How to identify errors on your credit report

Step one: get all three reports

Federal law entitles you to free reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site authorized for that purpose, and the bureaus currently offer them weekly. Score monitoring apps often show only one or two bureaus and summarize the data, so use the full reports for this review.

Step two: check personal information

Look for name variations, addresses where you never lived, unfamiliar employers, and Social Security number variations. These entries are often the earliest sign of a mixed file or identity theft, and they can cause someone else's accounts to be linked to you.

Step three: review every account line by line

For each tradeline confirm that it is yours, then check the fields that matter.

• Date opened and date of first delinquency
• Balance, credit limit, and high balance
• Account status: open, closed, paid, charged off, included in bankruptcy
• Month by month payment history
• Whether you are listed as an individual, joint holder, or authorized user

Step four: review collections, public records, and inquiries

Look for duplicate collections reporting the same debt, collections older than seven years from the original delinquency, and hard inquiries you did not authorize. Bankruptcy filings should show the correct chapter and dates.

Step five: document what you find

Keep a list of each suspected error with the bureau, account, field, what is reported, and what is correct, and gather the statement or record that proves it. That list becomes the basis of specific, effective disputes.