How to get errors off your credit report — for free

Errors on credit reports are common: accounts that aren't yours, late payments you made on time, debts listed twice, balances that were paid off years ago. They can cost you a loan, an apartment, or a better interest rate. Fixing them is free, and the law is on your side.

Step 1: Get all three reports

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com — the only official, federally authorized site. You can get free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion every week, permanently. Pull all three: lenders don't all report to every bureau, so an error can show up on one and not the others.

Ignore sites that advertise "free credit reports" and then ask for a card number.

Step 2: Look for the usual errors

• Accounts you don't recognize — could be a mix-up with someone with a similar name, or identity theft
• Payments marked late that weren't
• The same debt listed twice — often once by the original creditor and once by a collector, both showing a balance
• Wrong balances or credit limits (a wrong limit can make your utilization look worse)
• Closed accounts shown as open, or accounts you closed shown as "closed by creditor"
• Negative items older than about 7 years, which generally have to come off
• Your personal info — wrong addresses or name variations can be a sign of mixed files

Step 3: Dispute with the bureau

Dispute with each bureau that shows the error, on its website, by mail, or by phone. Online is fastest; mail (certified, with return receipt) creates the best paper trail.

Include:

• Your name, address, and the report's file or confirmation number
• Each item you're disputing and exactly why it's wrong
• Copies (never originals) of proof: bank statements, payment confirmations, a letter showing the account was paid or closed, a police or FTC identity theft report

Step 4: The 30-day clock

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the bureau generally has 30 days to investigate (up to 45 if you send more information during that window). It must forward your dispute to the company that reported the item, and then:

• If the item is wrong, or can't be verified, it has to be corrected or deleted
• The bureau must send you the results in writing, and a free updated report if anything changed

You can also dispute directly with the company that reported it (the "furnisher") — it has the same duty to investigate.

If the dispute fails

• Ask what they checked. You're entitled to a description of how they verified it
• Add a statement (up to 100 words) to your file explaining your side
• File a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint — companies respond to these
• For serious, persistent errors, a consumer attorney can help; the FCRA lets you recover damages and attorney's fees if a bureau or furnisher breaks the law

About "credit repair" companies

They can't legally remove accurate negative information, and they can't charge you before they've done the work. Anything they can do, you can do yourself for free with the steps above.

Quick reference

• Free reports weekly from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com
• Dispute with each bureau showing the error — include proof and exactly what's wrong
• Bureaus have 30 days to investigate (45 if you add info)
• Unverifiable items must be corrected or removed
• Stuck? File a CFPB complaint
• Credit repair companies can't do anything you can't do free