- 1). Get your credit report. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three main credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Go over each one and check for inaccurate information and items where the statute of limitations has expired. Any accurate information cannot be taken off your credit report until its time limit is reached as stated in the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
- 2). Contact the credit reporting agencies. Each credit reporting agency website has an area dedicated to correcting inaccurate information. You can make a dispute online, via letter or by phone. Try online first and if nothing is done after a month, try by phone and letter. Your credit rating will not change until the items are off the report.
- 3). Create documentation. If the credit reporting agency does not comply in a timely manner, begin documenting your calls and correspondence and saving any mail or e-mails you get from the credit reporting agency. If the dispute goes to civil court, you will then need this information to show your attempts to settle your dispute.
- 4). Contact a lawyer. The last resort is to contact a lawyer who specializes in consumer law and ask about forcing the credit bureaus to remove the item from your history. If they refuse or if nothing is ever done, you have the right to sue the credit reporting agency to have the item removed as well as any financial damages that might be awarded to you. You can find a lawyer through your local American Bar Association.
- 5). Call the credit rating agency. Once the item has been removed, contact the agency that issued your credit rating, and not the credit bureau, and let them know of the change to your credit history and ask them to re-evaluate your credit rating. It might take a month or so for the changes to take effect, but if your credit report has changed significantly, then you should notice a change in your credit rating.
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