Facts

• The Fair Credit Reporting Act grants you the legal right to a fair and accurate credit report. If you notice a trade on your credit report that does not belong to you, you may request that the credit reporting agencies remove it.
  
  

Process

• To have an inaccurate trade removed, you will need to dispute the trade line with the credit reporting agencies. You can file a dispute either online, by phone, or via mail.
  
  

Time Frame

• Once your dispute is received, each credit reporting agency has 30 days to evaluate your claim and conduct an investigation. If the trade is found to be invalid, it will be removed.
  
  

Effects

• When any changes are made to your credit report as the result of a dispute, each credit reporting agency with which you disputed the trade will mail you a new copy of your credit report that reflects the changes.
  
  

Considerations

• Trade lines may only appear on your credit report for limited periods of time. A trade line that is accurate may be disputed and removed from your credit report if the reporting period on the trade has expired.