How To Submit A Credit Bureau Dispute

Many people when reviewing their credit history, find entries that are incorrect. It is important to remove any errors that are found on a credit report, because these types of errors could be used by lenders to deny future credit. There are a number of ways to go about submitting a dispute, such as by phone or online, but generally the best way is to submit it by certified mail.

When filing a credit bureau dispute, you will be sending your dispute to the credit bureau that provided you with the report that contains the error, and also to the provider of the incorrect information. It’s important to remember that if one major credit bureau is reporting the error, it’s likely that the other credit bureaus are reporting the same error, so it is wise to check and dispute these as well, if necessary.

In order to facilitate the correction of the error, you will want to gather as much supporting evidence as you can. When writing the letter that describes the disputed entry, you will want to be concise. Make sure to include your full name, as well as your full address. It can be very helpful to actually include a copy of your credit report, which will allow you to circle or highlight the incorrect information that you are disputing.

If you don’t want to send the actual report, you will need to include any relevant credit report numbers when writing your letter. If you are including the actual report, refer to this fact in your letter. Provide a reason why the information is incorrect when writing your dispute letter. If you have any cancelled checks, statements or other information that support your claim, make copies of these (never send the actual originals) and include these with your dispute letter as well.

It’s important to make sure you keep careful records of the dispute. Because of this, before mailing your dispute, make sure to keep a copy of your letter, along copies of anything else you sent in. Also keep the original copy of your credit report and any checks or statements that you used as proof of your claim. Then, send your dispute to both the credit bureau and the information provider, via certified mail, with return receipt requested. In the event that there are any questions, or if your dispute isn’t handled correctly, you will have a paper trail of your entire dispute process.

Once they receive your dispute, the credit bureau has thirty days to investigate it and respond to you. They will submit their findings concerning your dispute to the provider of the disputed information, and they will investigate as well, reporting back to the credit bureau. At the completion of the investigation, the credit bureau will reply back to you with information regarding the resolution of your dispute, along with a copy of your credit report if a change was made. You can also request that they notify any companies or agencies that accessed your credit report during the previous six months, informing them of the correction.