Question re: credit report

[Anonymous]

I pulled my TU credit report from here and also from the Transunion credit monitoring service/site. They are completely different. The TU credit report from this site doesn't show a loan we have, but yet it shows up on the TU report on their credit monitoring site. Also, the TU report on their site lists a Chase credit card with a high limit (zero balance) that is not ours but does not list the Chase card that we do have. The Chase card we do have does show up on the TU report from here though.  Why are there such discrepancies?? We want to apply for a HELOC and I'm getting a migraine trying to understand what our credit score is, what report is the most accurate, why some accounts show up on TU here but not on their site, why their site shows a Chase card that isn't even ours.... ugh. This is very frustrating! Any advice would be much appreciated. 

[Anonymous]

I would use annualcreditreport.com before I would use the actual CRA website. If the discrepencys are still there then i would go to Transunion to file a dispute with the information

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I tried to do that but I got an error message saying they could not process the request and I would have to call or submit a written form which I will do.  

[Anonymous]

It will take at least 30 days to get the report by mail. Any advice or suggestions on which site might be more accurate? BTW, CreditKarma showed the same Chase card on their TU report that isn't ours but did not list the Chase card we do have. Both TU and CreditKarma only showed 4 accounts when we have more than that. This site did seem to give a more accurate listing of our accounts other than the one loan that isn't showing up here but did on the other two sites.  Thanks again! Just so frustrated by all of this! Shouldn't be so hard to get accurate info! 

[Anonymous]

Great advice about AnnualCreditReport.com.  They are indeed the gold standard.

While you are doing that (sounds like there will be a wait of several days) you might also want to consider joining Credit Karma.  They will give you a free copy of your TU report (with fresh data up to once per week).

And if you get really charged, you could sign up for the $1 free trial with Credit Check Total.  You will get a TU report there as well.

If you find that three of those four sources are saying the same thing, that may be a source of encouragement to you -- may point you toward what the true state of your report actually is.  Though of course you can and should still go ahead with the ACR pull.

[Anonymous]

I see now that you have joined CK.  Good for you.

One thing I note is that you seem to have a special focus on TU.  If you are somewhat new to the whole world of credit reports and scores, you should really be going through all three reports (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian).

The first time a person goes through all of his or her credit reports, it can take quite a while before they make sense and you get all the incorrect data off of them and correct data onto them.  Of course it sometimes happens that the reports look perfectly accurate the first time you pull them, but that is more of an exception than the rule, in my experience and talking with people.

This may take a little bit of time.  Sorry you are having trouble!

[Anonymous]

Thanks much for the info! Our credit union pulls TU so that is why I'm focused on it.  I have pulled the other two as well though. 

[RobertEG]

Credit reporting is voluntary, so the absence of reporting by a given creditor may be correct.

That also applies to reporting to one CRA and not others.  A creditor is not requiired to report to each CRA, so showing in only one or two credit reports is common, and not adisputable as inaccurate or incomplete unless you have clear basis for asserting that the creditor did, in fact, actually report to a given CRA, and that report lacks the showing.

I would first contact the creditor directly to determine whether they have intentionally decided to report to only one or two CRAs.

As for the account that is not yours, that IS an inaccurate reporting.

You might first call the creditor to see if perhaps there is a simple error in that reporting, such as an unintentional misreporting of the account number.

Once you are assured that it is truly an error, you have two options. 

You can either dispute the accuracy of the reporting, or you can treat as an identity theft matter, file a police report, and get the account blocked under the identity theft provisions of FCRA 605B.