Understand What's on Your Credit Report
A plain-English field guide to credit reports, errors, collections, charge-offs, late payments and disputes.
What's showing on your report?
The Field Guide to Collection Accounts on Your Credit Report
Understand collection accounts, what to verify, and when information may warrant a dispute.
Read the guide →The Field Guide to Charge-Offs on Your Credit Report
Understand what a charge-off status means, how it differs from a collection, and what information to review for accuracy.
Read the guide →The Field Guide to Late Payments on Your Credit Report
Understand late-payment reporting, how long accurate negative information may remain, and what to do if a late payment is wrong.
Read the guide →The Field Guide to Hard Inquiries
Understand hard inquiries, review unfamiliar inquiries, and know when an entry deserves further investigation.
Read the guide →What to Do if an Account on Your Credit Report Isn't Yours
An unfamiliar account can have several explanations. Learn what to check before deciding what action to take.
Read the guide →How to Find Errors on Your Credit Report
Learn the common categories of credit report errors and how to investigate information that appears inaccurate or incomplete.
Read the guide →Investigate first. Dispute when the information appears inaccurate or incomplete.
Accurate negative information generally cannot simply be removed. The goal is an accurate credit report - not a blanket challenge to anything negative.
Core field guides
Your Credit Report, Explained
Learn what a credit report contains, how information gets there, and how to review it for possible problems.
Read the guide →How to Find Errors on Your Credit Report
Learn the common categories of credit report errors and how to investigate information that appears inaccurate or incomplete.
Read the guide →The Field Guide to Collection Accounts on Your Credit Report
Understand collection accounts, what to verify, and when information may warrant a dispute.
Read the guide →The Field Guide to Credit Report Disputes
Understand when a dispute is appropriate, who to contact, what evidence can help, and what happens next.
Read the guide →