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Experian is one of the top three credit reporting agencies in the nation and one of the first resources to contact when there is a credit problem. The first step is to order a free copy of your Experian credit report. If you order this report from the government website then there will be no fee, provided you limit your requests to once a year, (for multiple searches you may need a subscription).
The Experian credit report will start by listing your name, report number and the date the report was created. There is a section called “Potentially Negative Items” and this is rather self-explanatory. The most significant debts will be listed here including bankruptcies, tax liens and civil judgments. The next section is called “credit items” and this lists current accounts which are known as “collection”, that is, accounts that are late or that have been charged off by the creditor.
The “accounts in good standing” section reviews all of your accounts that are current or that have been closed in good standing. Remember that not all of these accounts will necessarily reflect favorably on your Experian credit report. For example, closed accounts can bring a credit score down while open accounts, though current, may indicate to a creditor that you have amassed a great deal of debt in a short time.
After that section, you will see the “requests for credit history” section. This section consists of two areas including one that shows application requests from other companies and another that shows credit requests just by you, the consumer. After ordering your Experian credit report, you can contact individual creditors or a consumer reporting agency regarding disputed charges.
You do have the right to report erroneous or fraudulent activity to consumer reporting agencies. You can do this by writing to the bureau’s disputes department and writing a detailed letter explaining your case. Include supporting documentation and always send copies instead of originals. Even if you do not successfully get an item removed from your Experian credit report you can still include a personal statement as to the dispute, which has its own section for easy viewing.
While you have your Experian credit report you might want to review the personal information that has been reported on you. This might include your full legal name, current and past address, spouse’s name, Social Security number and employer. You get a free report once a year so you have absolutely nothing to lose!