DID YOU KNOW?
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Consumer Protection
Did You Know? You Have the Right to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report
If your credit report from Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax contains inaccurate or outdated information, you don’t have to just live with it. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the legal right to dispute errors and demand corrections.
Here’s what most people don’t realize:
- You’re entitled to one free credit report per year from each major bureau — and you can request it at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- If there’s an error — like a paid debt showing as unpaid, or an account that isn’t yours — the credit bureau must investigate and respond within 30 days of your dispute.
- You can dispute directly with the credit bureau and/or the creditor that reported the information — and both have obligations under the law to investigate and fix mistakes.
- You may be entitled to damages if a credit bureau or creditor fails to fix clear errors or violates your rights, especially if it affects your ability to get a loan, rent an apartment, or secure a job.
- Debt collectors can’t report debts without verifying them. If you dispute a collection, the collector must stop reporting it until it’s verified.
You don’t need a lawyer to start a dispute — but if you’re dealing with serious errors, repeated problems, or were denied credit based on false information, you may want to speak to an attorney.
Your credit affects more than just loans — it affects your housing, job prospects, and insurance rates. Make sure it’s accurate.
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Ariel A. Bivas, Esq.
[email protected]
718-790-6175
www.shehebarlaw.com
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