One of the worst days in your life might just be receiving a credit report with loads and loads of never ending errors. It’s possible that you might actually be a victim of an honest mistake in the part of some creditors but more alarmingly, you might want to make sure that you are not mistaken for somebody else. As you know, bad records on your credit report can stay for as long as 7 to 10 years and this is exactly why you should do something to fix your credit errors as soon as possible.

So if you’re someone who is looking to resolve equifax credit report issues or any issues by other credit bureaus, you might as well follow the following steps for a successful dispute.

Request for a new credit report.

First and foremost, you must ensure that the information you are about to dispute is current and so, you will need to order a new report. Make sure you order a fresh credit report directly from the bureau and not from a reseller or a third party since their reports might already be merged. Just so you know, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report at least once every year.

Go over the mistakes, big and small.

With the new report at hand, go over the information and take note of all the mistakes you can detect. Regardless if the errors are small or big, highlight them all. Even misspellings and errors on your address should also be taken note. Try to go over the companies that pulled your credit information, if there are some companies which you have never heard of before or never dealt with, raise this concern to your bureau as this may be a sign of a mix-up in their part.

Write a dispute letter.

To bring your concerns to the bureau, you must write a certified letter. Although major bureaus check out errors being disputed online, it is highly discouraged to do the task online. The best way to do it is by mailing the dispute; this will help you avoid forced arbitration in case you need to challenge the bureau.

Attach evidence or proof.

If you have copies of any document that could support your claims, make sure you attach them. Documents such as mortgage receipts, loan documents or even just credit card receipts may already be a big help. Other documents such as police reports, etc. should also be included.

Wait for 45 days before making inquiries.

You must give the credit bureau some time to investigate. Typically, they are to do the investigation within 30 days. If you want to get in touch with the bureau, you may also reach them through landline; otherwise, just wait for the verdict as they will send you a written one.

Write another letter if there is no response after 45 days.

If there is no response from them after 45 days, you may write another certified letter. For this letter, it’s best to raise the fact that the bureau has failed to respond and investigate your dispute.

Consult a lawyer.

If the errors are ongoing and never settled despite multiple disputes, perhaps, it would be best for you to consult a legal professional such as a lawyer to assist you and for you to be able to deal with this issue in the most efficient and effective way.