Take arms against a faulty credit record Illustration by Bob Eckstein It's alarming, but no one except you will ever vet the records that could determine your eligibility for a mortgage, car loan, apartment lease, or even employment. The three major agencies that track your credit record--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--get all their information from creditors and public records, which they do not verify. Not surprisingly, errors are common. Mistakes cause 29 percent of Americans' credit ratings to vary significantly from one agency to another, according to a 2002 study by the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit consumer group. As errors compound over the years, they could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest payments on a mortgage. It isn't nearly as easy for consumers to correct errors as it is for the agencies to make them, however. It took one Chicago physician six weeks and repeated calls merely to prove she wasn't dead and could therefore refinance her mortgage. (She didn't want to be named for fear that her privacy would be violated.) To get the record fixed, you have to mount a determined correction crusade: ATTACK EARLY Review your report at least three months before applying for a loan so you have enough time to correct errors. Begin by ordering reports from each of the three major agencies. They usually cost $9 each, although the price varies in some states. (If you have already been rejected for credit, insurance, or employment because of information supplied by a credit-reporting agency, the agency must provide the report to you at no charge if you request it within 60 days.) The most common credit-report disputes usually involve mix-ups with accounts belonging to another person, according to the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group. Your first impulse when you see a botched credit report is to make a call. But as the Chicago physician learned, that's not always the best route. "They have you in a maze, and you just feel like a mouse looking for the cheese," she says. Getting a live voice was all but impossible with TransUnion, which does, however, offer a free report online. DO BATTLE ON ALL FRONTS Although sometimes a phone call or even an e-mail may correct a problem, the best route is usually by certified mail, return receipt requested. Submitting a complaint through the mail allows you to send copies of your proof: cancelled checks, contracts, credit-card statements, and letters from creditors about your payment history. Launch your evidence at all three agencies, and send a letter notifying the creditor of your dispute. (Creditors who agree to make the correction don't always notify all three agencies.) The agencies usually have up to 30 days to investigate, after which you'll receive a letter notifying you of any changes and an updated copy of your credit report. If the creditor insists the information is correct, you'll have to continue fighting with him. But you can add a 100-word statement to your report so that anyone who pulls it will know the information is disputed. If an agency or creditor proves uncooperative, call your state attorney general's consumer-complaint hotline.