Inaccurate co applicant showing up on my credit report. Does this effect my score?

[Anonymous]

I recently ran all three of my credit reports and under co applicant it has either my Father or Brother listed, they both have the same first name and that is all the information that I have so I cannot determine which relative it is.  I have student loans, all in my name, never used a co applicant, and two car loans that I paid off, never had a co applicant.   I don't have any joint credit cards and never have.    I have never cosigned on a loan for anyone. My question is is this lowering my score?  My brother has excellent credit, but my Father filed bankruptcy twice, and nis now deceased.    How can I figure out whom is listed and when the "Co applicant" came on board the credit report or should I not bother with it?  Thanks. 

[Brooklyn2018]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I recently ran all three of my credit reports and under co applicant it has either my Father or Brother listed, they both have the same first name and that is all the information that I have so I cannot determine which relative it is.  I have student loans, all in my name, never used a co applicant, and two car loans that I paid off, never had a co applicant.   I don't have any joint credit cards and never have.    I have never cosigned on a loan for anyone. My question is is this lowering my score?  My brother has excellent credit, but my Father filed bankruptcy twice, and nis now deceased.    How can I figure out whom is listed and when the "Co applicant" came on board the credit report or should I not bother with it?  Thanks. 

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No. You can contact(call it's easy, I did the same) the CRA that is reporting it and request it be removed.

Hope that helps...

[RobertEG]

While I dont see immediate scoring impact, it is neverless inaccurate and substantive information that I would recommend getting corrected, as you never know what implicaitons could arise down the road.

Your brother is likely the more concerned party, as if he is listed as a co-applicant, he is both legally responsible for the debt AND subject to credit reporting.

Is it also showing on his reports?

You can file a dispute under FCRA 611, requiring the creditor to conduct a reasonable investigation of your assertion, which would logically require that they have a copy of contract papers showing his legal application as a co-applicant.

If you dispute and they verify, you then obtain the right to seek damages for lack of reasonable investigation of your dispute.  See FCRA 623(c).

If it is also reporting to your brother's credit file, he can also file his own dispute.

My advice would thus be to immediately dispute the accuracy of showing of the account as having a joint status.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I asked him to run his report and it did not show up.  I can only imagine then that's it is not my brother but my Father who is deceased.  They have the same name, one is jr and one is sr.    I was concerned about the effect on my credit if any because my Dad had horrible credit, God rest his soul .    I will do as you suggested and get it removed though since it is infact inaccurate.