Here's the deal.
Your credit report is your business.
You are responsible for everything listed on it, good or bad..
The creditors who report to the 4 credit agencies (YES- I SAID 4) < more on this later <---
do not have to verify accuracy.
So- with that being said- you are entitled by law to get a copy of your credit report from the Big 3 (I know I said 4 earlier) Credit Reporting Agencies CRA for short. If you been recently turned down for credit you can get another or additional credit reports during the year. So you can get a free one, normally once a year.
There's only ONE way to get a truly free copy of your credit report, this comes from the federal government- so it's good.
You have to go to www.annualcreditreport.com .
Once you verify some information, you click on the link that will take to the CRA's to get your free report.
You have to follow the link to the CRA three separate times.
One for each CRA. Each one of the CRA's website will ask questions to determine your personal identity.
Each one of these websites are full of Credit Monitoring and Credit Protection Services and other Free trial bullshit. So don't get distracted.
While you are on the Credit reporting agencies web site, PRINT a copy of your report and write down your confirmation number. You'll need that later if you need/want to file a dispute.
Disputing inaccurate credit information is absolutely your responsibility.
The CRA's do give you the ability to dispute online.
If you find anything that appears to be inaccurate, dispute it.
The CRA's will investigate and hopefully if it's negative, it gets removed.
I would NOT dispute positive information on you CR ( credit report)
I'm being deliberately vague on the details and stipulations on disputing and all the other rules and regulations on Credit reporting practices and how to get information removed from your report and so on...
The information varies by state and there are a ton of good websites that will help.
A quick note on Credit Repair and Services that claim to do the Amazing and eliminate and repair your credit.
BULLSHIT, that's what it is.
Most will do exactly what you should do, and can do for free.
They can't guarantee faster results either.
It's 30 to 45 days to dispute debt and have it corrected.
Some things get removed faster, not because they waved a magic credit fixing wand.
They check reports, file disputes and normally follow it up in writing, to prove the validity of reported debts. Same thing you should be doing.
When you have your report printed, research the information there.
Make sure every I is dotted and every T is crossed.
If your looking for that magic credit score or FICO number, it's Not listed on the Free Reports.
Normally you have to pay for that valuable information.
Check it, fix it!
Now- The 4th credit Reporting Agency- is named INNOVIS.
INNOVIS is the credit reporting agency that determines what kind prescreen credit offers you receive in the mail.
Creditors check INNOVIS to see what kind of credit you can and should be offered.
Their Credit Score determines an offer of credit with a lower interest rate or one with a high interest rate.
Here's their website- https://www.innovis.com/InnovisWeb/pers_orderCreditReport.html
Could be worth checking out.
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