Your Right to Dispute Under the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Section 611 gives you the right to dispute any information on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. Credit bureaus must investigate your dispute within 30 days (or 45 days if you provide additional information) and correct or delete any information they cannot verify.
Important: CreditRise AI generates dispute letter drafts for your review. You control every action — we do not contact bureaus or creditors on your behalf.
Step 1: Get Your Credit Reports
Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and download your reports from all three bureaus. Review each one carefully. Look for: late payments that were on time, accounts you don't recognize, balances showing incorrectly, duplicate accounts, and negative items older than 7 years.
Step 2: Document the Error
For each error, note: the account name, account number, the specific error, and why it's wrong. Gather any supporting documents (payment records, account statements, correspondence).
Step 3: Write Your Dispute Letter
Send a written dispute to the credit bureau that has the error. Your letter should include:
- Your full name, address, date of birth, SSN (last 4 digits)
- The specific account and what's wrong
- A clear statement of what correction you're requesting
- Copies (not originals) of supporting documents
CreditRise AI generates FCRA-compliant dispute letters based on your specific situation. See how the letter builder works.
Step 4: Send Certified Mail
Mail your dispute via certified mail, return receipt requested. This creates a paper trail and starts the 30-day investigation clock.
Step 5: Wait for the Investigation
The bureau has 30 days to investigate. They'll contact the original creditor (the "furnisher") who must also investigate under FCRA Section 623. If the furnisher can't verify the information, it must be corrected or deleted.
Step 6: Review the Results
You'll receive written notice of the results within 5 days of the investigation completing. If satisfied, you're done. If not, you can dispute again, add a 100-word statement to your file, or escalate to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
Learn about all your FCRA rights beyond just the dispute process.