Once the bureau forwards your dispute, the creditor must investigate, review all relevant information the bureau sends, and report the results. If the item is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, it must modify, delete, or permanently block it.
When you dispute an item with Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, the bureau must notify the company that reported it (the “furnisher”) within 5 business days and pass along all relevant information you provided. That notice triggers the furnisher’s duties under 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b).
The furnisher’s duties
After receiving the dispute from the bureau, the furnisher must:
- Conduct an investigation of the disputed information
- Review all relevant information the bureau provided, including documents you sent
- Report the results to the bureau
- If the information is inaccurate or incomplete, report that to every nationwide bureau it furnished the information to
- If the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or cannot be verified, promptly modify it, delete it, or permanently block it from being reported
The deadline
The furnisher must finish before the bureau’s own deadline runs out, which is generally 30 days from when the bureau received your dispute, and up to 45 days in some cases.
What a reasonable investigation means
The statute requires the furnisher to review all relevant information the bureau provides, which includes the documents you submitted. Simply confirming that your name and account number match its records, without looking at what you actually disputed, may not satisfy that duty. Regulation V also requires furnishers to have written policies and procedures for accurate reporting and for handling disputes.
Practical tips
- Dispute in writing, be specific about what is wrong, and attach proof such as statements, payment confirmations, or settlement letters.
- Keep copies of everything you sent and the results you got back.
- If the item is “verified” without change, consider disputing again with additional documents.
This duty is enforceable: a furnisher that negligently or willfully fails to investigate can be liable under the FCRA. If a creditor verified information you can show is wrong, a free case review can help, with no fee unless we win.
Related
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2(b) (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a) (Cornell LII)
- 12 CFR § 1022.42 (eCFR): furnisher accuracy and integrity
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.