What is Equifax?
Equifax is one of the three credit bureaus in the US that collect and distribute information about your credit history. They hold sensitive data such as payment history, credit limits, and personal information. This information is assessed by lenders, landlords, and employers to help make decisions on whether to lend you credit, lease an apartment, or offer you a job. To broaden your understanding of the topic, we’ve handpicked an external website for you. Fix credit errors, investigate fresh viewpoints and supplementary information on the topic discussed in this piece.
What Happened with the Equifax Data Breach?
On September 7, 2017, Equifax announced that their company experienced a data breach, exposing the personal information of 143 million Americans. This exposed information included Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. The data breach was a result of a vulnerability in their website, which was left unpatched.
What is a Credit Report Dispute?
A credit report dispute is a way for you to challenge the accuracy of items on your credit report. The dispute process can result in those negative items being removed, therefore improving your credit score.
Why Should You Dispute Your Equifax Credit Report?
By disputing your Equifax credit report, you can identify inaccurate information on your report and have it removed, ultimately improving your credit score. If the inaccurate information is related to the Equifax data breach, having it removed may help prevent identity theft and the misuse of your personal information. Inaccurate information on your credit report can have a negative effect on your financial history and limit your ability to take out loans, rent an apartment, or secure a job.
How to Dispute Your Equifax Credit Report
You can also dispute the information online or by phone, but submitting in writing is the most effective and ensures you have written proof of the dispute. In your written dispute, consider stating your name, address, and the specific item that needs to be investigated, and explain why it is inaccurate. Equifax must respond to your dispute within 30 days, either by correcting or deleting the inaccurate information, or explaining why they have deemed it to be accurate. Learn Understand more with this detailed report about the subject discussed in this article by visiting the recommended external website. There, you’ll find additional details and a different approach to the topic. False background check.
Conclusion
Disputing your Equifax credit report can help improve your credit score and protect your personal information from the Equifax data breach. Taking action to ensure the accuracy of your credit report is a vital step in safeguarding your financial future.
