Last reviewed: 2 October 2026
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Credit report audit checklist: read it section by section
A credit report is a statement of your credit activity and current credit situation, and it is organized into a few kinds of information: personal information, credit accounts, collection items, public records and inquiries.[1] This checklist goes through those sections in order and says what to compare against your own records. The checklist questions are ours, drawn from the CFPB's list of what a report contains; the dispute steps at the end are the FTC's and CFPB's. Finding something that looks wrong is a reason to check it, not proof of an error. This is general information, not legal advice.
Before you start: get every report
The CFPB says most people have more than one credit report, because creditors are not required to report to every credit reporting company.[1] The FTC says you have the right to free copies from each of the three major bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) once every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com.[2] Because the three can differ, our reading is that a difference between two reports is a prompt to look closer, not by itself an error. Beware of look-alike sites; see free credit report scams.
The checklist
| Section | What the CFPB says it contains | Questions to ask (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Personal information | Your name and any name you have used in connection with a credit account, including nicknames; current and former addresses; birth date; Social Security number; phone numbers.[1] | Is each name, address and number one you recognize? Is the birth date and Social Security number right? Unfamiliar names or addresses can be a sign of a mixed file or of identity theft; see below. |
| 2. Credit accounts | Current and historical accounts, with the type of account, the credit limit or amount, the balance, the payment history, the dates opened and closed, and the creditor's name.[1] | Is every account yours? Does each limit, balance, payment history and open or closed date match your statements? Is any account listed twice? |
| 3. Collection items | Missed payments, loans sent to collections, and information on overdue child support provided by a state or local child support agency or verified by a government agency.[1] | Do you recognize each collection item? Does it match a debt you owe, in the amount and with the creditor shown? |
| 4. Public records | Liens, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and civil suits and judgments.[1] | Does each entry describe a real event involving you, with correct details? |
| 5. Inquiries | Companies that have accessed your credit report.[1] | Do you recognize each company? An inquiry you do not recognize may be worth asking about. |
Check the age of negative items
The FTC says that as long as information is correct, a credit bureau can report most negative information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years.[2] For each negative item, note the date it was first reported or filed and compare it with those limits. Time limits and their exceptions are covered in our guide to the reporting period and our reinsertion guide; this page does not work out any particular date.
If something looks like identity theft
The FTC says checking your reports is a good way to spot identity theft, and that if you think someone might be using your personal information you can go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a personalized recovery plan.[2] See also identity theft and credit report blocks.
If you find something that looks wrong: the dispute steps
- Collect the evidence. Note each item, why you think it is wrong, and gather copies, not originals, of documents that support your position.[3]
- Dispute with each bureau that has the mistake. The FTC says to explain in writing what you think is wrong, include the bureau's dispute form if it has one, and keep records of everything you send.[2] A CFPB-listed mail dispute includes your contact information, each error with the account number, a clear explanation of why you dispute it, a request that it be removed or corrected, and a copy of the part of the report with the disputed items circled or highlighted.[3]
- Dispute with the furnisher (the company that supplied the information, such as a bank or credit card company).[2][3]
- Keep the clock in mind. The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate, and must give you the results in writing.[2]
- Check the result. The FTC says to review your report afterward to confirm the inaccurate information was removed.[2]
A bureau may stop investigating a dispute it considers frivolous or irrelevant, but must tell you and give the reason.[2] See frivolous-dispute notices, what to do when a dispute comes back verified and mixed credit files.
How to verify this yourself
- Read the CFPB's answer on what a credit report is and what it contains.[1]
- Read the FTC's article on disputing errors.[2]
- Read the CFPB's dispute instructions and sample letter.[3]
- Browse the CFPB's credit-report answers.[4] The page on what a credit report is also links a question on common credit report errors to look for.[1]
What this page does not cover
It does not list every kind of error, tell you whether a particular item is wrong, or tell you whether disputing is a good idea for your situation. For the CFPB's own list of common errors, see its answer titled "What are common credit report errors that I should look for on my credit report?" It is general information, not legal advice. Our Standard point 7 asks credit repair companies what they file and on what basis; running this audit yourself shows what a company would be working from.
When we will update this page
We revisit it if the CFPB or FTC change their guidance. Sources last read 2 October 2026.
What you can do next
- Find a company — see which specific US companies we checked and what we could verify.
- How we check — the rules and sources behind each result.
- More credit help guides
- Report an error on this page or in a result.