Keeping up with your credit report is vital. Mistakes are more common than you might think. A study from Consumer Reports found that more than a third of people see an error on their report.
“The American dream of owning a home or getting an education or even a job is at risk for those who find errors in their reports and struggle to get them corrected,” says Consumer Reports policy analyst Syed Ejaz.
Typically three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) provide free, annual reports. However, due to the pandemic, you can access your credit report for free every week through April 2022.
If you don’t recognize some of the information as your own or it looks like there was a mistake, there are a few different ways to dispute your credit report.
The error could appear on only one bureaus’ report, or it could appear on all three. If it’s the latter, then you’ll have to start a separate dispute for each one.
It’ll take a little longer to get your dispute submitted, but this method is just as effective as submitting it online. Credit bureaus have 30 days to respond to a dispute – or 45 if they need additional information.