Resources
Enforce your legal rights.
Resources
Enforce your legal rights.
The FTC is the nation's consumer protection agency. The federal agency's mission is to protect consumers and promote competition. The FTC protects consumers by stopping unfair, deceptive or fraudulent practices in the marketplace. They conduct investigations, file lawsuits, develop rules to ensure a vibrant marketplace, and educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities.
Links
File a Complaint
Sample Letter (for disputing errors with credit reporting agencies)
Sample Letter (for disputing errors with furnishers)
Report to Congress Concerning the Accuracy of Information in Credit Reports
Guide for Assisting Identity Theft Victims
Credit Bureau Contact
The ONLY authorized source for the free annual credit reports that’s yours by law.
You can obtain your credit reports directly from each of the consumer reporting agencies – Trans Union, Equifax, or Experian, but consumer beware! These credit reporting agencies own businesses which easily trick the consumer into buying their credit scores rather than providing the consumer with their actual credit report (legally known as the "consumer report").
60 Minutes aired this story about their investigation into the credit reporting industry. As explained by 60 Minutes, studies have found that mistakes are often almost impossible to remove from your credit file.
Jon Leibowitz: Here's what we found. Some pretty troubling information. One out of five Americans has an error on their credit report. And one out of 10 has an error on their credit report that might lower their credit score.
IdentityTheft.gov is a one-stop shop for victims of identity theft. IdentityTheft.gov will create a personalized recovery plan specific to your needs.
Shaw v. Experian
The CFPB became the first federal agency to oversee credit reporting agencies such as Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. The bureau receives complaints directly from consumers relating to credit reporting, mortgages, bank accounts and services, private student loans, consumer loans, and money transfers.
Links
Submit a credit reporting complaint to the CFPB
Study : Analysis of Differences between Consumer- and Creditor-Purchased Credit Scores
Study: Key Dimensions and Processes in the U.S. Credit Reporting System: A review of how the nation’s largest credit bureaus manage consumer data
Fair Lending Report of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau