How to Remove an Account From Your Credit Report (Even if it Keeps Reappearing)
The NFCC often receives questions from readers about their money challenges. We answer common questions in our Ask an Expert series to help readers find the information they need.
Question: I’m having trouble removing an account from my credit report. The account is not mine. Each time I dispute it and the credit bureau removes it, the account reappears about two months later. What can I do to get this off my report forever?
Answer: Dear Reader,
It’s easy to understand your frustration. It sounds like you may be following the right steps to fix the error, but you’re still not getting a resolution.
Unfortunately, this issue is not uncommon. Credit report errors are a growing problem: From 2022 through 2025, 89% of the roughly nine million complaints submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) were about credit reporting issues.
The good news is that you still have options for getting the incorrect information removed from your credit reports. Here’s what you need to know.
Three ways to remove errors from your credit reports
Based on your question, it sounds like you’ve used one of several available methods for removing an error from your credit reports. However, there are a few other ways you can attempt to remove the incorrect information. Here’s what you can do:
1. Dispute the error with the creditor
If you haven’t done so already, contact the company or creditor that’s reporting the account. To find their information, take a look at your credit reports. For each account reported, you should see the name of the creditor, along with their address and phone number.
Use this information to reach out to the creditor directly. When you call, ask how you can properly send a dispute by mail.
Then, be sure to send a letter with all of the details of the account, as well as any documents that support your case. For example, if the account is in a family member’s name, send a copy of your photo ID to confirm your legal name. Finally, send your letter by certified mail and request a return receipt for your records.
Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) the creditor has to investigate your dispute within roughly 30 days. If the creditor verifies the account is not yours, they have to contact the credit bureaus and ask them to delete it from your file.
2. File a dispute with each credit bureau
You may have taken this step already. If not, make sure you file a dispute with each of the credit bureaus that are reporting the incorrect information.
Filing a dispute is free and it should only take you a few minutes. Here’s where you can go to file disputes online with the national credit bureaus:
Just like when you contact the creditor, make sure to upload any documents that support your claim.
3. Escalate your dispute to a third party
If the two options above don’t lead to a resolution, the next step is to get help from a reliable third party. You can talk to a consumer lawyer to find out what your options are. Additionally, you can report the issue to the CFPB, and they will contact the creditor or the credit bureau to investigate.
In summary, you’re already on the right path, but you may need to take a few more steps to get the issue resolved. If you’d like to speak to an NFCC-certified credit counselor to get personalized tips or for help reading your credit reports, we are here to support you.
I wish you the best of luck!
Sincerely,
Bruce McClary, Vice President of Communications
Bruce McClary is the Vice President of Communications for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®). Based in Washington, D.C., he provides marketing and media relations support for the NFCC and its member agencies serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Bruce is considered a subject matter expert and interfaces with the national media, serving as a primary representative for the organization. He has been a featured financial expert for the nation’s top news outlets, including USA Today, MSNBC, NBC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and hundreds of local media outlets from coast to coast.
