Fixing Mistakes On Your Credit File
Wrong information can cost you an offer. Putting it right costs nothing.
Mistakes on credit files are more common than people think – an old address, a payment marked late that wasn't, or an account that isn't yours. The law says wrong information about you must be put right, and you never need to pay anyone to do it for you.
The Fix-It Path
Spot it
Get your free report from each agency and note exactly what is wrong, and with which agency.
Raise it
Contact the lender that reported the information, or raise a dispute with the agency, which will contact the lender for you.
Flagged
While the agency investigates, the entry is usually marked as disputed, so lenders know it is being looked at.
Resolved
Agencies aim to respond within 28 days. If the lender agrees, the entry is corrected or removed at every agency it reports to.
Three Common Situations
It's simply wrong
A payment marked late that you made on time, or a settled debt still showing a balance. Send any proof you have, such as bank statements, with your dispute.
It's linked to an ex
If you no longer share any accounts with a former partner, ask each agency for a "notice of disassociation" so their credit history stops being connected to yours.
It's right, but there's a reason
You can add a notice of correction of up to 200 words explaining the circumstances, such as illness or a bereavement. Lenders reading your file will see it.
If It Isn't Sorted
If the agency or lender won't correct something you are sure is wrong, you can complain to them formally. If you are still unhappy with the outcome, the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at it for free.
If an account you don't recognise turns out to be fraud, report it to your bank and to Action Fraud, and consider protective registration with Cifas, which adds extra checks when anyone applies for credit in your name.
Beware paid "credit repair" firms. They can't remove accurate information, and everything they can do – disputing errors, adding notes, breaking financial links – you can do yourself, for free.
Fixing Mistakes Questions
Can I get a genuine missed payment removed?
Not usually. Accurate information stays for six years. If there was a good reason for it, a notice of correction lets you explain that to anyone reading your file.
Do I have to fix it at all three agencies?
Check all three, because lenders can report to some agencies and not others. When a lender corrects its own records, the change should reach every agency it reports to.
Will fixing a mistake improve my chances of a loan?
It can, if the mistake was holding you back. Once your file is accurate, our loans pages explain how applying with a soft search works.