If you find items on your credit report that are incorrect, you should pursue the credit bureau to have the incorrect item(s) removed. There are laws that protect you like the Fair Credit Reporting Act or FCRA.

Under the FCRA both the credit reporting company and the information provider that put the item on your credit report are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information. They must investigate your claim and if they agree there’s merit to your dispute they will forward it to the information provider for investigation.

Before dealing with any of the credit bureaus, have all your documentation in order. Be specific and identify every item on your report clearly, as Equifax receives thousands of inquiries daily. State that you are in the process of disputing credit items and that you want these investigated and removed immediately. Make copies of everything and keep close track of dates and responses. Here is a sample dispute letter to get you started.

Equifax

P. O. Box 740241

Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Dear Equifax Credit Bureau,

After unexpectedly being denied credit I checked my credit report and found several erroneous items that are unfavorably affecting my credit score. Please investigate these items as soon as possible and remove them immediately.

Public record item: I have no knowledge of this item or what it is. Late payments on my mortgage: I’m submitting all bank documentation and my own records to show these payments were always made on time. Unknown account: I have never had an account with this company and do not know what this is about.

Please investigate these items and have them removed from my credit report. If any of these accounts are verified, please furnish me with the name and address of the verifying party, the method of verification, and the reported first delinquency from the original creditor. Thanks for your cooperation.