What if I find a mistake in my credit history?

What can I do?

Answer: If there has been a mistake reported as fact by the credit reporting bureaus, you must file a complaint and ask for an investigation of your account. By law, the credit reporting bureau must investigate the account within 30 days and either reaffirm that you did indeed pay late or, if you have proof, remove the error from your credit history.

If you can prove that reporting these late payments was incorrect by showing the credit reporting bureau the letters the lender has written on your behalf, you should be able to make some headway. If you don't, keep moving your way up the food chain, jumping from supervisor to supervisor until you find someone who can help.

If the credit reporting bureau refuses to remove the information within the time specified by Federal law, you can report the bureau to the Federal Trade Commission for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The website is www.ftc.gov, although the FTC will not investigate individual claims of wrong-doing.

However, you may also call the attorney general's office in your state or consult with an attorney on other legal options you may have.

When it comes to applying for your next home loan, try to work with a lender who pulls a copy of your credit history from each of the credit reporting bureaus. Then, you can show the lender, with your proof in hand, that you pay bills on time, and that this was simply an unfortunate error that should be overlooked.

Company Name Phone Number Experian 1-800-682-7954 Equifax 1-800-685-1111 Trans Union 1-800-916-8800