How To Spot A Mixed File Error On Your Credit Report

A mixed file error on your credit report means that your credit report contains information that belongs to somebody else. Mixed file errors can occur by mistake or by fraud. They can negatively impact a credit report, which can result in denials of credit, housing, and employment. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires credit reporting agencies to promptly investigate and resolve mixed file errors. Consumers have the right to bring legal action against credit reporting agencies that don’t cooperate to resolve consumer disputes. 

Why It’s Important to Periodically Review Your Credit Report

Your credit report is your financial history at a glance and is relied on by companies and organizations to assess your likelihood of repaying a loan, your ability to handle financial responsibility, or to confirm your identity. Inaccuracies can cause significant hardship in daily life and need to be identified and corrected as quickly as possible. 

Federal law requires each of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report each year. Free weekly credit reports are also available online by request at AnnualCreditReport.com. 

Review your credit reports carefully for accuracy and make sure they contain complete information. If your report contains accounts that you don’t recognize, errors in your personal information, or credit inquiries you did not make, it could be due to a mixed file error or identity theft. 

How a Mixed File Error Can Damage Your Credit in Florida

People often have a general idea of their credit score because many banks and credit card companies provide access to customer credit scores as a free service. A substantial change in your credit score is a good indication that there is new information in your credit report that should be reviewed. 

An undetected mixed file error can damage your credit in the following ways:

• Lower credit score
• Loan and credit card denials
• Less favorable interest rates
• Employment denials
• Housing denials

Credit reporting agencies rely on automation to compile and process the information that is included in credit reports, and errors occur quite regularly.

Complaints about Mixed File Errors in Credit Reports are Increasing

In 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) received 2.8 million complaints (up from 1.3 million in 2023). Issues with credit and consumer reporting made up 85% of the complaints and increased 106% over 2023 numbers. Florida recorded the second most complaints of any state.

The majority of the complaints were against the three major credit reporting agencies. Incorrect information in a credit report was the primary grievance. Complained of inaccuracies, including credit inquiries, account and payment statuses, bankruptcies, and personal information. 

What to Do if Your Credit Report Contains a Mixed File Error in Florida

If you discover an error on your credit report, you need to file a dispute with all of the major credit reporting agencies. You should also file a dispute with the company that furnished the information to the credit reporting agency. 

The FCRA requires both the credit reporting agency and the furnisher of the information to correct inaccuracies promptly. The credit reporting agency will investigate the dispute (unless it is frivolous) and provide a report with the results. If your credit is corrected, you can request the credit reporting agency to send notices to anyone who received your credit report in the last 6 months. 

Unfortunately, all too often, after too many tries, the problem isn’t solved.

Contact our Florida Credit Report Error Lawyers Today

Though credit reporting agencies are required to conduct ‘reasonable’ investigations of disputed information, the reality is that investigations are often cursory, and a consumer may not be able to get their dispute successfully resolved even after multiple attempts. 

This is probably the time to think about contacting a Florida credit report error lawyer, as there may be grounds to take legal action under the FCRA.