topic Re: Corrections to my credit report in General Credit Topics

Corrections to my credit report

Roarmeister — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:14:37 GMT

I've noticed quite a while ago that TU has a few errors on the CR. Not credit errors, but spelling errors in my previous employer, addresses, job title, etc. Do you think it is worth while asking them to make the changes/corrections or will there be any negative reactions like a decrease score by doing this? For some reason they keep records of my credit history and employment record longer than 6 years (back to 1989!) including accounts that have been dead long ago.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

pizzadude — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:48:19 GMT

@Roarmeister wrote:
I've noticed quite a while ago that TU has a few errors on the CR. Not credit errors, but spelling errors in my previous employer, addresses, job title, etc. Do you think it is worth while asking them to make the changes/corrections or will there be any negative reactions like a decrease score by doing this? For some reason they keep records of my credit history and employment record longer than 6 years (back to 1989!) including accounts that have been dead long ago.

I wouldn't bother making the changes, I don't have current employer information on all my reports and I've never been questioned about it. FICO scoring does not take employment or salary information into consideration, so it will not affect your scores either way.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

RobertEG — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 19:58:14 GMT

Employers and job titles, probably not.

Addresses, probably so. Current and prior addresses are one of the fall-back matching criteria used to ensure that reported information is properly matched to the correct consumer file. While SSN and full name are the most important, if any reporting contains errors in those numbers, address could become a factor.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

Duke-of-Earl — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 06:37:00 GMT

@RobertEG wrote:
Employers and job titles, probably not.
Addresses, probably so. Current and prior addresses are one of the fall-back matching criteria used to ensure that reported information is properly matched to the correct consumer file. While SSN and full name are the most important, if any reporting contains errors in those numbers, address could become a factor.

Interesting point. Now I'm wondering how accurate this info has to be. I notice that TU consistently omits the NE (northeast) quadrant designation from my addresses. I never worried about this before, but if the matching is done by a computer, perhaps this could make it fail.

Also, is there any harm if an address appears where I haven't lived for 18 years?

Thanks.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

pizzadude — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:05:55 GMT

@Duke-of-Earl wrote:
@RobertEG wrote:
Employers and job titles, probably not.
Addresses, probably so. Current and prior addresses are one of the fall-back matching criteria used to ensure that reported information is properly matched to the correct consumer file. While SSN and full name are the most important, if any reporting contains errors in those numbers, address could become a factor.
Interesting point. Now I'm wondering how accurate this info has to be. I notice that TU consistently omits the NE (northeast) quadrant designation from my addresses. I never worried about this before, but if the matching is done by a computer, perhaps this could make it fail.

Also, is there any harm if an address appears where I haven't lived for 18 years?

Thanks.

Is this address showing as current ? Or just one of your address in your history.....?

Re: Corrections to my credit report

Duke-of-Earl — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 05:30:11 GMT

It's just one of two "previous addresses". But the EQ report (bought via FICO) includes a "Reported on" date of Mar 2011. I lived there in 1992-94.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

pizzadude — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:31:53 GMT

@Duke-of-Earl wrote:
It's just one of two "previous addresses". But the EQ report (bought via FICO) includes a "Reported on" date of Mar 2011. I lived there in 1992-94.

I wouldn't worry about it, as long as it isn't showing as your current address.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

2NE1 — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 15:19:55 GMT

If it was 'reported on March 2011' perhaps it's because one of your accounts still reports that address. Did you apply to any new credit with that address when you used to live there?

For example: in my case, I lived at a different county 7 years ago when I applied to my student loans, now that I've had two changes of addresses in the last 6 years, I tried to get get the CRAs to remove the 7 year old address but CSR told me it can't be done because my student loans are still reporting that old address even though they send their statements to my current address. But honestly I wouldn't bother having old addresses deleted unless they never belonged to me, cause then that would be a problem of ID theft.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

MattH — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 12:11:59 GMT

I don't worry about such small details so long as the substantive information is correct. Actually I find small variations in my address are interesting because they can indicate whose database was the source of a particular junk mail item.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

marty56 — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 12:19:21 GMT

@MattH wrote:
I don't worry about such small details so long as the substantive information is correct. Actually I find small variations in my address are interesting because they can indicate whose database was the source of a particular junk mail item.

Funny you mention that since I had my name corrected on my EQ CR which was listed as Martine and I would get pre-approval offers for Martine from time to time, so obviously they pulled from EQ.

Re: Corrections to my credit report

Duke-of-Earl — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 05:17:36 GMT

@2NE1 wrote:
If it was 'reported on March 2011' perhaps it's because one of your accounts still reports that address. Did you apply to any new credit with that address when you used to live there?

For example: in my case, I lived at a different county 7 years ago when I applied to my student loans, now that I've had two changes of addresses in the last 6 years, I tried to get get the CRAs to remove the 7 year old address but CSR told me it can't be done because my student loans are still reporting that old address even though they send their statements to my current address. But honestly I wouldn't bother having old addresses deleted unless they never belonged to me, cause then that would be a problem of ID theft.

That's a great suggestion, thanks. I wondered who could still be reporting that address, but I assumed changing my address with the creditor would change what they report as well. Maybe not, eh? I know I must have applied for both a mortgage and a car loan while I lived there, but both were paid and closed long ago. Possibly a credit card that's still current. At least the short durantion when I lived there would narrow down the search for that.