Keith Karnes is an attorney who can help people throughout Oregon and Washington who are being harmed by the presence of false, inaccurate or outdated information on their credit reports. Many people find that when their credit report is wrong, there is nothing they can do to repair it. When the credit reporting agencies will not accept your proof that your credit report is inaccurate, we can help. Whether your credit report is inaccurate because your lender is reporting false information or whether you are the victim of identity theft, we have years of experience in litigating credit reporting disputes.
Take Steps to Correct Your Credit Report
Many people do not even know what is on their credit report; the first time they become aware of inaccurate information on their credit report is when they apply for a credit card, home mortgage or car loan or other financing and are rejected because of a low credit score. The first step is to know what is on your credit report. Fortunately, the law allows you to obtain a copy of your credit report for free, and you should take full advantage of this benefit to monitor your credit report. There are three main credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian), and by law you may obtain one free copy each year from each agency. Maximize this benefit by requesting your free annual report from a different agency every four months. This method allows you to continuously monitor your credit report at no cost to you. The website AnnualCreditReport.com is the official central site for obtaining your credit report from all three agencies.
If you find that your credit report is inaccurate, the first thing to do is write the credit reporting agency a polite and professional letter asking them to fix your credit report. Contacting the creditor in question directly may also be helpful, but in order to trigger your rights and protection under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), you need to send your dispute to the credit reporting agency. We recommend that you send the dispute to the credit reporting agency in writing by mail and keep a copy of the letter for your records.
Experienced Oregon and Washington Consumer Law Attorney
We are happy to give you a free consultation at any point along the way if you need our help. If the credit reporting agency is not responsive in correcting the inaccurate information, legal action may be necessary. Because the FCRA allows you to recover your attorney fees from those who have violated the FCRA, we are able to take cases under this law with no money up front from our clients. In Oregon or Washington, contact Keith Karnes at our Salem office for fast help and effective results.