Credit Reporting Complaint Tracker: What the CFPB Data Shows
Americans filed 6,381,898 credit reporting complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026 — 90.7% of all complaints it received. Most were about incorrect information, and the three nationwide bureaus accounted for 96.2% of them.
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Numbers make the frustration concrete. Here is a plain-English breakdown of every credit reporting complaint the federal consumer watchdog logged over the past year, using its own public data.
Credit Reporting Is the #1 Consumer Finance Complaint
From October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026, the CFPB received 6,381,898 complaints about credit reporting — 90.7% of all complaints across every financial product in its database. Debt collection, the next largest category, was far behind.
Credit reporting includes complaints about the three nationwide bureaus as well as specialty consumer reporting companies, such as tenant and check-screening agencies.
What People Complain About
Most complaints (59.7%) are about incorrect information on a report. About one in five (19.1%) are about a company's investigation of a problem the consumer already raised — the "my dispute came back verified but it's still wrong" situation.
| Issue | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect information on your report | 3,809,548 | 59.7% |
| Improper use of your report | 1,308,912 | 20.5% |
| Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem | 1,216,764 | 19.1% |
| Problem with fraud alerts or security freezes | 20,659 | 0.3% |
| Unable to get your credit report or credit score | 18,446 | 0.3% |
| Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services | 7,569 | 0.1% |
Which Companies Get the Most Complaints
The three nationwide bureaus received 6,137,715 complaints combined — 96.2% of the total. Raw counts reflect each company's size and how many people check their reports, so they are not a ranking of quality.
| Company | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TransUnion | 2,243,160 | 35.1% |
| Equifax | 2,002,797 | 31.4% |
| Experian | 1,891,758 | 29.6% |
| LexisNexis | 34,822 | 0.5% |
| CBC Companies | 24,599 | 0.4% |
How Companies Responded
Most complaints were closed with explanation (62.0%). About 31.0% were closed with non-monetary relief, which can include correcting a report. Monetary relief was rare. Companies responded on time in more than 99.8% of cases.
| Company response | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Closed with explanation | 3,956,099 | 62.0% |
| Closed with non-monetary relief | 1,975,384 | 31.0% |
| In progress | 445,205 | 7.0% |
| Untimely response | 4,316 | 0.1% |
| Closed with monetary relief | 894 | 0.0% |
Where Complaints Come From
Texas, Florida, and California filed the most credit reporting complaints. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for population.
| State (top 10) | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,049,110 | 16.4% |
| Florida | 928,732 | 14.6% |
| California | 575,479 | 9.0% |
| Georgia | 477,539 | 7.5% |
| New York | 320,232 | 5.0% |
| Illinois | 274,666 | 4.3% |
| North Carolina | 227,479 | 3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 206,275 | 3.2% |
| Alabama | 195,432 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 182,221 | 2.9% |
How to Read These Numbers
The CFPB does not verify every claim in a complaint, and a complaint is not proof that a report was wrong. Some complaints are submitted by third parties on a consumer's behalf, including credit repair companies, which can inflate counts. Nearly all credit reporting complaints arrive through the CFPB website.
Data is public domain (CC0) and is updated daily by the CFPB; figures here are a snapshot pulled October 15, 2026. Complaints still in progress can change category or response after this date.
What to Do If You Have the Same Problem
Start with a free dispute directly with each bureau that shows the error. If it comes back verified and you still believe it is wrong, follow our guide to what to do when a dispute is verified but still wrong — including how to file your own CFPB complaint. The evidence checklist helps you build a stronger file.
Frequently asked questions
What to gather first
- A current copy of each credit report you want to review (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) from AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Government-issued photo ID and proof of current address, which bureaus commonly request with a mailed dispute.
- Account statements, payment records, or letters that relate to the item you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
- The exact account name, partial account number, and the reason you believe the entry is inaccurate or incomplete.
- A way to keep records: copies of what you send and, if mailing, proof of delivery.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Disputing information you know is accurate — that wastes the process and does not help you.
- Sending a vague dispute. Identify the specific item and explain what is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Disputing with only one bureau when the same entry appears on more than one report.
- Keeping no copies of what you sent, so you cannot show what was disputed or when.
- Paying a company that promises deletions or score increases — no one can promise those outcomes.
When to get additional help
Consider additional help if a bureau or furnisher does not respond, if an entry you believe is inaccurate stays on your report after a reinvestigation, if you may be affected by identity theft, or if you have questions about your legal rights.
- Submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
- Report suspected identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov (FTC).
- For legal questions, consider consulting a licensed attorney in your state. This page is educational information, not legal advice.
How CreditKaren can help
CreditKaren is a free, AI-assisted tool that reviews a credit report you upload and highlights entries that may be inconsistent, incomplete, or worth a closer look. If you decide an item may be inaccurate or incomplete, CreditKaren can draft a dispute letter you can review, edit, and send yourself.
CreditKaren is not a law firm, credit bureau, lender, or credit-repair organization. It does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee deletions, dispute outcomes, or changes to your credit scores. You decide what to dispute and you send every letter.
Important limitation
Sources and further reading
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