DIY Credit Disputes

1 in 5 credit reports contains an error. If yours does, disputing it yourself is free — and often more effective than paying a company.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you powerful rights. Credit bureaus must investigate disputes within 30 days, and if they can't verify the information, they must delete it. No lawyer required. No $99/month service needed.

This guide walks you through the entire process.

What You Can (and Can't) Dispute

Step 1: Get Your Credit Reports (Free)

Step 2: Review Each Report Carefully

Look for these specific errors:

• Personal info: Wrong name, address, SSN, employer
• Account status: Open vs closed, current vs delinquent
• Payment history: Any late marks you don't remember
• Balances: Amounts that seem wrong
• Credit limits: Lower than actual (hurts utilization)
• Dates: Wrong open date, wrong last activity date
• Collections: Debts you don't recognize or already paid
• Duplicates: Same debt appearing twice

Write down every error with the bureau where it appears. You'll dispute each one individually.

Step 3: File Disputes Online or by Mail

You have two options:

Option A: Online (Fastest)

Each bureau has a dispute portal:

• Experian: experian.com/disputes
• Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
• TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-disputes

Online disputes are processed faster but create less paper trail. Good for simple errors.

Option B: Certified Mail (Better Paper Trail)

For serious disputes or if you anticipate pushback, send physical letters via certified mail with return receipt. This creates a legal paper trail.

Mail addresses:

• Experian: P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013
• Equifax: P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256
• TransUnion: P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016

Step 4: Wait for Investigation (30 Days)

Under the FCRA, bureaus must:

1. Investigate within 30 days (45 if you send additional info)
2. Contact the creditor who reported the information
3. Review all relevant evidence you provided
4. Send you written results
5. Give you a free updated credit report if changes were made

If they can't verify the disputed information within 30 days, they must delete it.

Step 5: If Dispute Is Rejected

Disputes get rejected when the creditor "verifies" the information. But verification doesn't always mean they investigated properly. You have options:

Option 1: Request Method of Verification

Under FCRA Section 611, you can demand to know exactly how the bureau verified the information. This sometimes reveals sloppy investigations.

Option 2: Dispute Directly with the Creditor

Send a dispute to the original creditor (called the "furnisher"). They have their own obligation to investigate under FCRA Section 623.

Option 3: File a CFPB Complaint

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tracks complaints and forwards them to companies. This often gets more attention than regular disputes.

File at consumerfinance.gov/complaint — takes about 10 minutes.

Option 4: Add a Consumer Statement

You can add a 100-word statement to your credit file explaining your side. Lenders see this when they pull your report. It doesn't change your score, but provides context.

Special Case: Medical Debt Disputes

Medical debt rules changed significantly in 2023-2024:

• Paid medical debt — Should no longer appear on reports (voluntarily removed by bureaus)
• Unpaid medical debt under $500 — Should not appear
• New medical debt — 1-year waiting period before it can be reported

If you see medical debt that violates these rules, dispute it immediately.

The Goodwill Letter Alternative

For accurate late payments on otherwise good accounts, a "goodwill letter" asks the creditor to remove the mark as a courtesy — not because it's wrong, but because you're a good customer.

Success rate: Up to 79% when you have 12+ months of on-time payments before and after the incident.

This isn't a dispute — it's a polite request. Some creditors honor them, many don't. But it's free to try.

Timeline: What to Expect

What Credit Repair Companies Actually Do

Here's the "secret" — credit repair companies just send dispute letters. The same letters you can send yourself. They have no special legal powers, no insider access, nothing you can't do.

They charge $79-150/month to do what costs you $0 and about 1-2 hours of your time.

The only advantage of hiring someone is convenience — if you truly don't have time to handle disputes yourself. But the outcomes are the same.

The Bottom Line

DIY credit disputes work. The law is on your side:

1. FCRA Section 611 — Right to dispute any inaccurate information
2. 30-day investigation requirement — Bureaus must respond quickly
3. Deletion if unverified — They can't keep unverified items
4. CFPB backup — Government agency that forces responses

You don't need to pay anyone. Pull your reports, identify errors, file disputes, follow up. That's it.

Use our free dispute letter generator to create your letters, or see our guide on all 7 free methods to improve your score.