Mixed Credit File

Full definition

Mixed files are one of the more serious credit reporting errors because they introduce another person's debt history, payment patterns, and possibly public records into your credit report without your knowledge. Common causes: Consumers with the same or very similar names (particularly fathers and sons sharing a name, or people with common surnames), consumers who have lived at the same address at different times, and errors in Social Security number transcription (a single digit transposition can merge two strangers' files) are the most frequent sources. How to detect it: Review your credit reports from all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) at AnnualCreditReport.com annually. Look for: accounts you do not recognize, addresses where you have never lived, employers you have never worked for, inquiries from lenders you never contacted, or names that are not yours. Impact on loan applications: If a mixed file contains negative information (late payments, collections, judgments) belonging to someone else, your credit score will be artificially suppressed. You may be denied a personal loan or offered a higher rate based on another person's credit behavior. How to dispute: File a dispute directly with each credit bureau that has the mixed file. You can dispute online, by mail, or by phone. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), bureaus must investigate within 30 days and correct or remove inaccurate information. Send certified mail with return receipt for documentation. Include a copy of your ID and any proof of the error. FCRA rights: You have the right to have inaccurate information corrected, to add a 100-word statement of explanation to your file, and to request that corrected reports be sent to any lender who pulled your file in the past 6 months.

• Credit report
• Identity theft