Protecting Your Credit Score From Harm

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was designed to protect consumers from a variety of credit-related issues, including inaccurate reporting of credit information, unauthorized or unlawful disclosure of credit reports, and identity theft.

Credit reporting errors can present very serious consequences for your future. Not only does your credit score play a part in credit card or loan approval, it can affect your insurance rates and whether or not you get hired for a job. Credit bureaus can make mistakes by reporting information that is not yours, the incorrect amount of debt owed or continuing to report a debt that has already been paid off. The failure to remove this information after you provide written notice to the credit bureaus is a direct violation of FCRA, and you have the right to seek a claim to correct these errors.

The FCRA requires credit bureaus such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to perform a “reasonable reinvestigation” when it receives a consumer dispute and to correct inaccurate or incomplete information brought to its attention by a consumer. If you find they won’t remove the information, please contact the Marshall Law Firm immediately.

What Should I Do if My Report is Inaccurate?

If you discover inaccurate information in your credit file, you should send a certified letter, return receipt requested, to the credit bureaus referencing the credit report and information you believe to be inaccurate. It is also useful to provide copies of documentation of the correct information and a telephone number where the bureaus can reach you if they need more information. You should make a copy of the letter and all documents sent with it and keep a copy for yourself and send the company reporting the inaccurate information a copy via certified mail return receipt requested. Click here to see a sample dispute letter.

Your certified letter, return receipt requested should be sent to:

Equifax Information Services, LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374

TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022-2000

Experian Information Services, LLC – NCAC
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, Texas 75013

The Credit Reporting Agency will then have 30 days to investigate the issue and get back to you. If it fails to correct the information, you should contact the Marshall Law Firm.

Where Does the Information Come From?

A provider of information to the credit bureaus is called a “furnisher.” The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a furnisher to respond to the request for reinvestigation initiated by a consumer by completing an inquiry into the alleged errors and providing accurate information to the credit reporting agencies regarding that credit information.

It is important to note that in most cases, neither the furnisher nor a credit reporting agency is responsible for originally posting inaccurate information. Liability is triggered after the bureaus receive your dispute letter and the furnisher is notified of the dispute by the Credit Reporting Agency.

What If the Error is Not Being Corrected?

The Marshall Law Firm has helped clients prosecute claims under the FCRA for the bureaus failing to correct various errors on credit reports, and understands your credit score can affect various aspects of your life.

Has a Prospective Employer Obtained a Credit Report as Part of Its Employment Process?

If your credit report was used to make a decision regarding your employment, the credit bureaus and employer must advise you of such and provide you a copy of the credit report used even when you signed a release for the credit report. If they failed to do so, you may have a claim against them under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Has a Company Charged You to Fix Your Credit Before it Provided You Any Services?

If you have been harmed by a credit repair company, you may have claims under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, which prohibits companies from charging you for their services before the services are complete. It protects consumers from misleading, deceptive, and other unfair conduct of credit repair companies.

Contact the Marshall Law Firm Today

To schedule a free consultation, please call 925-575-7105 or submit your complaint online. Most cases are taken on a contingency basis.