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ConsumerWatch: 4-Year-Old Mistake On Credit Report Hurts Homeowner

PLEASANTON (CBS 5) - A mistake on your credit report can be costly. And experts say the best way to fix an error it by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly and informing them of the mistake - They're required by law investigate within 30 days.

Martha DeJesus of Pleasanton discovered a mistake on her credit report after she was turned down for a loan modification. The report mistakenly said DeJesus's home had gone into foreclosure back in 2008. But when DeJesus called her mortgage holder, Wells Fargo, to complain about the error, she said she got the runaround.

"They suggested I go to credit counseling even though it had nothing to do with my credit," she told ConsumerWatch.

Mimi Barrett of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service said, while it won't hurt to contact your bank or business that reported the error, the most direct way to deal with a mistake is by contacting the three credit reporting agencies directly: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax.

"Credit bureaus are required to look into incorrect information or possibly incorrect information within 30 days," Barrett said. She said. If the negative information cannot be verified in that time, the agency must remove it from your report.

Barrett said if a debtor or bank can provide evidence supporting the negative information, it will reappear.

"If it is accurate, it will go back on there," Barrett said.

Federal Trade Commission's Advice on Disputing Credit Card Errors

Official Site to Check Credit Report

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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