Boost your credit score by disputing all errors:
Experian: Dispute Your Credit Report Online
TransUnion: Initiate a Dispute on Your Credit Profile
By law, the credit bureaus must investigate valid claims and remove inaccurate information, but if you run into trouble, complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Order your free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) at AnnualCreditReport.com. Beware of the ‘free offers’ from the three major credit bureaus because they will try to get you to sign up for a monthly commitment. Your free credit report does not include your credit score; you can pay for your credit score at myFICO.com. Credit Karma (creditkarma.com) provides you with a free score quickly, though it is not the source that lenders use.
- Review your reports. Your rates from Equifax, TransUnion and Experian may be different! Look for big errors first, things like accounts that don’t belong to you, paid balances that are showing as unpaid, and credit limits that are reported incorrectly. Highlight each one of these errors and then dispute them with the credit bureau. You can file a dispute online through each of the credit bureaus’ website.
Experian: Dispute Your Credit Report Online
TransUnion: Initiate a Dispute on Your Credit Profile
- Disputing even minor errors can help you raise your score. If a creditor pulled your credit without your permission, dispute it. If your credit card company reported your balance higher than it should have been six months ago, dispute it. If you closed an account and it is still shown as open, dispute it.
By law, the credit bureaus must investigate valid claims and remove inaccurate information, but if you run into trouble, complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.