Legal Credit Repair in Riverside and Throughout California

Honest, legal credit repair for Riverside, the Inland Empire and every corner of California — including Orange County, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Fairfield and beyond. We find the errors on your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion reports and dispute them the right way.

Get Started Now Call 909-954-0339

Welcome to Law Credit Repair

Your credit score affects almost every major financial decision you make. It decides whether you get approved for a home loan, what interest rate you pay on a car, how much a landlord asks for a deposit and, in some cases, whether you get a job offer. When your credit report contains mistakes, you pay for them every month, often without knowing it.

Law Credit Repair helps people fix that. We are a credit repair company based in Riverside, California, and we help clients throughout the state challenge information on their credit reports that is inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or unverifiable. Every step we take is grounded in the consumer protection laws that give you the right to an accurate credit report.

We call our approach legal credit repair because it is built entirely on those laws. We do not use tricks, shortcuts or false information. We do not promise to erase accurate negative items, because no honest company can. What we do is careful, documented work: reviewing your reports line by line, disputing what the law allows us to dispute, following up until each item is resolved and helping you build stronger credit along the way.

Whether you want to buy your first home, qualify for a better car loan, rent the apartment you want or simply regain control of your finances, we can help you take the next step. Your first consultation is free and comes with no obligation.

Why Your Credit Report Matters So Much in California

California is one of the most expensive states in the country. Home prices, rents and car costs are well above the national average, which means the price of a low credit score is higher here too.

Consider a home purchase. Because California buyers often borrow large amounts, even a small difference in interest rate changes a monthly mortgage payment by hundreds of dollars. Over the life of a loan, that difference can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Your credit score is one of the main factors lenders use to set that rate.

The same pattern shows up in other places:

• Renting: Landlords in competitive markets often receive several applications for the same unit. Many of them choose the applicant with the strongest credit or ask others for a larger deposit.
• Auto loans: Lenders price car loans by credit tier. A lower score can mean a noticeably higher payment, and in Southern California most people need a car to get to work.
• Insurance: In many states, insurers use credit-based scores to help set premiums. California limits how auto insurers can use credit, but credit can still matter for other types of coverage.
• Employment: Some employers review credit reports during background checks for certain roles, especially positions that involve handling money.
• Small business: New business owners often rely on their personal credit to qualify for financing in the early years.

When a credit report contains errors, every one of these costs goes up. Correcting those errors is one of the most practical ways to save money, and it is your legal right.

What Is Legal Credit Repair?

Legal credit repair is the process of correcting your credit report using the rights that federal and California law give you. It is the same process you could follow on your own, carried out by a team that knows the rules, keeps careful records and follows up until each item is resolved.

Three laws shape how credit repair works in California.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

The FCRA is the federal law that governs credit reports. It gives you the right to dispute any information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. When you dispute an item, the credit bureau generally has 30 days to investigate, and up to 45 days in some situations, such as when you provide additional information during the investigation.

If the bureau cannot verify the information, it must correct or delete it. The FCRA also limits how long negative information can be reported. Most negative items, including late payments, collections and charge-offs, can stay for seven years. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can stay for up to ten years. Hard inquiries stay for two years.

The FCRA also applies to the companies that supply information to the bureaus, known as furnishers. Banks, lenders and collection agencies must report accurately, and they must investigate disputes they receive.

The Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA)

CROA is the federal law that regulates credit repair companies. It protects you from companies that overpromise and underdeliver. Under CROA, a credit repair company must:

• Give you a written contract describing the services, total cost and expected timeframe
• Provide a written statement of your credit rights before you sign
• Allow you to cancel within three business days without paying anything
• Not charge you before the services it promised are fully performed
• Not make false or misleading statements about what it can do

The California Credit Services Act

California adds another layer of protection. Credit services organizations doing business in California must register with the California Attorney General, maintain a surety bond, provide detailed written disclosures and follow strict contract rules. Law Credit Repair is registered with the State of California.

What Legal Credit Repair Can and Cannot Do

Legal credit repair can correct or remove information that is inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or that the furnisher cannot verify. That covers more than most people expect. Wrong balances, incorrect dates, duplicate accounts, accounts that belong to someone else and items that should have aged off are all common.

Legal credit repair cannot remove accurate, timely and verifiable negative information. If you missed a payment and the creditor reported it correctly, it can legally remain until its reporting period ends. We will always tell you that honestly. Our job is to make sure every item on your report meets the legal standard, and to help you build enough positive history to outweigh what remains.

Our Services

Every client receives a plan built around their own credit reports and goals. These are the services that make up that plan.

Three-Bureau Credit Report Analysis

Everything starts with a careful review of your reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The three bureaus do not always have the same information, so an error might appear on one report and not the others. We go through every account, balance, date, status, inquiry and personal detail. Then we sit down with you and explain what we found in plain language: which items appear inaccurate, which ones may be past their reporting limit, and which ones are accurate and will need time and positive history to offset.

Credit Bureau Disputes

When we find information that appears inaccurate or unverifiable, we prepare detailed disputes for each bureau that reports it. Every dispute is specific to the item and the reason it is being challenged, with supporting documentation where it is available. We track each one against the bureau’s deadline and review every response carefully. If a bureau verifies an item that still appears wrong, we decide with you on the next step.

Direct Disputes With Creditors and Collectors

The FCRA also lets you dispute directly with the company that reported the information. This is often an effective step, because the furnisher has the original records. For collection accounts, we also send debt validation requests asking the collector to show that the debt is valid and that the amount is correct.

Identity Theft and Mixed File Help

If your report includes accounts you never opened, you may be a victim of identity theft. We help you file a report at IdentityTheft.gov, place fraud alerts or credit freezes, and request that the bureaus block fraudulent information. We also help clients with mixed files, which happen when a credit report contains information belonging to someone with a similar name or Social Security number.

Credit Building Guidance

Removing errors is only half the job. A strong score also needs positive history. We give you practical, personalized guidance on paying down revolving balances, keeping utilization low, setting up on-time payments, choosing the right credit-building accounts and avoiding mistakes that can set you back.

Credit Monitoring Guidance and Ongoing Support

We help you set up monitoring so you know when something changes on your reports, such as a new account, a new inquiry or an updated balance. Catching problems early makes them much easier to fix.

Debt and Budget Guidance

If debt is part of what is holding you back, we help you understand your options, including how to prioritize accounts, how to budget for payments and when to consider working with a nonprofit credit counselor.

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About Law Credit Repair

Law Credit Repair was founded on a simple belief: everyone deserves an accurate credit report and a fair chance at financial stability. Too many people pay higher rates, larger deposits and steeper insurance costs because of errors they did not cause and do not know how to fix.

Our mission is to help people correct their credit reports and build lasting financial health through honest, law-based credit repair and practical education.

Our values guide every file we work on:

• Honesty. We tell you what can change and what cannot, even when it is not what you hoped to hear.
• Compliance. We follow every federal and California rule that governs our industry.
• Care. We treat every client’s situation with respect and confidentiality.
• Results through effort. We do thorough, documented work and follow through until each item is resolved.

Learn More About Us

How It Works

Our legal credit repair process follows seven clear steps. You are informed and in control at each one.

• Free consultation. Call 909-954-0339 or fill out our contact form. A credit specialist will talk with you about your goals, explain how credit repair works and answer your questions before you sign anything.
• Written agreement and disclosures. If you decide to move forward, you receive a written contract and every disclosure required by federal and California law. You have three business days to cancel at no cost.
• Three-bureau review. We review your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion reports line by line and identify every item that appears inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or unverifiable.
• Your personalized plan. We explain which items we plan to challenge and why, and you approve the plan before any dispute is sent.
• Disputes with the bureaus. We send detailed, documented disputes to each bureau that reports the item.
• Disputes with furnishers and debt validation. Where it helps, we dispute directly with the creditor or collector and request validation of collection debts.
• Follow-up and rebuilding. We track every response, take the next appropriate step on items that remain, and guide you in building positive credit throughout the process.

Learn More About Our Process

What You Need to Get Started

To begin, you typically need a government-issued photo ID, proof of your current address (such as a recent utility bill) and access to your credit reports. You can get free reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Any letters, statements or records related to the accounts you want to dispute are helpful too.

Negative Items We Help You Dispute

We review every type of item on your credit report. In each case, we challenge information only when it appears inaccurate, incomplete, outdated or unverifiable.

Late Payments

Payment history is the single biggest factor in your credit score, so even one late payment can do real damage. We look for payments marked late that were made on time, late payments reported in the wrong month, duplicate late marks and payments reported late during an approved forbearance, deferment or hardship plan.

Collection Accounts

Collections are among the most error-prone items on a credit report. Debts are often sold from one collector to another, and information gets lost or changed along the way. We check for wrong balances, the wrong original creditor, the same debt listed by more than one collector and changes to the date of first delinquency that would keep an item on your report longer than the law allows.

Charge-Offs

When a creditor writes off a debt as a loss, it reports a charge-off. Charge-offs frequently show incorrect balances, particularly after the debt has been sold. In that case, the original creditor’s account should typically show a zero balance. We review each charge-off for these and other errors.

Medical Debt

Medical debt reporting has changed significantly. The three major bureaus no longer report paid medical collections or medical collections under $500, and California law now restricts medical debt from appearing on credit reports. If you still see medical collections on your report, there is a good chance at least some of them can be challenged.

Repossessions and Foreclosures

These are serious negative items, but they still must be reported accurately. We review dates, balances, deficiency amounts and account status.

Bankruptcies

A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can be reported for up to ten years and a Chapter 13 generally for seven. Accounts included in a bankruptcy should show as included or discharged with a zero balance. Many reports still show balances or new late payments on those accounts after discharge, and those errors can be disputed.

Hard Inquiries

Hard inquiries remain for two years. An inquiry from a lender you never applied with may signal identity theft, and it can be challenged.

Personal Information Errors

Wrong names, old addresses that were never yours and incorrect employers may seem harmless, but they can be signs of a mixed file or fraud. We correct those too.

Who We Help

Our clients come from every walk of life. Here are some of the situations we see most often.

First-Time Homebuyers

Buying a home is the biggest financial step most people take, and your credit plays a major role in your rate and loan options. We recommend starting at least six months before you apply. One important note: accounts marked “in dispute” can delay mortgage underwriting, and many lenders ask for dispute notations to be resolved before approval. We plan the timing of disputes around your purchase so they do not get in the way.

Renters

Old apartment balances, move-out charges and utility bills often end up in collections, sometimes for amounts that were never owed. These are some of the most common reasons renters are denied or asked for larger deposits.

Car Buyers

If you are planning to finance or refinance a car, correcting errors first can help you qualify for a better tier and a lower payment.

Military Families and Veterans

Frequent moves and deployments can lead to missed bills, accounts that were never updated and reporting errors. Riverside is home to March Air Reserve Base, and we help service members and veterans throughout California. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can cap interest at 6% on debts taken on before active duty, and active-duty alerts help protect against fraud while you are deployed.

Identity Theft Victims

If someone opened accounts in your name, federal law gives you strong tools to block that information. We help you use them and follow through until your reports are clean.

People Rebuilding After a Hard Time

Divorce, job loss, illness and family emergencies can all leave marks on a credit report. Some of those marks are accurate and will fade with time. Others are reported incorrectly. We help you separate the two and build a plan to move forward.

Small Business Owners

Many small business loans depend on the owner’s personal credit. Accurate personal credit makes it easier to fund growth and get better terms.

Areas We Serve

Law Credit Repair is based at 3840 Lemon Street, Unit H, in downtown Riverside. Because credit repair is handled through documents, mail, phone calls and secure online communication, we serve clients throughout California — from credit repair Orange County CA to credit repair Fairfield — without requiring an office visit.

Riverside

We work with clients in every Riverside neighborhood, including Downtown, the Wood Streets, Magnolia Center, Canyon Crest, Orangecrest, Mission Grove, Arlington, La Sierra, Casa Blanca and the University area near UC Riverside, across ZIP codes 92501 through 92509.

The Inland Empire

We also serve Moreno Valley, Corona, Norco, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Perris, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Temecula, Murrieta, Hemet, San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Fontana, Redlands, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino and Upland.

Orange County

If you are looking for credit repair Orange County CA residents can trust, Law Credit Repair is here to help. We serve Anaheim (credit repair Anaheim), Huntington Beach (credit repair Huntington Beach), Santa Ana, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Orange and every other Orange County city. Learn more about credit repair Orange County and credit repair Huntington Beach

Los Angeles, San Diego and Northern California

We work with clients in Los Angeles County, San Diego County and Northern California communities — including Fairfield (credit repair Fairfield), Sacramento and the Bay Area.

Why Choose Law Credit Repair?

There are many credit repair companies to choose from. Here is what makes working with us different.

Built on the Law, Not on Promises

Every dispute we send is based on your rights under the FCRA, and every contract we sign follows CROA and the California Credit Services Act. We never promise to remove accurate items or guarantee a specific score.

No Fees Before Work Is Performed

Federal law prohibits credit repair companies from charging before the promised services are performed, and we follow that rule. You will receive a clear, written explanation of all fees before you sign.

A Personalized Plan

No two credit reports are the same, so no two plans are the same. We review your reports, listen to your goals and build a plan around them, from your first consultation to your final update.

Transparency at Every Step

You will always know what we are disputing, why, and what happened. We explain results in plain language and give you regular updates.

All Three Bureaus

We review and work with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, because an error fixed on one report may still appear on the others.

Education That Lasts

We want your results to last. Throughout the process, we teach you how credit scores work and how to protect your credit going forward.

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Your Credit Rights as a California Consumer

Many people never learn the rights they have when it comes to their credit. Knowing them helps you spot problems early and make better decisions, whether or not you work with a credit repair company.

The Right to See Your Reports

You can get free copies of your credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion at AnnualCreditReport.com. You are also entitled to a free report when you are denied credit, insurance or employment based on information in your report, when you are a victim of identity theft, or when you are unemployed and planning to look for work.

The Right to Know Why You Were Denied

If a lender, landlord or employer takes adverse action against you because of your credit report, it must tell you. That notice must name the credit bureau it used and explain how to get a free copy of the report. This is often the moment people discover errors for the first time.

The Right to Dispute and Get a Response

You can dispute anything on your report that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. The bureau must investigate, generally within 30 days, and send you the results in writing. If the information is changed or deleted, you can ask the bureau to send the corrected report to anyone who checked your credit recently.

The Right to Fraud Protection

You can place a fraud alert on your file, request a security freeze at no cost and, if you are a victim of identity theft, ask the bureaus to block fraudulent information. Active-duty service members can place an active-duty alert while deployed.

The Right to Limit Old Information

Most negative information must come off your report after seven years. The reporting clock is based on the date the account first went delinquent, not the date you paid it or the date it was sold to a collector.

The Right to Fair Treatment From Debt Collectors

Federal law and California’s Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act limit how and when collectors can contact you and prohibit harassment and false statements. You can request validation of a debt, and in California the statute of limitations for most consumer debts is four years. A debt that is past the statute of limitations may still appear on your report until its seven-year reporting period ends, but collectors face strict limits on trying to collect it.

The Right to Complain

If a bureau, lender or collector does not follow the law, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Complaints are tracked, and companies are expected to respond.

Common Credit Repair Myths

Misinformation about credit is everywhere. Here are some of the myths we hear most often, and the facts.

Myth: Paying off a collection removes it from your report.

Fact: Paying a collection changes its status to paid, but it generally does not remove it. A paid collection can still be reported for the rest of its reporting period. That said, newer scoring models treat paid collections more favorably, and paid medical collections are no longer reported at all. If the collection itself is inaccurate, it can be disputed whether or not it is paid.

Myth: Checking your own credit lowers your score.

Fact: Checking your own reports or scores is a soft inquiry and has no effect on your score. Only hard inquiries from credit applications can affect it.

Myth: Closing old credit cards improves your score.

Fact: Closing a card can actually lower your score, because it reduces your available credit and may shorten your average account age over time.

Myth: Making a payment on an old debt restarts the seven-year clock.

Fact: The credit reporting period is tied to the original date of delinquency, and a payment does not reset it. However, in some situations, a payment or written acknowledgment can affect the separate statute of limitations for a lawsuit, so it is wise to understand your situation before paying an old debt.

Myth: A credit repair company can make bad credit disappear overnight.

Fact: No legitimate company can do that. Real credit repair takes weeks to months, depends on what is on your report, and cannot remove accurate information. Any company that promises otherwise is a red flag.

Myth: You can get a fresh start with a new credit number.

Fact: Using an EIN or a so-called “credit privacy number” in place of your Social Security number on credit applications is illegal. It does not create a new credit history and can expose you to serious legal risk.

Myth: Income affects your credit score.

Fact: Your income does not appear on your credit report and is not part of your score. Lenders may consider income separately when deciding whether to approve you, but your score is based only on the information in your credit file.

A Credit Plan for California Homebuyers

If you plan to buy a home in Riverside, the Inland Empire, Orange County or anywhere else in California, start working on your credit well before you apply. Here is a simple timeline.

• Six months or more before applying: Pull all three reports and begin disputing anything inaccurate.
• Four to six months before: Pay down credit card balances and avoid opening new accounts.
• About three months before: Talk with a lender about loan programs and ask how they handle accounts that are in dispute.
• Two months before: Gather pay stubs, W-2s, tax returns and bank statements.
• During the loan process: Do not open new credit, make large purchases on credit or change jobs until after closing.

Starting early gives disputes time to finish before underwriting begins, and it gives your rebuilding steps time to show up in your score.

Understanding Your Credit Score

Knowing what drives your score helps you see why disputes and rebuilding work best together. FICO scores, which most lenders use, are based on five factors.

Removing inaccurate negative items mainly helps your payment history. Paying down card balances improves your amounts owed, often within a billing cycle or two. Keeping older accounts open protects the length of your history. That is why every plan we create includes both disputes and practical rebuilding steps.

Simple Habits That Protect Your Score

• Pay on time, every time. Set up autopay for at least the minimum on every account.
• Keep utilization low. Try to keep each card’s balance well below its limit, and pay balances down before the statement closes when you can.
• Do not close your oldest cards. Older accounts help your average age of credit.
• Apply for new credit only when you need it. Several applications in a short period can lower your score.
• Check your reports regularly. You can get free reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Catching errors early makes them easier to fix.
• Freeze your credit when you are not applying. A freeze is free and is one of the best ways to prevent new-account fraud.

How Long Does Credit Repair Take?

Most clients receive the first bureau responses within 30 to 45 days of their first disputes. A typical file takes three to six months to work through. The exact timeline depends on how many items you have, how many bureaus report them and how quickly creditors respond.

These are typical ranges, not guarantees. Every credit file is different.

How to Choose a Credit Repair Company

Credit repair is an industry where the honest companies and the dishonest ones can look alike at first. Here is how to tell them apart.

Signs of a Legitimate Credit Repair Company

• It gives you a written contract and the disclosures required by CROA and California law.
• It does not charge before the promised services are performed.
• It tells you that you have the right to dispute errors yourself, for free.
• It is registered as a credit services organization in California.
• It reviews all three credit reports, not just one.
• It explains its plan and asks for your approval before sending disputes.
• It sets realistic expectations about timelines and results.

Red Flags to Avoid

• Guaranteed results. No legitimate company can guarantee a specific score or the removal of a specific item.
• Large upfront fees. Charging before services are performed violates federal law.
• Promises to remove accurate information. Accurate, timely and verifiable items can legally stay on your report.
• Advice to use a new identity. Some scams tell consumers to apply for credit using an EIN or a “credit privacy number” instead of their Social Security number. This is illegal and can lead to serious consequences.
• Telling you not to contact the bureaus yourself. You always have the right to communicate directly with the credit bureaus.
• Pressure to sign immediately. A legitimate company gives you time to read the contract and ask questions.

Credit Repair vs. Doing It Yourself

You have every right to dispute errors on your own, and some people do it successfully. The FCRA gives you the same rights whether you hire a company or not. What a credit repair company adds is time, experience and organization. We know which documents to include, how to make each dispute specific, how to track deadlines across three bureaus and many creditors, and what to do when an item is verified but still looks wrong. For people with several items, a busy schedule or a home purchase coming up, that help is often worth it.

Credit Repair vs. Credit Counseling and Debt Settlement

These services are often confused. Credit repair focuses on the accuracy of your credit report. Credit counseling focuses on budgeting and repayment plans, often through a nonprofit agency. Debt settlement focuses on negotiating what you owe, and it can have its own effects on your credit. These services can work together, but they solve different problems. During your free consultation, we will help you understand which approach fits your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is credit repair legal?

Yes. Disputing inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information is your legal right under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Credit repair companies are legal when they follow the Credit Repair Organizations Act and, in California, the California Credit Services Act, including the rules on contracts, disclosures, registration and fees.

What makes it “legal credit repair”?

Legal credit repair uses only the rights the law gives you. It challenges items that are inaccurate, outdated or unverifiable, follows the federal and state rules on contracts and fees, and never uses false information or new identities.

Are you a licensed or registered company?

California requires credit services organizations to register with the California Attorney General and maintain a surety bond. Law Credit Repair is registered with the State of California.

Can you remove accurate negative items?

No. Accurate, timely and verifiable negative information can legally remain on your report for its full reporting period, which is generally seven years for most items and up to ten years for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. What we can do is make sure every item meets the legal standard. When it does not, it can be corrected or removed.

How much does credit repair cost?

Costs depend on the services your file needs. Under federal law, we cannot charge before the services we promised are performed. You will receive a written breakdown of all fees before you sign anything. [Add your pricing details or “Pricing is explained during your free consultation.”]

How long does it take to see results?

Most clients receive the first bureau responses within 30 to 45 days, and many see meaningful progress within three to six months. Results depend on your specific credit reports, and no company can guarantee a particular outcome.

Will credit repair hurt my credit score?

Disputing items and checking your own reports do not lower your score. However, if you are about to apply for a mortgage, accounts marked “in dispute” can delay underwriting. We plan the timing of disputes around your goals.

How do I know my personal information is safe?

We collect only the information we need to work on your file, store documents in secure, access-controlled systems and never sell your information. Documents are stored in secure, access-controlled systems and we never sell your information.

Do I have to come to your office?

No. We serve clients throughout California by phone, mail and secure online communication. You are welcome to visit our Riverside office by appointment.

Can I dispute items on my own?

Yes. You have the right to dispute inaccurate information with the credit bureaus yourself, at no cost. Many people choose to work with us to save time and make sure every dispute is complete and properly documented.

What if a bureau verifies an item I believe is wrong?

A verification is not always the end of the road. We review the response, gather any additional documentation and decide with you on the next step, such as a new dispute with stronger evidence, a direct dispute with the furnisher or a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Can you help with identity theft?

Yes. We help you file an identity theft report, place fraud alerts or freezes and request that the bureaus block fraudulent accounts and inquiries.

Can I cancel?

Yes. You can cancel within three business days of signing without paying anything, as required by federal law. Our contract also explains how to cancel after that period.

Get Started Today

Your credit report should tell the truth about you. If it does not, you have the legal right to fix it, and we can help. Contact us for a free consultation. We will review your situation, explain what we find and give you an honest recommendation, with no obligation.

Get Started Now Call 909-954-0339

Contact Information

Phone: 909-954-0339

Email: [email protected]

Address: 3840 Lemon Street, Unit H, Riverside, CA 92501

Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–6pm PT

Disclaimer: Law Credit Repair is a credit services organization as defined under the Credit Repair Organizations Act and the California Credit Services Act. We do not provide legal advice. We cannot guarantee specific results or the removal of accurate, timely and verifiable information. You have the right to dispute inaccurate information on your credit report yourself, at no cost, by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly.