Read Your Credit Report and Fix Mistakes

Your credit report is a record of how you use credit. It lists your loans and credit cards, how much you owe, and whether you paid on time. Lenders, landlords, insurance companies and some employers may look at it. A mistake on your report can cost you a loan, an apartment or a lower interest rate.

Three nationwide credit bureaus keep reports: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each one keeps its own report about you, and the three reports do not always match. That is why you should check all three.

You can get all three reports free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. The bureaus have made weekly free reports permanent. This is the official site for free credit reports. Type the address yourself instead of clicking an ad or a link in a message. You do not need to buy anything to get your free reports there.

1. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com on your own phone or computer. Or call 1-877-322-8228 to get your reports by mail.
2. Enter your name, address, date of birth and Social Security number. Then answer security questions about your past accounts.
3. Choose all three credit bureaus.
4. Save or print each report. Write down the confirmation number if the report has one. You will need it if you dispute something.

No Social Security number? You can still have a credit report. You usually cannot get it online, but you can ask each bureau by mail. Include copies of a government ID that shows your current address and a recent bill or bank statement. Call the bureau first to ask what it needs: Equifax (866) 349-5191, Experian (888) 397-3742, TransUnion (800) 916-8800.

If a company turns you down because of your report, it must send you a notice. You can then get an extra free report from the credit bureau named in the notice. Ask within 60 days.

Use this checklist on each of your three reports. Elena's sample report above has three problems. Can you find them?

• Information that is not yours. A name, address, birth date or Social Security number you do not know. This can mean your file is mixed with another person's file, often someone with a similar name.
• Accounts or hard inquiries you did not make. These can be signs of identity theft.
• Wrong late payments. A payment marked late when you paid on time. Find your bank statement or receipt.
• The same debt listed twice, for example by the first company and by a debt collector, both with a balance.
• Wrong status or amounts, such as an account you closed that shows as open, or the wrong balance or limit.
• Old negative information. Most negative information can stay on your report for seven years. A bankruptcy can stay for up to 10 years. Older items should be gone.
• Medical collections that should not be there. The three bureaus say they do not include medical collections that are paid, or that started under $500.

If you find an account you never opened, treat it as possible identity theft. You can place a credit freeze for free. Follow the steps in the identity theft lesson.

Disputes are free. You can dispute online, by phone or by mail. Online is often fastest. Certified mail with a return receipt is slower, but it proves what you sent and when it arrived. Either way, keep a copy or a screenshot of what you sent.

1. Circle or highlight each error on a copy of your report.
2. Gather proof, such as bank statements, receipts, letters from the lender, or an identity theft report. Send copies and keep the originals.
3. Send a dispute to each credit bureau that shows the error. Say what is wrong, why it is wrong, and what you want: remove it or correct it.
4. Send a dispute to the furnisher too. This is the company that reported the information, such as the lender or the debt collector. Its address is often on your report.
5. Write each step in a log: the date, who you contacted, what you sent, and any tracking number.
6. Wait for the results. The credit bureau generally has 30 days to investigate. It sends your dispute and your proof to the furnisher, and then it must tell you the results.
7. Get new copies of your reports. Make sure the fix shows on every report that had the error.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists these dispute addresses. Check the bureau's website before you mail, in case an address has changed:

• Equifax, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30348
• Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013
• TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Sometimes the credit bureau says the company confirmed the information, so it stays. You still have options.

1. Dispute with the furnisher directly, if you have not already. It generally must investigate and respond within 30 days after it gets your dispute.
2. Send new proof. If you find more documents, send a new dispute and include them.
3. Add a statement. Ask the credit bureau to put a short statement about the dispute in your file. It will appear with future reports. You can ask the bureau to send it to anyone who got your report recently. There may be a fee for that.
4. File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or (855) 411-2372. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company. Most companies respond within 15 days.
5. Get free legal help. A lawyer can tell you if you have a claim under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the federal law about credit reports.

Free legal help in the DC area: Legal Aid DC (202) 628-1161, Maryland Legal Aid 888-465-2468, and Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800. You can also file a complaint with the DC Attorney General's consumer protection office at 202-442-9828, the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation at 410-230-6077, or the Virginia Attorney General's consumer protection section at 804-786-2042.