1 in 5 credit reports contain errors significant enough to hurt your score. Here’s how to find them, dispute them, and get the FICO score you actually deserve.
📞 Client Support 661-505-8085Under FCRA §611, you have the right to dispute any inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information on your credit report. Credit bureaus must investigate within 30 days and correct or remove items that can’t be verified. Removing inaccurate negatives can boost your FICO score by 20–100+ points.
Your credit score is built from data in your credit report. If that data is wrong — and it is for millions of Americans — your score is wrong too. At Maximum FICO Score, based in Bakersfield, CA, error correction is one of the most impactful things we do for clients across Kern County, Los Angeles, and nationwide.
The Most Common Credit Report Errors
Misspelled name, wrong address, or a mixed file (another person’s data on your report).
A payment made on time appears as late — one of the most damaging and common errors.
Could be identity theft, a mixed file, or an authorized user account impacting you negatively.
The same account appears twice — once from creditor and once from collection agency — doubling the damage.
Most negatives must be removed after 7 years. Items past this limit still appearing are errors.
A lower limit or higher balance than actual artificially inflates your utilization ratio.
How to Dispute Credit Report Errors: Step by Step
- Right to free credit reports annually from all three bureaus
- Right to dispute inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information (FCRA §611)
- Right to bureau investigation within 30 days
- Right to add a 100-word statement of dispute to your file
- Right to a free copy of your report after a successful dispute
- Right to sue for damages if a bureau violates the FCRA (§616–617)
- Right to have outdated negative information removed (§605 — 7-year rule)
Score Impact After Errors Are Removed
- Incorrect late payment removed: +20–60 points
- Duplicate collection account removed: +15–40 points
- Account not yours removed: +20–80 points
- Outdated negative item removed: +10–40 points
- Wrong balance corrected (lowering utilization): +10–50 points
Errors on Your Report Are Costing You Money
Don’t let inaccurate information control your financial life. Let Maximum FICO Score review your reports, identify every disputable item, and take action.
Client Support 661-505-8085Frequently Asked Questions
How common are credit report errors?
FTC studies found 1 in 5 consumers has a significant credit report error. 1 in 20 has an error serious enough to cause denial or higher interest rates.
What are the most common credit report errors?
Wrong personal information, incorrectly reported late payments, accounts not belonging to you, duplicate accounts, wrong balances, and negative items past the 7-year reporting limit.
How do I dispute an error?
Under FCRA §611, dispute directly with each bureau online or by certified mail. You can also dispute with the original furnisher. Bureaus must investigate within 30 days.
How long does a credit dispute take?
Bureaus have 30 days to investigate (45 days with additional information). You’ll receive written results notifying you of the outcome.
Can I dispute errors myself or do I need a credit repair company?
You have the right to dispute yourself for free. A professional company handles multiple disputes across all three bureaus simultaneously and knows how to navigate furnisher resistance for faster, more comprehensive results.
Stop Letting Errors Control Your Score
Maximum FICO Score — Serving Bakersfield, Kern County, Los Angeles, and clients nationwide since 2016.
📞 Client Support 661-505-8085