Mixed Credit Reports

“To the Credit Reporting Agency: My name is Marshall Jones. I am not now, nor have I ever been, Marsha Jones. Please remove her Filene’s and Victoria’s Secret credit lines from my report.”

-A Yarmouth, Maine man, the victim of a “mixed” credit file. [Surname changed to protect privacy.] [source: Maine.gov “Noteworthy Quotes”]

A little levity to introduce the subject of mixed credit reports, but if you’re the unfortunate recipient of someone else’s credit appearing on your report, then there’s nothing funny about it.  Each month, billions of bits of credit data are reported to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.  When you apply for a loan, a creditor accesses this data by reaching in and grabbing out the credit items that it believes to be yours.  Surprisingly, the CRA’s algorithm used to retrieve this data does not require an exact match of your social security number, name, or address – it will accept a partial match.  The resulting output can produce what is called a mixed or fragmented credit report.  Consumer Federation of America’s December 17, 2002 report titled “Credit Score Accuracy and Implications for Consumers” listed the following reasons for mixed or fragmented credit reports:

· Confusion between generations with the same name (Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.).

· Mixed files with similar names, but different social security numbers.

· Mixed files with matching social security numbers, but different names.

· Mixed files that listed accounts recorded under the applicant’s name, but with the social security number of the co-applicant.

· Name variations that appeared to contain transposed first and middle names.

· Files that appeared to be tracking credit under an applicant’s nickname.

· Spelling errors in the name.

· Transposing digits in the social security number.

Merchants Information Solutions which bills itself as “the leading provider of consumer, business, and mortgage credit information” offers the following advice to avoid a mixed file:

It’s very important to use your full legal name (not nicknames or first initials), include generation such as junior, senior, II, III, or IV if appropriate. Fill out all requested information on the credit applications, including your date of birth, current address, and previous addresses. If a mixed file should occur, simply fill out a dispute form explaining the situation and mail it to the agency that reported the information.

This author recommends you carefully examine your credit report for any personal identifying information that may be incorrect:  addresses for which you never resided, incorrect social security number, misspelled name or designation.  Circle any trade lines that do not belong to you and include a copy of your driver’s license and dispute letter and of course, send by certified mail with return receipt requested.  Be sure to send copies and not originals.  Click here for the mailing addresses for Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.