Reasons for mistakes on your credit report

It is always a good idea to check your credit report periodically for errors.  There are many different reasons errors on your credit report may occur and they may have a significant impact on your credit score.  Each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion now offers one free credit report each year to consumers.  These can obtained on the websites of each of the credit bureaus.

Some common reasons for credit report errors include: 

• The individual has applied for credit under several different names (i.e. John Doe and Jonathon Doe)
• Someone made a clerical error in entering or reading information (names, social security numbers, addresses, etc.) from a handwritten application.
• Mix ups with common names. For example, there is likely more than one John Smith living in New York City and often there is the chance that information intended for one John Smith might appear on another John Smith’s credit report as he applies for a mortgage.
• The individual gave an inaccurate Social Security number or the number was misread by the creditor.
• Loan or credit card payments were inadvertently applied to the wrong account.

No matter what the reason, the erroneous information could reflect poorly on your credit file, thus causing approval problems when the time comes to apply for a job or obtain a mortgage. If you find errors, no matter how small, be sure you get them fixed, and make sure that you contact all three credit bureaus with your change.