrepancy can be alarming, frightening – and highly detrimental. Allowed to linger unchallenged, it can have a devastating affect on your credit rating for years – even after the original mistake is corrected. All of which is why many people choose to have their credit rating professionally monitored on an ongoing basis rather than depend on remembering to order periodic free credit reports.
IDENTITY GUARD® – the leader in credit management services – is committed to helping consumers understand and protect their credit ratings. Our EXTRA CAUTIONSM service monitors all three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – to keep you apprised of your credit score and alert you promptly to potentially suspicious changes to your credit files – minimizing the risk of real damages occuring. It's a 3-3-3 credit profile – 3 credit reports, 3 credit scores, 3-bureau monitoring.
Plus, with EXTRA CAUTIONSM, you get daily surveillance of the Internet's "financial black markets", "back alley" chat rooms and news groups. Patented scanning technology helps ensure that your important financial information is not being compromised or "swapped" in sites frequented by identity thieves.
3-in-1 Credit Report
With our
3-in-1 Credit Report you get unlimited online access to a consolidated report of your credit history with side-by-side data compiled from the top 3 credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This gives you a comprehensive view of your credit reporting history, and also makes it easier for you to verify the accuracy of the information at each credit reporting agency.