Sections to review
- Personal information – Names, addresses, employers. Look for typos or unknown addresses.
- Accounts (tradelines) – Open/closed credit cards, loans, limits, balances, status, payment history grid.
- Derogatories – Late payments, collections, charge-offs, bankruptcies, liens (where applicable).
- Inquiries – Hard vs soft. Hard pulls should match applications you made.
- Consumer statements & fraud alerts – If you've added any.
How to scan like a pro
- Match every account to a real lender you recognize.
- Check dates: opened, reported, last payment.
- Verify limits & balances; high utilization hurts scores.
- Read the payment grid (30/60/90+ day lates).
- Confirm status (open/closed/paid/settled).
- Look for duplicate accounts (same debt sold to collections).
- Review hard inquiries for anything you didn't authorize.
What to flag for dispute
Wrong personal data, unknown accounts, incorrect balances/limits, payments marked late in error, accounts not yours, zombie debts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many years does negative info stay?
US/CA ranges differ by item and province/state.
Will closing a card remove it from my report?
It may stay for years.