Your credit report follows you everywhere — lenders, landlords, employers, and insurers all use it to make decisions about you. When that report contains errors — accounts that aren't yours, wrong balances, outdated negative marks, or mixed files with someone else's information — the consequences can be devastating. The credit bureaus are required by law to investigate disputes and correct inaccurate information. When they fail to do so, you have the right to hold them accountable.
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) · 15 U.S.C. § 1681
The FCRA requires credit reporting agencies to maintain accurate information, investigate consumer disputes within 30 days, and correct or delete inaccurate entries. It also imposes duties on companies that furnish information to the bureaus. Note: only § 1681s-2(b) furnisher duties — those triggered after a bureau has notified the furnisher of a dispute — carry a private right of action.
Warning Signs
You may qualify if…
Accounts on your report that don't belong to you
Debts reported as open or delinquent after being paid or settled
Negative marks that should have aged off your report (typically after 7 years)
Your file mixed with someone else's information (a "mixed file")
A credit bureau failing to investigate your written dispute within 30 days
A furnisher (bank, lender, collector) continuing to report information it knows is wrong
Denied credit, housing, or employment because of inaccurate reporting
Your Rights
What you may be entitled to
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Actual damages including lost credit opportunities, higher interest rates, and emotional distress
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Statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per action for willful noncompliance
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Punitive damages in cases of willful violations
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Attorney's fees and costs paid by the credit bureau or furnisher
FCRA cases are handled on a contingency basis — you pay no attorney's fees out of pocket. In most consumer cases, attorney's fees are paid by the defendant under federal fee-shifting statutes. Attorney's fees are typically paid by the defendant under the federal fee-shifting statute.
Every case is different. The outcomes described above are potential remedies available under the law, not guaranteed results. Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.