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Credit report mistakes can lower your credit score and cause unfair disruptions and denials when you need to get a loan, job, credit card, apartment, car insurance, mortgage, or other opportunity.

Do This! 5 Steps to Undo Credit Mistakes‍‍

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear about which information on your credit report is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what documentation you have to prove it.
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the credit bureau. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received.
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Or, contact Mistake today! We handle everything for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get back to good credit fast with Mistake.

Background check errors are like data potholes, making the road to your rideshare career a hazardous one. 

Do This! 6 Steps to Undo Rideshare Background Check Errors

Even a great resume or meaningful experience can’t get you over the hiring hurdles put in your path by a background check riddled with errors.

Do This! 6 Steps to Undo Employment Background Check Errors

Oh, criminal history mistakes, let us count the ways you show up to cause trouble when someone needs a job, insurance, or housing… 

Know This! 8 Common Criminal Record Errors in Background Checks

• Plea deal misreporting - if you take a plea to a lesser charge, your record should reflect that
• Duplicate entries - listing the same event repeatedly makes you look like a repeat offender
• Inaccurate charges- arrested, but never charged or had the charges dropped? This critical info needs to be clearly stated.
• Expunged or sealed records - these should not show up on your report
• Mistaken identity - someone else’s criminal history masquerading as yours
• Missing or inaccurate disposition - not convicted? Sentenced to two months of probation? The whole story matters.
• Old arrests or charges- in most cases, criminal events older than 7 years, shouldn’t show up
• Incorrect personal info - wrong name, birthdate, SSN, and more

Contact Mistake today! We correct the record for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get an accurate criminal record fast with Mistake.

Getting approved for a rental after the tenant screening company made you look unqualified, untrustworthy, or criminal may seem impossible, but it’s not.

Do This! 6 Steps to Undo Tenant Screening Errors

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear about which information on your tenant screening report is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what documentation you have to prove it.
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the tenant screening company. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Notify the property manager or landlord at the property you applied to that you are disputing the report with the tenant screening company.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received. 
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Contact Mistake today! We correct the record for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get an accurate criminal record fast with Mistake.

Getting approved for a rental after the tenant screening company made you look unqualified, untrustworthy, or criminal may seem impossible, but it’s not.

Do This! 6 Steps to Undo Tenant Screening Errors

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear about which information on your tenant screening report is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what documentation you have to prove it.
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the tenant screening company. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Notify the property manager or landlord at the property you applied to that you are disputing the report with the tenant screening company.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received. 
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Contact Mistake today! We correct the record for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get an accurate criminal record fast with Mistake.

Identity swaps in the movies are zany and hilarious. Identity swaps in your credit file are chaotic and consequential. Fixing them fast is important.

Do This! 5 Steps to Undo Name or Address Mistakes In Your Credit File

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear that the name or address information on your credit report is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what documentation you have to prove it.
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the credit bureau. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received.
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Or, contact Mistake today! We handle everything for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get back to your real identity fast with Mistake.

When financial mistakes happen, you can experience a credit score drop. But recovery is possible. Following these steps will help put you on the path to a better credit future.

Do This! 7 Steps to Rebuild Your Credit After a Financial Mistake

• Understand exactly what the problem is. Miss payments completely? Pay bills late? Max out credit cards? Apply for or open too many credit accounts at once? Allow too many hard inquiries? File for bankruptcy? Whatever it is, start by being clear on the problem so you can build a recovery plan.
• Review your financial statements and credit reports carefully to see how this financial mistake impacts your credit and ensure everything being reported is accurate. Access your credit reports for free every week at annualcreditreport.com.
• NotifSet expectations- most negative marks stay on your credit report for 7 years. There are some exceptions, but the common mistakes, like late payments, accounts in collections, charge-offs, etc., fall into the 7 year rule. Hard inquiries disappear after 2 years. Bankruptcy is 7 or 10 years, depending on the type.y the property manager or landlord at the property you applied to that you are disputing the report with the tenant screening company.
• Make a credit recovery plan that accounts for tackling the problem itself. Consider things like a repayment plan that works with your budget, a bill-paying reminder that helps you stay on track, a monthly budget that gives you some breathing room, etc.
• Keep close track of what’s in your credit reports and financial statements. Look at your credit reports at least once per month, and review every billing statement line by line when it arrives.
• If there are no errors, you just have to commit to your credit recovery plan until the negative item drops off your report and your credit score bounces back.
• If there are errors in your statements or credit reports, check out our Knowledge Guide on How to Dispute an Error on Your Credit Report.

If you find credit or billing errors, you can contact Mistake today! We handle everything for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Keep your credit health strong with Mistake.

Credit challenges after bankruptcy are common, and so are credit reporting errors. Post bankruptcy, items on your credit report should accurately reflect your new start. 

Do This! 5 Steps to Keep Post-Bankruptcy Errors Off Your Credit Report

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear about which information on your credit report is wrong, why it’s wrong, and what documentation you have to prove it. In this case, your discharge order will play a key role.
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the credit bureau. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received.
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Or, contact Mistake today! We handle everything for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get back to the fresh start bankruptcy promised fast...with Mistake.

If an expunged or sealed record shows up in a background check, you can send it back to the crypt it crawled out of for good.

Do This! 6 Steps to Fight Expunged or Sealed Record Reporting

• Draft a dispute letter, being very clear about which information on your background check report was expunged or sealed and what documentation you have to prove it (which should include relevant court documents).
• Send the dispute letter and copies of your documentation to the background check company. Send everything certified mail, return receipt requested. Use the dispute address provided on their website.
• Notify the job or opportunity you applied to that you are disputing the report with the background check company.
• Keep copies of everything you send (including mail receipts). Take notes about any communications you have. Track the date your letter was received.
• If you don’t get a response within 30 days, if the response says the information has been “verified” as accurate, or if the errors have caused you harm, it’s time to escalate the dispute with a lawyer.
• File a lawsuit for corrections and compensation.

Contact Mistake today! We correct the record for you. Review, dispute, tracking, lawsuit, fixes, recovery, compensation, done. They do, we undo. You pay nothing. Boom!

Get those files back in the crypt they crawled out of fast…with Mistake.

The FCRA gives consumers the right to access a free annual credit report from each of the credit bureaus. But following the financial impact of the global Covid pandemic, the credit bureaus increased the frequency significantly, giving you weekly access to your credit reports. This policy change was so successful that the pandemic extension is still in place. 
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You should use the verified website annualcreditreport.com to make your request. This site allows you to select which credit reports you’d like to view- Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion- including the option to select all three. 
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Note that this access to your credit report does not include free access to your credit score. The report itself is composed of the raw consumer data about your financial and credit activity. Credit scores are proprietary numbers assigned by the credit bureaus, attempting to quantify your creditworthiness in comparison to others. 
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However, there are numerous ways to access your credit score, including the common practice of credit card companies partnering with credit bureaus to provide credit scores to account holders through the credit card website or app. Mortgage lenders may also provide credit score info during the mortgage lending process.

The FCRA gives consumers the right to have accurate information included in your credit reports. After all, decisions about whether to give you access to credit, loans, insurance, and other opportunities are only fair if the information underlying those decisions is accurate. 
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The specific language states: “Whenever a consumer reporting agency prepares a consumer report it shall follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information concerning the individual about whom the report relates.”
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Consumer reporting agencies include credit bureaus and background check companies. So, data that is incorrect, misleading, outdated, or unreportable should not be included in your credit reports or background check reports. 
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This provision places an obligation on the consumer reporting agency to take steps to affirmatively prevent mistakes and to have mechanisms in place to correct mistakes when they slip through the cracks. 

The FCRA sets parameters on how long certain negative data can hang around on a credit report or background check report. 
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On your credit report, negative data includes things like late or missed payments, accounts in collections, charge-offs, etc. This info is generally only reportable for up to 7 years. An exception to this is Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which can be reported for up to 10 years.
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On your background check report, the inclusion of negative data is a bit more complicated. Arrests and charges that don’t lead to convictions have a 7 year reporting window under the FCRA, but federal charges may be reported indefinitely. 
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Additionally, state law shapes specific reporting windows, with vehicular violations having a reporting window that ranges from three to ten years. Arrests and charges that do lead to conviction may fall off after 7 years as well, but this depends on other factors. For instance, certain employment background screenings (like for positions working with children) may include relevant convictions indefinitely. IF information, even if it is ACCURATE information, is reported outside of a permissible reporting window, it can violate the FCRA or specific state laws. 

When a background check is required as part of a decision-making process, the FCRA requires that notice be given to a consumer if the information in the background check report triggers an adverse decision.
 
In other words, if you applied for a job, rental, insurance, or other opportunity and something popped up in your background check that made the employer, landlord, or insurance carrier decide to deny your application or require something of you that isn’t typically required of others (like a co-signer), they have to let you know. 
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This notice requirement actually comes in two parts- the pre-adverse action notice and the final adverse action notice. As its name suggests, the pre-adverse action notice must be provided prior to any action being taken. It is meant to give you a heads up, provide a copy of your report, inform you of your rights, and give you a chance to review and dispute the data in your report. 
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The final adverse action notice is meant to confirm the final decision and provide additional information about your right to dispute the data. 

Even though an employer, landlord, lender, creditor, or other decision maker can require consumer reports (credit report or background check) as a condition of applying for an opportunity, the FCRA places parameters on when and why such a report can be pulled. 
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There is a two-part assessment for whether a decision maker has an actual need to access your reports. The first part is a requirement that there is a permissible use for looking at your data. Permissible use includes things like credit checks, collections efforts, licensing and benefits assessments, and applications for employment, insurance, and rentals.
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The second part is a requirement that there be a legitimate need to access your credit report or background check report. This means there must be some connection to a consumer-initiated transaction. In other words, a credit check may be a permissible use of someone’s credit data, but the person running the credit check also must have a verifiable business need for why they are checking your data at the time the report is run. 
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So, where the permissible use is a broad basis for poking around in a type of data, the legitimate need is a specific basis for poking around in that type of data for a particular consumer at a particular time.

The FCRA requires consumers to have some agency over how accessible their credit reports are or how easy it is to open credit in their name. It does this by giving you the right to place fraud alerts and credit freezes for free.  Fraud alerts are red flags to a lender or creditor, signaling an additional identity verification need. When you place a fraud alert, someone seeking credit in your name will be subjected to more careful scrutiny. The right to place a free fraud alert lasts for one year, but may be extended to seven years for victims of identity theft. The credit bureaus sell a paid version of fraud alerts that last as long as you subscribe.Credit freezes lock down your credit report unless you provide specific, express authorization for someone to access it by temporarily or permanently lifting the freeze (known as “thawing”). The FCRA gives you the right to place, lift, or remove a credit freeze at any time for free. 
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You must place a freeze at each of the credit bureaus individually and there can be a delay (approx. one day) when requesting a thaw.

The FCRA gives consumers the right to dispute inaccurate data in credit reports and background checks. This right is broad, covering not only blatantly false information, but also information that is misleading and unreportable. You can dispute information that is clearly incorrect, like someone else’s name or social security number on your report. But you can also dispute things that are misleading. For instance, a background check report showing an  arrest, but not showing that charges were never filed or were dropped. 
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Similarly, showing duplicate entries for the same event is misleading. Whether it’s for a line of credit on your credit report or for an arrest on your background check, reporting the same information multiple times gives the impression of multiple events or multiple accounts. 
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You can also dispute information that is unreportable. So, a bankruptcy that should have fallen off your credit report or an expunged record that should never have been reported can be disputed.
Credit bureaus and background check companies must provide a way for you to file a dispute, which typically includes an online option, a mailing address, and a phone number. Disputing through certified mail is recommended.

The FCRA gives you the right to have your dispute investigated and responded to quickly. So if you file a dispute over inaccurate, misleading, or unreportable data, you can have clear expectations about what comes next. 
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Under this provision, the credit bureau or background check company is obligated to investigate your dispute. Typically, this involves confirming the accuracy of the information with the original source of the data, known as the data furnisher. Data furnishers are the companies that have a direct relationship with you, like a credit card company or mortgage lender. 
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The credit bureau or background check company must finish its investigation and provide a response within 30 days of receiving your dispute (with limited exception). However, there is no obligation to perform the investigation in any particular way. Investigations tend to be automated and frequently result in false verifications (falsely confirming the disputed information is correct), even for obviously wrong information.

The FCRA doesn’t just give you the right to dispute and place obligations on the consumer reporting agencies to investigate your dispute. It also mandates that corrections be made. While this may seem like an obvious aspect to the dispute and investigation process, the automation of review processes and the reliance on poor investigation techniques and standards means that many errors go uncorrected. 
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This is true even for information that is directly acknowledged by the credit bureaus or background check company as an error. So, for instance, your dispute may be properly investigated and you may receive a letter stating you have a right to corrections, but those corrections are never actually made. 
Or, the corrections may be made initially, but then they show up again months or years later. Failing to make lasting corrections to your consumer reports is a violation of this obligation under the FCRA.

The FCRA gives consumers the right to seek damages for FCRA violations. In the legal context, the right to seek “damages” means the right to seek compensation (money) for harms you suffered as a result of someone else’s actions that violated the law. When it comes to credit reports and background check reports, FCRA violations can cause a number of truly detrimental direct harms to consumers, including things like being denied or rejected for a mortgage, car loan, line of credit, insurance policy, good loan terms, long and short term rentals, security clearance, and more. 
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Reporting errors can also cause a cascade of domino-effect harms related to these denials and rejections. For instance, financial problems, inability to secure work and get paycheck, lack of housing, and emotional mental stress, severe anxiety or depression, and similar. 
If any of these harms befalls you as a result of inaccurate, misleading, or unreportable information in your credit reports or background checks, you have a right to seek compensation to make you whole again. 

The FCRA gives you the right to get a copy of your background check report at the time that it’s run. 
Because of the other rights you have under the FCRA, a background check report can only be run for a permissible reason and with your direct authorization. But once you give the green light, you also have the right to receive a copy.
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Many background check companies use online platforms to run the report which let you select automatic receipt of a copy once your report is ready. The report may either be sent to an email address you provide or via an account you create with the background check company.
Additionally, many employers, property management companies, and others may provide a copy once they receive it, or make a copy available to you through an online account.
If you are denied an opportunity based on information in your background check, you must be provided with a copy of the report, along with a notice of adverse action. 
If you aren’t automatically sent a copy, but request one from the background check company at the time that it’s run, it should be provided.

The FCRA gives you the right to limit pre-screened offers from credit card companies, insurance companies, and others. 
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These offers tend to arrive in the mail or in your inbox, stating that you have been pre-selected to apply for a particular card, account, or insurance product. The companies sending these offers use inquiries on your credit report to determine your potential for eligibility. Since these are marketing inquiries and are not expressly authorized by you, they are soft inquiries, meaning they don’t negatively impact your credit score.
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However, you have a right to temporarily or permanently limit or ban the use of your credit report for marketing purposes. You can opt out using the verified website optoutprescreen.com, which is operated by the credit bureaus. 

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.