A credit report is a crucial document used by financial institutions to determine how trustworthy potential borrowers are. A good report will help vou receive appealing credit card and loan options, while a negative report means you might not be offered anything at all. That's why it's important to check your credit report periodically and ensure nothing out of the ordinary pops up.
1. How to Identify Incorrect Information on a Credit Report
You can get monthly updates from certain credit cards, but official reports come from these three main bureaus. After you notice a mistake, you should proactively take two steps:
Notify the company that provided the information that you believe that there's an error.
Notify the credit provider to let them know you're looking into the error and will keep them posted.
2. How to Notify a Credit Bureau
When vou write a letter to a credit bureau about incorrect information on vour report, make sure you document everything. Make copies of any statements that are relevant this dispute and include a copy of your credit report with the mistake highlighted. In addition, don't send original documents with your letter, as you may need them in the future for your credit file.
3. How to Notify a Credit Provider
If you can't find a resolution with the credit reporting bureau, contact your credit provider and ask them to make note of the error. As you know, your credit provider is the company that provided vou with the financial product that's responsible for the potential mistake, in most cases. This could be a credit card company, student loan servicer, or bank. Send them a certified letter explaining the mistake with copies of pertinent documents.
Source: https://www.forafinancial.com/blog/small-business/dispute-credit-report-mistake/