Virginia & Washington DC Credit Report Errors Lawyer

How to Fix and Dispute Credit Report Errors

Credit report errors can be a serious problem and need to be addressed by intelligent and persistent lawyers on your behalf. Your credit report is more than just a snapshot of your borrowing habits. It is a powerful tool used by lenders, landlords, and employers to determine factors such as your financial stability, the amount of debt you currently owe, and even the amount of risk a lender or employer takes on when working with you. Thus, credit report errors can affect your chances of securing a low-interest loan, getting the job you want, or finding the perfect home. The Virginia & Washington DC credit report error lawyers of Blankingship & Christiano, P.C. can help you protect your rights by correcting credit report errors and putting a stop to the effects of identity theft.

What Should I Do If There Are Errors On My Credit Report?

If you find a credit report error, whether due to ID theft or some other reason, the credit reporting agencies are required to investigate it, as long as you open a case file. Washington, DC-area residents can contact Blankingship & Christiano P.C. for help.

How Can Credit Report Errors Affect Me?

Credit report errors harm Washington, DC-area consumers’ ability to do any number of things, including purchase a house. It is of paramount importance that you act quickly to dispute fraudulent or incorrect items.

What Should I Do If Someone Else’s Information is on My Report?

In this case, you will need to document that the information erroneously added to your credit report doesn’t belong there. Credit report errors like this can range from mild to severe, but time is of the essence no matter what.

Who Uses Your Credit Report

Your credit report may be used by any number of people or institutions to evaluate factors about your lifestyle and associated risk, including any financial crimes you have committed and the amount of debt you owe. In fact, your credit report is often used as part of or even in lieu of a traditional background check. Credit report errors can have severe negative effects on every sphere of your life, making your credit lawyer an invaluable resource when it comes to restoring credit report accuracy. A credit report may be requested by

• potential landlords before you can sign a rental agreement.
• potential or current employers.
• banks, car dealerships, and mortgage or student lenders before you can secure a loan or receive a specific interest rate.
• credit card companies.
• utility companies and mobile service providers.
• insurance companies, including health, homeowner’s, and auto insurance.
• government agencies.
• debt collection agencies.

Four Common Credit Report Errors

You have the right to obtain an accurate credit report. Knowing the most common credit report errors that occur can help you catch problems in your credit report immediately and act quickly to contact a credit lawyer for a resolution.

1. Identity errors may occur for many reasons. Credit reporting bureaus can mistake one individual for another, resulting in false information. Alternatively, using several names or versions of your name and identity theft can also affect the information on your credit report.
2. Marriage and divorce can affect how your finances—and thus your credit score—are handled. If you have been recently married or divorced, your credit report may be inaccurate.
3. Mistakes in the status of your accounts or payments are common. Your report may have accounts showing as open that have been closed, incorrect information regarding the status of payments, or other outdated information about your finances.
4. In some cases, past delinquencies that have been remedied may not show as such on your credit report. This can affect your score by making it look like these delinquencies are still open.

It is important to understand your consumer rights in order to fully take control of your personal finances. You should know that you have the right to consult a credit lawyer at any time. If you have a credit dispute and live near Fairfax, a credit lawyer will guide you through the process and advocate on your behalf. Your credit report disputes attorney will also ensure that you do not make the following common mistakes.

Understanding Credit Report Law in Virginia

When it comes to protecting your financial identity, the best strategy is to stay on top of your bills, statements, and credit reports. At a time when identity theft is being called a serious, growing epidemic, it no longer makes sense to wait for paper bills and statements to arrive in the mail.

In this increasingly electronic world, it pays to check your bills, statements, and bank accounts online at their respective secure websites for errors or fraud. Also, many financial experts urge consumers to take advantage of the free credit report the three credit bureaus are legally required to furnish you every year and check it over for credit report inaccuracies.

The following are key items to check on your credit report:

• Your personal information, including social security number and address
• Your employment history
• The credit accounts list to verify you opened each one of them
• Reported past due accounts or accounts in collection
• Credit inquiries by creditors and financial service vendors you did not contact
• Public records for liens or criminal charges

Taking legal action to fix a credit report inaccuracy

The first step identity theft victims should take is to notify their credit card companies or banks and request that the compromised accounts be closed down. Next, notify each of the three credit bureaus in writing of any fraudulent activity or credit report mistake and request that they place a fraud alert on your credit file preventing further theft.

If these steps fail to fix the problem, you may need to contact a credit report lawyer in the Washington DC area to take legal action. An experienced credit report dispute attorney knows how to use the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), established by the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC to file a credit agency lawsuit.

At Blankingship & Christiano, P.C., our credit dispute attorneys have a successful track record fighting and winning credit agency litigation. We will not hesitate to initiate a credit report lawsuit to fight for your legal rights and restore your good credit. We are knowledgeable about credit and consumer law as well as frequent changes to these laws and have experience dealing with credit report litigation against credit reporting agencies and creditors.

Mixed & Merged Credit Reporting Errors

Have you experienced inaccurate reporting of your credit?

Credit protection is something that we take very seriously at Blankingship & Christiano P.C. We understand the frustration and stress that is frequently involved in these situations, and generally these problems cannot be fixed on your own. Attempting to dig yourself out from this problem can actually lead to further problems and financial consequences. When you retain our skilled legal representation, you’re not only protecting your interests, you are investing in a clear future.

A mixed credit report could be caused by many inaccuracies, including the wrong:

• Date of birth
• Individual’s name
• Home address
• Social security number

What is mixed or merged credit?

A credit agency who mixes up one individual’s credit file with another person’s file is called a mixed credit report. In some instances, two different credit files can merge together to be one inaccurate credit report. This can lower your credit score, even if you previously had a perfect score, especially when the incorrect information is negative.

If you’ve discovered you have a credit report error due to mixed merged credit reports, we can help! Blankingship & Christiano are the best credit dispute lawyers in Northern Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Greater Washington DC Metro for fixing mixed merge credit reports. Please give us a call at(571) 313-0412 for our legal assistance!

Mistakes to avoid during the credit error dispute process

Ignoring the Terms of Agreement

When you obtain your credit reports, you may have not read the terms of the agreement on the credit reporting bureau’s website. If so, you may have automatically agreed to a binding arbitration clause. This clause prohibits consumers from initiating litigation against the credit bureau. This does not prevent you from disputing a credit report error; however, if the credit bureau fails to correct the error and you agreed to the arbitration clause, you do not have the right to file a lawsuit. To preserve your right to a trial by jury, you must mail an opt-out letter to the credit bureau within a certain period of time, usually 30 to 60 days.

Neglecting to Initiate the Investigative Process

Many consumers decide that it is easier to dispute erroneous information with the furnisher, rather than with the credit bureau. Although it is certainly possible that the furnisher is amenable to fixing the mistake, it is best not to assume that this will happen. Instead, mail your dispute letter to both the furnisher and the credit bureau. When the credit bureau receives a dispute letter, it is required to initiate the investigative process. Then, if the credit bureau fails to correct the mistake, your credit lawyer can initiate litigation against it.

Using the Online Dispute Form

Credit bureaus may encourage consumers to submit short dispute forms online, which they claim are convenient and easy to use. While this may be true, credit report attorneys generally do not recommend using these online forms. Instead, take the time to craft an exhaustive dispute letter that contains all the information you have about the disputed issue. Provide details of why the information is inaccurate and attach copies of any supporting documents as evidence.

Understanding Your Credit Report

Understanding the information on your credit report is the first step in identifying errors. You can reach a qualified credit attorney near Leesburg for more information about filing a credit report dispute by calling Blankingship & Christiano, P.C. at (571) 313-0412.

• The “Identifying Information” portion of your report contains your name (including any other names or nicknames you may have used), Social Security number, address, and other personal information. Always check the accuracy of all information in this section.
• The “Trade Lines” section of your credit report outlines your credit lenders. This includes mortgages and real estate loans, credit cards, and installment accounts such as car and other non-property loans.
• “Credit Inquiries” refer to inquiries regarding your credit, either made by you (voluntary) or by other creditors (involuntary).
• “Public Record and Collection Items” are public records obtained from state and county offices or courts regarding actions taken to address overdue debt. These include liens, wage attachments, lawsuits, foreclosures, and bankruptcies.

Different Types of Credit Reporting

There are several different types of credit reports an individual or institution may request to evaluate your credit history.

• Traditional credit reports may be generated using information from one or all of the three established major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). These credit reports are based on your credit history, public records related to your financial status, and any inquiries that may have been made into your credit history in the past.
• A non-traditional credit report is used to evaluate individuals who have little or no history with traditional forms of credit, such as credit cards or loans. This type of credit report is generated using other forms of financial data, such as your apartment rental history, your utility payment history, school tuition payments, insurance payments, and any rent-to-own products you may have purchased.

Are you concerned about identity theft or credit report errors in Fairfax, Alexandria or the surrounding areas? You can reach an experienced credit lawyer at Blankingship & Christiano, P.C. for help by calling (571) 313-0412.

Steps to Take After Finding Credit Report Errors

You have found an error on your credit report, and are worried about the impact it might have on you or if it could point to a larger identity theft problem. Credit report errors can show up even if you’re doing everything right.

However, there are actionable steps you can take to take protect yourself and start taking care of credit report errors.

Make sure you have an up to date credit report

To ensure you have accurate and the most up to date credit report, you have the opportunity every year to request a free credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. This will grant you your credit report for all three following credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian & Transunion.

Dispute your credit report errors

Submit a credit dispute report for each error

Credit report errors are dependent on each credit reporting agency. If you have an error, it must be disputed with the credit reporting agency it’s listed on.

• If there is an error on your Equifax credit report, the first step to challenge it should be disputing this error with Equifax.
• There are sample credit report dispute letters you can use to start you out with to ensure you include all important information necessary to start the process right.

Credit report agency contact information

Equifax

• Equifax Information Services LLC
• P.O. Box 740256
• Atlanta, GA 30348
• Phone number: 1- 866-349-5191
• Online credit dispute link: https://www.equifax.com/personal/disputes/

Experian

• Experian
  P.O. Box 4500
  Allen, TX 75013
• Phone number: Phone number provided on credit report
• Online credit dispute link: https://www.experian.com/disputes/main.html

Transunion

• TransUnion LLC
  Consumer Dispute Center
  P.O. Box 2000
  Chester, PA 19016
• Phone number: 800-916-8800
• Online credit dispute link: https://dispute.transunion.com/dp/dispute/landingPage.jsp

Freeze your credit

If you notice systematic errors in your credit report, or suspect foul play, freezing your credit is an available security measure to protect yourself. All three credit bureau agencies allow you to freeze your credit in times of need. Credit freezes add an extra layer of protection in case anyone is trying to purchase items while using your identity:

• Equifax — https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp – 1-800-349-9960
• Experian — https://www.experian.com/ncaconline/freeze – 1‑888‑397‑3742
• TransUnion — https://freeze.transunion.com/sf/securityFreeze/landingPage.jsp – 1-888-909-8872

Frequently Associated Damages

If you have suffered damages due to credit reporting errors, it’s advisable to retain legal services as soon as possible. At Blankingship & Christiano P.C. , we have represented individuals like yourself to dispute credit reporting errors and fight against the resulting damages. The financial repercussions of these types of errors on behalf of lenders, creditors, and credit agencies can be devastating. We’re here to help you resolve the situation as quickly as possible and get your life back on track.

Credit report errors are more common than you think. However, a single mistake can leave you with credit-related problems you don’t deserve. The best way to handle a credit report dispute is to work with an experienced credit lawyer to rectify the situation and correct your report. Blankingship & Christiano, P.C. is a consumer protection law firm near Leesburg dedicated to protecting you and your consumer rights. Our fraud lawyers will exercise every option to ensure errors are corrected and your credit dispute is handled quickly and properly.

We may be able to assist you in the case that you:

• Have been a victim of identity theft
• Are facing illegal harassment from collectors
• Have been defrauded in a consumer purchase
• Are not able to clear up erroneous credit records

Contact Our Experienced Virginia & Washington DC Credit Report Error Lawyers

At our law firm, we combine our decades of knowledge and experience to provide you with the best possible representation. Our dedication is to do everything possible to restore your good name and credit. If appropriate, we may take action against those who misrepresented you. Contact us now at (571) 313-0412!

Share This Page: