How to dispute your credit report yourself (free, step by step)

You don't need a credit repair company to fix your credit. Pulling your reports is free. Disputing is free. Here's the exact process, start to finish.

Step 1: Pull all 3 credit reports

There are three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They don't share information with each other, so each report can be different. A collection might show on one and not the others. A late payment might be reported on two.

Get all three free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the official site. Free weekly reports from all three bureaus are now permanent, so you can check as often as you need. Skip lookalike sites that ask for a card.

Download each report as a PDF and save them in one folder. You'll compare against them later.

Step 2: Go through every line

This is where most people rush. Don't. Go section by section on each report:

• Personal info: name spellings, old addresses, employers. Anything that isn't yours.
• Accounts: every credit card, loan and car note. Check the balance, the credit limit, the open date and the status.
• Payment history: every late mark (30, 60, 90 days). Check the month and year on each one.
• Collections and charge offs: who reports it, the amount, the dates.
• Hard inquiries: every company that pulled your credit. Do you recognize each one?

Step 3: Mark what to dispute

Make a list. For each item write the bureau, the company name, the account number (last 4 digits is fine) and what's wrong with it. Things to mark:

• Accounts or inquiries you don't recognize
• Late payments on months you paid on time
• Wrong balances, limits or dates
• The same debt showing twice (original creditor and a collection agency both showing a balance)
• An item reported differently across the 3 bureaus
• Old addresses or names that were never yours

Step 4: Dispute with each bureau

Dispute each item with the bureau that reports it. If it's on all three, dispute it with all three. You can dispute online on each bureau's site or by mail. By mail, send it certified with return receipt so you have proof of the date.

Every dispute should include:

• Your full name, address and date of birth
• A copy of your ID and a recent bill with your address
• Each item you're disputing, with the account number
• What's wrong and what you want done (corrected or removed)
• Copies of any proof (never originals)

You can also contact the company that reported the account and ask them to correct it with the bureaus.

Step 5: Track the 30 days

Once the bureau gets your dispute, it generally has 30 days to investigate and send you the results in writing. Write down the date you sent each dispute and the date each answer comes back. One spreadsheet is enough.

Step 6: Act on every answer

When the results come in, pull your reports again and compare them to the PDFs you saved in Step 1. For each item, it was either removed, updated, or kept. Anything still showing gets your next round: a new dispute with more detail and more proof, a request for how they verified it, or a direct letter to the company reporting it.

Most people stop after one round. The people who fix their credit keep going.

Common questions

Can I dispute my credit report myself?

Yes. Disputing directly with the bureaus is free, and you don't need a company to do it for you.

Does disputing hurt my credit score?

No. Filing a dispute doesn't lower your score.

How long does a credit dispute take?

The bureau generally has 30 days to investigate after it receives your dispute, then it has to send you the results.

Do I need to dispute with all 3 bureaus?

Only with the bureaus that show the item. Check all 3 reports, because each one can be different.

How much does it cost to fix my own credit?

Your reports are free and disputing is free. The only thing you need is the process, and that's what Standing Skool teaches, for $30 a month.