Credit glossary
Credit report dispute
A formal challenge to information in your credit file that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, sent to a bureau or the furnisher.
The FCRA gives you two routes. A dispute with a bureau under 15 U.S.C. 1681i generally must be investigated within 30 days, with results sent within 5 business days of finishing. A direct dispute with the lender or collector under 1681s-2(a)(8) and Regulation V runs on the same general timeline. Information found to be wrong, or that can't be verified, must be corrected or deleted.
Disputes work when they name a specific field and include proof, such as a bank statement showing a payment cleared. They backfire on accurate items: those come back verified, the account can carry a dispute remark that complicates a mortgage, and claiming a real account isn't yours can be an unlawful false statement. Dispute errors, not history.
Guides that go deeper
- How to dispute a credit report error, step by stepA step-by-step guide to disputing credit report errors with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion: online vs. mail, what to include, and how to keep proof.
- What not to dispute on your credit report before a mortgageDisputing accurate items rarely helps, and open disputes can stall a mortgage. How Fannie Mae and FHA treat disputed accounts, and what to do instead.
- Disputing directly with the lender or collector that reported itHow to dispute a credit report error directly with the lender or collector under 1681s-2(a)(8) and 12 CFR 1022.43, and when that beats a bureau dispute.
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. 1681i: Procedure in case of disputed accuracy, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2: Responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 12 CFR 1022.43: Direct disputes, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports, Federal Trade Commission
- 15 U.S.C. 1679b: Prohibited practices, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
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