It asserts that the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to correct or delete information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable.
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Executive summary
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) explicitly requires consumer reporting agencies — commonly called credit bureaus — to correct or delete information in a consumer’s file that is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, and it sets procedures and timing for disputes and investigations [1] [2]. The law also contains limits and practical exceptions: information a bureau verifies as accurate can remain, furnishers have separate duties, and remedies and enforcement are administered by federal agencies and through limited private causes of action [3] [4] [5].
1. What the statute actually says about accuracy — a legal obligation, not mere guidance
The core of the FCRA binds consumer reporting agencies to follow “reasonable procedures” to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information they maintain, and it requires that inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information be corrected or removed from consumer files [3] [6]. Federal guidance and agency summaries repeatedly state the same obligation in plain terms: consumer reporting agencies must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information and the statute promotes accuracy, fairness, and privacy in credit files [6] [1] [4].
2. How the dispute process is supposed to work — short timelines, investigation, and verification
When a consumer disputes information, FCRA requires the bureau to investigate the dispute unless it is frivolous, typically completing that investigation within 30 days (with limited circumstances extending to 45 days) and to then correct, delete, or verify the item in question [7] [8] [9]. During that process the credit bureau generally must contact the furnisher that supplied the data; if the furnisher cannot verify the information the bureau must remove or correct it [1] [10]. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other agencies have issued guidance clarifying what “reasonable procedures” and file disclosures mean in practice, amplifying FCRA’s investigatory framework [5].
3. Limits, exceptions, and the role of furnishers — accuracy is shared responsibility
FCRA imposes obligations on furnishers of information as well, such as to correct and update information they supply, but there are statutory limits on private suits against furnishers for some duties and the statute recognizes situations where verified information can continue to be reported [3] [10]. A bureau may lawfully continue to report information it has verified as accurate even after a dispute, and some categories of information are time-limited rather than immediately removable [8] [11]. Federal agencies have interpreted “reasonable procedures” to include preventing duplicate entries and excluding sealed or expunged records, showing that practical enforcement involves judgment calls and agency oversight [5].
4. Enforcement, remedies, and real-world gaps between law and practice
Enforcement of FCRA comes from multiple sources: the FTC historically, the CFPB for rulemaking and enforcement, and private litigation where standing and damages standards are met [12] [13]. Remedies can include statutory or actual damages and attorneys’ fees for willful or negligent noncompliance, but consumers still regularly report disputed inaccuracies and agency studies have found substantial error rates in practice, highlighting a gap between statutory rights and consumer experience [3] [9]. CFPB advisory opinions and enforcement actions demonstrate regulators’ willingness to press bureaus on accuracy obligations, but practical enforcement often depends on individual complaints and litigation [5] [3].
5. Practical takeaway — the law provides clear rights, but outcomes depend on verification and enforcement
The bottom line is unequivocal in statutory and agency texts: FCRA requires bureaus to correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information and sets out a dispute-and-investigate process with specific timeframes [6] [9] [7]. Yet consumers should expect that information a furnisher proves accurate will remain, that some disputes trigger nuanced verification questions, and that securing relief often requires persistence, documentation, and sometimes regulatory or legal assistance [10] [11] [5]. Sources consulted include the FTC and CFPB explanations of FCRA duties, legal summaries from privacy advocates, and consumer-facing guides that restate the statutory correction-or-deletion requirement [12] [5] [1].