Credit report errors

Common Credit Reporting Mistakes — And How to Spot and Fix Them

Credit reports are supposed to tell the story of how you manage debt — but sometimes, that story gets the facts wrong. In fact, about 1 in 5 people have an error on at least one of their credit reports, according to a recent FTC study. Credit report mistakes can hurt your credit score, cost you money, and even affect your ability to rent an apartment or get a job.

Imagine being denied a mortgage refinance because of a late payment on your credit report that wasn’t actually late. This is exactly what happened to a former client — let’s call him Dave. Dave’s credit report showed a late payment to his cell phone provider. This report was dead wrong — Dave had the deposited check proving that the cell phone company got his payment on time. But this inaccurate late payment kept Dave from refinancing his mortgage.

Or imagine being denied credit because your credit report doesn’t have your married name on it. This is what happened to Jenny, another former client. Jenny changed her last name when she got married. But her credit reports showed her old name and didn’t include her new, married name. This led to repeated credit denials for loans she should have easily qualified for.

As these examples show, even a single mistake on your credit reports can result in credit denials or higher interest rates.

At this point, you might be asking yourself “how can I avoid being like Dave or Jenny?” The answer is simple: check your credit reports at least a couple times a year and fix any mistakes immediately.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common credit reporting errors, how to recognize them, and what to do if you find one.

Incorrect Personal Information

It might seem minor, but even a misspelled name or wrong address can cause mix-ups — especially if you share a name with someone else.

Common issues include:

  • Wrong address

  • Incorrect date of birth

  • Misspelled names or name mix-ups

  • Wrong Social Security number (even one digit off)

Why it matters: Errors in personal info can lead to someone else's accounts showing up on your report — or can be signs of identity theft or fraud.

What to do: If you notice incorrect personal info, file a dispute (sample letter and instructions below) with each credit bureau showing the error. Be sure to provide documents like a copy of your ID, Social Security card, or utility bill showing the correct information.

Accounts That Don’t Belong to You

Sometimes, accounts from someone else — like a family member or a complete stranger — end up on your report.

This could be due to:

  • Identity theft

  • Mixed files (your information getting confused with another person’s)

  • Credit reporting errors from lenders

Why it matters: Accounts that don’t belong to you could be a sign of a serious problem, like identity theft or a mixed credit file. They can also lead lenders to believe you have more debt than you really do, which can lead to credit denials or higher interest rates.

What to do: Review the account details carefully to make absolutely sure it isn’t yours. If you’re sure, dispute it right away with each credit bureau showing the error. You may also consider requesting that a fraud alert be placed on your credit file.

Incorrect Payment History

Another frequent credit report mistake is when your payment history is reported incorrectly.

Common problems:

  • Payments marked “late” when you paid on time

  • Missed payments that were actually made

  • Accounts showing the wrong status (e.g., “delinquent” or “in collections” when they’re not)

Why it matters: Your payment history has a significant impact on your credit score — so when it’s wrong, it’s a big deal.

What to do: Gather proof, like payment confirmations or bank statements, and submit it when disputing the error with the credit bureaus. You may also contact the lender directly and ask them to correct the reporting.

Outdated or Duplicate Information

Sometimes, old or closed accounts stay on your report longer than they should.

Examples include:

  • Accounts that should’ve been removed (e.g., after 7 years)

  • Closed accounts still marked “open”

  • The same debt listed more than once (especially with collections)

Why it matters: Closed accounts reported as open or the same debt listed twice can make it appear that you are carrying more debt than you really are. This may have an impact on your ability to get credit in the future.

What to do: Check the age of the accounts. If an account has been delinquent for more than 7 years, it should be removed from your report. If it's still there, you can dispute it. For duplicates, include screenshots or printed reports to highlight repeated entries along with your dispute letter.

Reinserted or Re-Appearing Errors

Sometimes, an error you’ve already disputed and fixed comes back. This is called reinserted information — and it’s a red flag.

Under the law, credit bureaus have to notify you if they reinsert a disputed item, but that doesn’t always happen.

Why it matters: Reinserted debts are a serious problem. After all, you’ve already disputed the mistake once and the credit bureau has agreed it was wrong. But now they’ve put the mistake back on your report, dragging down your score.

What to do: If a corrected error comes back, dispute it again and request the reinsertion notice. If they fail to notify you or continue reporting inaccurate information, you may have grounds for a legal claim.

Final Thoughts

Credit report mistakes are more common than most people realize — but they’re not something you have to live with.

Start by getting your free report at AnnualCreditReport.com. It’s the only federally authorized source and lets you check your reports from all three major bureaus for free.

Already found a mistake? File a dispute as soon as possible, and be sure to keep copies of all documentation. If the credit bureau or creditor doesn’t correct the error, you may have legal rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Free Credit Reporting Error Resources:

How to dispute an error on your credit report

It's an unfortunate reality that many consumer credit reports contain errors. Here's what to do if you discover an error on your credit report:

Write a letter to the credit reporting agency explaining what information you believe is inaccurate

When the credit reporting agency gets your letter, they must conduct an investigation and remove any information that cannot be confirmed as accurate. The CRA is required to send the furnisher (the business providing the information on the report) all of the information that you provide. Your letter should contain the following:

  • (a) Your full name and address. You may also consider including your social security number to ensure that the CRA locates your file.

  • (b) Identification of every single item that you believe is inaccurate. One way to do this is to include a copy of your credit report and circle each of the items you dispute.

  • (c) An explanation of why each disputed item is incorrect. Be detailed and describe your dispute as if you were explaining it to a young child. CRAs may disregard your dispute if it isn't sufficiently detailed.

  • (d) Attach copies of all of the proof that you have that supports your dispute.

  • (e) Tell the CRA if you have previously disputed these items, provide the details of these prior disputes (including any phone disputes), and explain how the CRA's failure to correct the errors is harming you.

  • (f) Most importantly, tell the CRA what you want them to do (ie. delete the incorrect entry; modify it, etc).

Mail the letter certified, return receipt requested, and keep a copy of the letter and green card for your records

Address the letter to the credit reporting agency whose report contains the error. Some experts advise sending a copy of the dispute letter to the furnisher. This isn't a bad idea, but you're not required to do so. The CRA is required to send the furnisher all the information that you provide them with.

You may have to write several dispute letters

The CRA may not fix the error after your first letter. Be persistent and write follow-up dispute letters until you get the mistake fixed. Avoid the shortcut of just sending the CRA another copy of your first dispute letter. Read their response to your previous dispute letter and do your best to address the reasons they denied your dispute in your follow-up letter. Don't be afraid to detail your previous attempts to fix the error and to describe the harm the CRA's failure to correct the mistake has caused you in these follow-up letters. And be sure to keep copies of all the letters that the CRA sends you in response to your dispute letters.

If you've written multiple letters and the CRA still hasn't fixed the error, it's time to talk to a consumer attorney

If you've followed all these steps and the error hasn't been fixed, contact a consumer attorney with experience handling cases under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Finally, a few words of caution

  • It's perfectly acceptable for a CRA to report accurate negative information. Don't abuse the dispute process by seeking removal of accurate negative information. Similarly, be very wary of any credit repair "specialist" that promises to improve your credit score by using repeated and shallow dispute letters or similar questionable tactics.

  • It's much better to write dispute letters than to dispute over the phone or to use the CRA's internet form. Writing letters creates a paper trail for your records and it allows you to attach proof of your dispute. It's also possible that a CRA's internet dispute form might require you to waive some of your rights when submitting your dispute electronically.

  • Avoid using sample dispute letters that you find on the internet. Many of the sample letters you will find on the internet are shallow, deceptive, or even fraudulent. There is no magic language for writing a good dispute letter. Just adequately identify yourself, identify the account you're disputing, and provide a detailed explanation of the error. It's much better to use your own words than to rely on boilerplate language from a possibly untrustworthy source on the internet. If you must look at a form letter before writing your own, there's a sample letter on the Federal Trade Commission web site.

Can I remove negative, but accurate, info from my credit report?

Generally, you don't have the right to remove negative accurate information from your credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, creditors and credit reporting agencies are free to report negative information about you as long as that information is correct. This accurate, negative information can remain on your credit report for seven years in most cases. An exception to this general rule is when your credit report shows accurate, but negative, information multiple times. For example, let's say you have a delinquent credit card account. After a few months of delinquency, the credit card company sells the account to a debt-buyer. If both the original creditor and debt buyer are reporting that you owe money, that's something you could dispute in good faith. Otherwise, it might look like you owe twice as much as you actually owe.

Beware of any company that promises that it can remove accurate negative information. It's likely a credit repair scam. These scams usually prey on people with poor credit. They demand large, up-front fees and promise to get all negative information removed, even if the info is accurate. They try to game the error dispute process by sending repeated and shallow dispute letters in an effort to overwhelm the credit reporting agency into removing the information by mistake. However, the credit bureaus have caught on and this sort of gamesmanship is no longer successful. Save your money and work to rebuild your credit the right way.

What is a "mixed file" on my credit report?

Unfortunately, many credit reports contain errors. One common type of credit report error is the mixed file. A "mixed file" is a term used to describe a credit report when credit information for one person is placed on the credit report of another person, creating a false description of the person's credit history.  Occasionally, this problem is caused by the "furnisher" of credit information (ie. a bank or credit card company). For example, a bank may incorrectly report that a spouse is responsible for a mortgage loan that was only in his wife's name.

More often, a mixed file is caused by the way credit reporting agencies match data to a consumer's file to create his credit report. Credit reporting agencies get mountains of credit data from creditors and public records. This data is then matched to an individual consumer's credit report through identifying information such as name, address, and social security number. Mixed files occur when the credit reporting agency's computer doesn't correctly match the identifying information in the credit data to the identifying information in the credit report. The credit reporting agencies closely guard their exact matching criteria and process, but it appears that commons reasons for mixed files include:

  • Mismatches between generations with the same name (ie. Jr./Sr.)

  • People with similar names (ie. Jon Smith / Jonathan Smith)

  • People with similar social security numbers

Mixed files are a big problem. According to one study, 44% of consumer complaints to the FTC involved mixed files. It's a particularly serious problem with the other person's accounts are delinquent or in collections. This can torpedo your credit score and lead to debt collection calls for a debt you don't owe. And mixed files are often very difficult to fix because it can be difficult to prove a negative--that the account isn't yours. You may have to submit birth certificates, social security cards, or sworn statements in order to prove an account doesn't belong to you.

If your credit report appears to have been mixed with someone else's, the first step is to write a detailed dispute letter to the credit reporting agency. You may have to follow up with additional information if the credit reporting agency requests more details or documents. Unfortunately, many mixed files are not resolved through the informal dispute process and only a lawsuit can get the credit report cleaned up. If you've disputed your mixed file and haven't gotten it fixed yet, your next step should be to talk to an attorney who is familiar with credit reporting issues and can advise you of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.