You find a late payment you never missed. Or an account you never opened. The federal system has a path for this, and the order of the steps matters. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) runs a complaint portal, but it is not your first stop. The credit reporting agency (CRA) is.

A person at a sunlit desk reviewing a credit report with a pen in hand, with a sealed envelope and closed laptop nearby, suggesting a measured sequence of steps before escalating a dispute.
A person at a desk marks up a credit report with a pen, with a sealed envelope and a closed laptop nearby, before any complaint is filed.

Start with a direct dispute

The CFPB says you must first dispute inaccurate or incomplete information with the CRA. It cites its complaint notice, which references 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a) and (e). The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to challenge errors, and CRAs must investigate when notified, unless the dispute is frivolous.

The CFPB asks you not to file a complaint about inaccurate information until 45 days have passed since your CRA dispute, or until that dispute is no longer pending. This is the agency's instruction, not a legal bar. But ignoring it has a cost. If the company says you never disputed with it first, the CFPB will discontinue processing your complaint. Filing early can also slow the system and may lead to no response.

Prepare your documentation

Write the dispute down. Explain what is wrong and why, and ask for removal or correction. Precision helps, so include these items:

  • Your full name, address and phone number
  • The confirmation number from your credit report, if you have one
  • Each error and its account number
  • A copy of the report page with the disputed items circled or highlighted

Send copies of supporting documents, never originals. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a record that the dispute arrived. Keep your own copy of everything you send.

Do not forget the furnisher

The CRA is not the only party involved. The CFPB says fixing an error generally means contacting both the credit reporting company and the company that supplied the information, known as the furnisher. Think of the lender that reported your balance or the collector that reported a debt.

Our sources do not walk through the furnisher process in detail, so check the CFPB's guidance on disputing errors for specifics. One point is clear, though. The right to add a brief statement of dispute to your file applies to disputes sent to the CRA, not to disputes sent only to the furnisher. If you want that option later, make sure the CRA has your dispute on record.

Filing and tracking the complaint

Once the 45 days have passed, or the dispute is resolved, you can file with the CFPB. Online filing takes about 7 to 10 minutes. By phone it takes about 25 to 30 minutes. The line is (855) 411-2372, and the TTY/TDD line is (855) 729-2372. Both run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. You will be asked to attest that your information is true to the best of your knowledge and belief.

After you submit, the CFPB routes the complaint to the company, or to another agency if that agency is better placed. You get email updates and can check status online. Companies generally respond in 15 days. Some final responses take up to 60 days. Once the company responds, you have 60 days to give feedback. The CFPB also publishes complaint information, without direct identifiers, in its public Consumer Complaint Database.

What to do while you wait

The 45 days can feel long. Use them. Keep your certified mail receipt and any reply from the CRA in one folder. Note the date you sent the dispute and the date the 45 days end. If the CRA responds, read the result against your original list of errors, item by item.

If the CRA does not respond, or the answer is inadequate, you may add a brief statement of the dispute to your file. It may appear in future reports. Suspected identity theft is a separate track. The CFPB points to IdentityTheft.gov as the federal resource to report and recover, and suggests using it alongside your dispute.

Before you file, ask yourself:

  1. Has my CRA dispute been pending more than 45 days, or is it closed?
  2. Can I attest that what I am submitting is true?
  3. Do I have copies of my supporting documents?
  4. Did the CRA respond adequately, and do I want to add a statement?

Set realistic expectations

The sources do not say what outcome to expect from a complaint, or whether a specific error will be corrected. They also do not give the CRA's own deadlines beyond the 45-day mark. Plan on patience.

The CFPB has also said the complaint system has been hurt by misuse and high volume that get in the way of legitimate complaints. It announced changes to the portal in 2026, but our sources only summarize them. Check the CFPB's site for current instructions before you file.

You may sue a CRA that breaks the law, and time limits apply. The sources do not specify them, so consider talking to a qualified attorney or a consumer protection agency. This article is for general information and is not legal or financial advice.

Please seek a professional. This article is general information, not financial, tax or insurance advice. Please seek a licensed financial, tax or insurance professional about your own situation.