 TITLE: How Long Do Credit Report Disputes Take? CONTENT: How Does the Dispute Process Work?\n----------------------------------\nIf you discover inaccurate information on your Experian credit report, you can file a dispute quickly and easily online or by mail. (The other national credit bureaus, TransUnion and Equifax, have comparable dispute procedures of their own.)\nWhen you dispute credit report information by mail, you'll be asked to provide proof of identity, such as a copy of your photo ID and proof of address. Depending on the nature of the dispute, you may also wish to provide evidence of the inaccuracy, such as a copy of a statement or canceled check as evidence of an on-time payment. The Experian Dispute Center allows you to upload scanned documents electronically; you also can submit copies through the mail.\nIt's wise to dispute information that misstates your credit history, including but not limited to payments inaccurately reported as missed or late, or loans or other accounts reported as still open when you've paid them off or closed them.\nIt's also important to notify the credit bureaus (and the proper authorities) if you see listings for loans or credit card accounts you didn't request or open, which could be indications of credit fraud or identity theft. When reviewing your credit report, keep in mind that one or more of your creditors may go by a different name or acronym on your report than what you see on your account statement. Double-check to make sure the creditor listed is not one of your existing accounts.\nBecause credit scores are calculated using data from your credit reports, eliminating inaccuracies from your report can affect your credit scores. Eliminating inaccurate late or missing payments could mean a significant boost for your scores. It's always to your benefit in the long run to have your credit report accurately reflect your credit usage and activity. END