Cleaning Up Previous Addresses

[jake619]

Is there any reason to dispute former addresses that are variants of the proper address?  

For example, it looks like I lived at seven different locations but should have only been two.  (Yes, these are fake)

Correct:

• 0000 Eucalyptus Ave.
  
  
• 0000 Shore Break Ave

Incorrect:

• 0000 Red Eucalyptus Ave
• 0000 Eucalyptus East Dr.
  
  
• 0000 Shore Break West Dr
• 0000 Shorebreak View
• 0000 W Shore Break Dr.

[RobertEG]

Addresses, both current and prior, have two purposes.

One, the CRAs may resort to address information as a tool in matching reporting made to your file.  They rely primarily on full name and SSN, but address may become a matching criteria should there be any questions as to the proper file to match.

Two, it serves their clients, not the consumer, in helping them trace a consumer's location.  Debt collectors and "skip-tracers" often use that information.

If your corrrect SSN is on file, or you dont have a name such as John Doe, arent a Jr or Sr, are the only party at an address, etc., it most likely wont become a matching criteria.

To correct, it is usually not best to file a dispute, as that puts a dispute flag in your file that will exclude certain account information from your credit scoring.

A letter to the CRA is usually sufficient.

[jake619]

OK thanks.  In my mind I was thinking an automated review of my file might look "odd" because of so many entries.  To a human it would be obvious but the first line review is often not by an individual.  Too many addresses could also be an indicator of instability, another negative I'd prefer to avoid.

I will inform each bureau and provide the correct addresses, trusting them prune the inaccuracies.

[HoldingOntoHope]

If you pull your reports directly from the credit bureaus (such as at annual credit report) and not third parties you will find that there are account codes associated with those incorrect addresses. If you look at the active accounts in your file you will be able to match that account code with the company reporting it. If it is an older closed account it will not be a problem to get the address deleted but if is a current active creditor then the incorrect address will just reinsert itself on the next reporting cycle.

If you identify an active creditor reporting the address incorrectly you can try to clear up their reporting. Just because a bill shows up at the right place and addressed correctly does not mean the incorrect address is not on file somewhere in their system. And if you do paperless billing you may never know what address they have on file. Hope this info helps.

[jake619]

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@HoldingOntoHope wrote:

If you pull your reports directly from the credit bureaus (such as at annual credit report) and not third parties you will find that there are account codes associated with those incorrect addresses. If you look at the active accounts in your file you will be able to match that account code with the company reporting it. If it is an older closed account it will not be a problem to get the address deleted but if is a current active creditor then the incorrect address will just reinsert itself on the next reporting cycle.

If you identify an active creditor reporting the address incorrectly you can try to clear up their reporting. Just because a bill shows up at the right place and addressed correctly does not mean the incorrect address is not on file somewhere in their system. And if you do paperless billing you may never know what address they have on file. Hope this info helps.

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So on EX I see all accounts have an "Address Identification Number" and those correlate to some of the addresses contained within the same report.  There are several addresses listed with no corresponding accounts.  So you're saying those ones without account references are the addresses I should be able to clean off without issue.  Right?

[HoldingOntoHope]

Correct. The ones that have no corresponding account will be removed and not return. Any old addresses that have an account number attached will reappear if the account is still active. The next creditors update will put it back in the file.

[jake619]

Thank you.