A CFPB complaint about a credit report has a required first step: dispute the inaccurate or incomplete information directly with the credit reporting agency. The timing matters. Filing with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau too soon can lead to the complaint being discontinued or left unanswered.
- Send the direct dispute. Contact the credit reporting agency whose report contains the information. The CFPB says this step is required before filing a complaint about a credit reporting agency.
- Keep the dates and a copy. Save a record of the dispute and when you sent it. You will need to know when the dispute was filed and whether it is still pending.
- Check the timing. Wait until the dispute is no longer pending, or until 45 days have passed since you filed it, before submitting a CFPB complaint.
- Submit through the CFPB. You can file online or call the CFPB. The agency says online submission usually takes less than 10 minutes; a phone complaint takes about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Review your account carefully. You must attest that the information you provide is true to the best of your knowledge and belief.
- Track the response. Check your complaint status, review the company’s response, and note the 60-day period for giving feedback after you receive it.
Start with a direct dispute to the credit reporting agency
A credit reporting agency, sometimes called a credit bureau, prepares consumer credit reports. If you believe a report contains inaccurate or incomplete information, the CFPB says you generally need to dispute it with that agency before bringing the issue to the CFPB. The notice cites federal law, 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a) and (e), as the basis for this requirement. Read the CFPB’s credit and consumer reporting complaint notice for the agency’s instructions.
This order is more than a formality. If the company tells the CFPB that you did not dispute the information directly first, the CFPB says it will discontinue processing the credit reporting complaint, and the company may not respond. Keep a copy of what you sent and the date you sent it. Those records help you confirm that the first step happened and establish the timeline.
The CFPB’s complaint notice focuses on the sequence, not on how to write a dispute or what supporting documents to include. For details about the direct dispute process, use the CFPB’s official guidance. The sources cited here do not specify what a credit reporting agency must do to resolve a particular dispute.
Wait until the timing requirement is met
Before filing with the CFPB, wait until your dispute with the credit reporting agency is no longer pending, or until 45 days have passed since you filed it. The CFPB presents those as alternatives. Check your records and, if the status is unclear, confirm it directly with the agency before moving on.
Submitting while the dispute is still active and fewer than 45 days have passed can create a process problem. The CFPB warns that premature complaints slow the system for people who followed the required steps. An early complaint may also be discontinued or receive no company response. The 45-day reference is a timing threshold for submitting a CFPB complaint, not a promise about when an agency will resolve an error.
If you are unsure how to count the days or whether the dispute is still pending, consult the CFPB’s credit and consumer reporting complaint notice and your own dispute records. The published guidance does not describe every possible status or explain how long a specific dispute will take.
Submit the complaint and confirm the details
The CFPB accepts complaints online and by phone. According to its description of the complaint process, online filing usually takes less than 10 minutes. A phone submission takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Phone lines are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The number is (855) 411-2372. For TTY/TTD, call (855) 729-2372.
Before submitting, check that your description matches what happened and that the dates are consistent with your records. The CFPB requires you to attest that the information is true to the best of your knowledge and belief. That is a statement about the accuracy of what you provide, so take time to review it rather than guessing at missing details.
The CFPB may decide another government agency is better placed to help. In that case, it may forward the complaint and notify you. The CFPB also says it may share complaint information with other state and federal agencies for supervision, enforcement, and market monitoring, consistent with applicable law.
Know what happens after you submit
After submission, the CFPB routes the complaint to the company. Companies generally respond within 15 days. In some cases, a company sends a notice that it is still working on the issue and provides a final response within 60 days. You can check the complaint’s status and receive email updates through the process.
The CFPB says complaints are published in its public Consumer Complaint Database without information that directly identifies the person who filed. The CFPB may also share complaints with other government agencies as described above. Review the agency’s process page for details about how complaints are handled and published.
Once you receive the company’s response, you have 60 days to review it and give feedback. The available guidance does not promise that filing will correct a report or describe what outcome a complaint will produce. It also does not explain what steps to take if the response does not address your concern. For questions about your specific situation, check current official guidance or speak with a qualified professional.
Please seek a professional. This article is general information, not financial, tax or insurance advice. Please seek a licensed financial, tax or insurance professional about your own situation.
