A notification from the credit score site might have popped up stating that your personal information must match the credit bureau records. We get your surprise and confusion. Why your personal information doesn’t match with credit bureau records might still be a mystery.
Well, not anymore. Mostly, Credit Karma and similar free score sites have been reported by customers for facing such issues. This guide will tell you why your details aren’t the same as the credit bureaus. How do I correct my personal information on my credit report? We have covered that, too.
Let’s get started.
Why Doesn’t Your Personal Information Match with Credit Bureau Records?
Reasons, why your personal information doesn’t match your credit bureau reports, might help you find the correct way to rectify your details. Hence, you should check the reasons before identifying the problem and its corresponding solution.
Absence of Record
You might not have provided your personal information to the credit score platform. After all, your personal information won’t be carried on if you don’t provide them. So, your information won’t magically pop up on that credit score platform.
In simpler words, you will receive an error of personal information mismatch with credit bureau records if you try to get an online credit report and haven’t established your records beforehand. Therefore, you have to initiate a borrowing relationship.
Agencies will have no information to show about you as you can’t have a credit score at age 18. Hence, you must apply for a borrowing account and feed your information to bureaus once the account is open. However, 2 types of updates are available to convey your details to credit bureaus:
- Hard Inquiry involves the name, address, date of birth, and SSN or Social Security Number.
- On the other hand, New Trade Line involves personal identification information, the type of the account, the date of the account opening, payment status, the amount owed, and more.
Mismatch Information
Differing information can be an answer to why your personal information doesn’t match with credit bureau records Reddit. Usually, agencies program dedicated software to filter, analyse, and combine details from multiple sources. The software can initiate an inquiry with the resulting reports.
Now, this can result in varying information to some extent. Allegedly, some information can get widely different due to this process. Then, agencies might face problems syncing up users’ details with credit bureau records. For example, the following errors can take place:
- Digits on date of birth, SSNs or social security numbers, and other similar details can be transposed. In addition, similar clerical errors or typos can take place.
- Variations in the address, like street name, directions, apartment numbers, etc., can go missing.
- Names and generation codes such as senior, junior, etc can be inconsistent. For example, the presentation of names can be wrong, like Michael can be misinterpreted as Miguel.
Now, these changes or errors can initiate issues regarding personal information mismatch with credit bureau records on Credit Karma or other free credit score checking sites.
Changes in Names
Why does my Credit Karma say my information doesn’t match? Modifying the user’s name can create an inconsistency in credit bureau records. And, this will lead the bureau to conclude that your details aren’t accurate to what you submitted before.
For instance, most women prefer changing their surname after marriage and divorce. If the user doesn’t follow the right guidelines to update his or her name accordingly, then the bureau will find it difficult to identify whether it’s the same person or two different persons.
On the other hand, Hispanic people commonly use 2 surnames by placing the apelido Paterno at first followed by the apelido Materno. So, they have to define their names correctly. Thus, bureaus can easily identify them and don’t claim that their personal information differs from what they provided.
Changes in Addresses
Undoubtedly, your address is bound to change with every relocation. So, you better inform the credit bureau about your address change whenever you relocate. Otherwise, you might face the same personal information mismatch if you enter the current address on any credit score checking site.
People who keep moving constantly can create challenges for credit bureaus. Hence, the software should decide whether this variation permits them to connect records accurately. The answer can be murky or clear if the bureau software needs clarification about whether the person is the same or different.
- Murky means that a particular user’s name, date of birth, and social security number can have discrepancies.
- Clear indicates that a person’s name, date of birth, and social security number are accurately the same as provided.
How to Fix Such Errors?
Your personal information doesn’t match with credit bureau records — this can escalate your anxiety. However, you can confidently change your details after you have proceeded with the right diagnosis. You can rectify the provided data or update the particular information precisely.
After you update your details accurately, you can view your credit score for free. Here’s what you can do to fix the underlying error:
Establish Your Records
If you are a first-time user or borrower, you must establish your records at bureaus. As you already know, your personal information won’t just appear alone. You need to prove to bureaus that you exist as a customer.
So, you should establish an existing file, and it requires the following proactive steps on your behalf:
- If you have no credit history, you need to open a first-time instalment loan.
- Next, you must apply for a secured credit card from a banking institution with a national brand.
- Afterwards, communicate your rent payments and utility bills to build a record.
Rectify Errors
Have you come across any type of mistake with your personal information? Then, it is why your personal information doesn’t match with credit bureau records. The easiest way to update or correct those mistakes is to contact your creditor.
So, contact your creditor, and they will convey the changes to credit bureaus. However, start by recognising the source of any discrepancies by obtaining print-outs from your creditors. Next, you must verify the details and report whether they are correct.
If those details are not correct, you need to rectify them. For example, the following data should be precise, clear, and consistent:
- Your first, middle, and surname should match. Additionally, you should list them in the same or mentioned order.
- Make sure you correctly enter your apartment number and street name with directions, city, state, zip code, etc.
If you find that there’s no anomaly in your name and address, then call your creditor. The conflict might be associated with your SSN or date of birth. Then, they will instruct you on how to rectify those errors.
How Can You Update Your Information with the Credit Bureau?
You might have got the answer to why your personal information doesn’t match with credit bureau records. Fortunately, you can easily update them if required. Contact your creditor, and via them, you can convey if you want to update your name, address, date of birth, SSN, and other important information.
Creditors usually update their customers’ details every month. To avoid the same mistake, you must submit your full legal name, current address, correct SSN, and date of birth while updating your information.
