Negative items on your credit report can affect things like your ability to get a job and buy a house, as well whether or not you are able to get auto and homeowners insurance. If your Equifax credit report contains accounts that were opened fraudulently or that have been reported incorrectly by creditors, you can dispute the legitimacy of these items. Equifax will remove derogatory data from your credit file if your request is found to be valid.
Visit Equifax.com and click "Start a New Dispute" in the section labeled "Other Credit Services."
Enter the required information into the form, including the 10-digit confirmation number found on your Equifax credit report. Click "Submit." Answer the identity verification question on the next page, and click "Submit" again.
Click "Start a New Dispute." Your credit report will be displayed on-screen. Click the different sections in the menu on the left to navigate to the different parts of your file.
Click the "Dispute This Item" link next to the item that you want to dispute. Select the reason for your dispute from the drop-down menu and enter an explanation in the text box. Click "Add Dispute." Repeat this process to add more items to your dispute.
Select "Dispute Summary" from the left navigation menu to review the items you have selected to dispute. If you are finished, enter your email address and click "Submit Dispute." Equifax will notify you of the results within 30 days (45 days if you are using an annual free credit report) and remove disputed items if the investigation is resolved in your favor.
References
- MSN Money: How Bad Credit Can Cost You a Job
- Bankrate: Don't Let Bad Credit Impact Your Insurance
- Federal Trade Commission. "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act," Pages 1-3. Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Free Credit Reports." Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Credit Reports Are Now Free, Every Week." Accessed Oct. 29. 2020.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "If a Credit Reporting Error Is Corrected, How Long Will It Take Before I Find Out the Results?" Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Fair Credit Reporting Act," Page 70. Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Fair Credit Reporting Act," Page 52. Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Consumer Reports: What Information Furnishers Need to Know." Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Reserve. "Credit Reports and Credit Scores," Page 1214. Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Disputing Errors on Credit Reports." Accessed Oct. 29, 2020.
Writer Bio
Jacqui Lane has been writing professionally for print and the web since 2004. She got her start at a small publisher, where she wrote, edited, designed advertising and handled page layout for up to five magazines a month. She writes primarily about video games, technology and internet culture. Lane holds a Bachelor of Arts in online journalism from Marshall University.