Credit education
How to handle an inaccurate late payment
Identify the exact month reported late, gather the bank record and statement showing timely payment, and dispute that specific month with each bureau and the lender. If you were in an approved forbearance or deferment, include the agreement. Specific, month-level disputes with proof are far more effective than general ones.
Payment history
Prove the month, not the account
Disputes that say an account was never late tend to receive general verifications.
Disputes that name a month and attach the bank record require a specific answer.
The short answer
Identify the exact month reported late, gather the bank record and statement showing timely payment, and dispute that specific month with each bureau and the lender. If you were in an approved forbearance or deferment, include the agreement. Specific, month-level disputes with proof are far more effective than general ones.
Common causes
Servicing transfers, misapplied payments, autopay failures on the lender's side, and forbearance periods coded incorrectly are the usual sources.
Accurate lates and goodwill requests
If the late payment was real, it is not an error. Some lenders will consider a goodwill adjustment, but they are not obligated to, and that is a request rather than a dispute.
Common questions
How do I correct an inaccurate late payment?
Dispute the specific month with each bureau and the lender, enclosing proof of on-time payment or the relief agreement covering that month.
Primary sources referenced on this page
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