Credit report errors
When your credit report tells someone else’s story
A wrong line on a credit report can cost you a lease, a car loan or a job. It rarely fixes itself.
I represent people against the credit bureaus and the lenders and collectors who report to them. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a real investigation when you dispute an item, and makes a bureau or lender that fails pay your damages and your attorney’s fees; your engagement letter says which costs you could still owe.
What to look for
Errors I see on reports
Pull your reports from all three bureaus and mark what looks wrong. Then send them to me.
A mixed file
Someone with a similar name or number, and now their accounts, addresses and late payments are on your report.
A debt you paid or settled
Still shown as owing, or as charged off, months after the account closed.
Identity theft
Accounts you never opened. You’re entitled to have them blocked once you report the theft.
A dispute “verified” without a look
You sent proof; the bureau sent back a form saying the item was correct. That reply can be the start of a claim.
Questions people ask about credit reports
Should I dispute it myself first?
Usually, yes, and in writing, with copies of your proof. Keep everything you send and receive. If the bureau doesn’t fix it, those papers become your case.
Is a credit repair company the same thing?
No. A credit repair company charges to file disputes. I bring claims against the companies that got it wrong, and the law can make them pay the fees.
Will a claim hurt my credit further?
No. Asserting your rights isn’t reported anywhere, and the goal of a case is a corrected report.
How much is a claim worth?
It depends on what the error cost you: a denied loan, a higher rate, the time and stress of fixing it. I’ll tell you honestly after reading your papers.
Signature line
Send me the report and the bureau’s reply
Mark the lines that are wrong. I’ll take it from there.