These include disputes about the following:

• Information that identifies you (generally at the beginning of the credit report) such as your name, date of birth, Social Security number, telephone number, or address
• The identity of past or present employers
• Inquiries or requests for a consumer report
• Information derived from public records, such as judgments, bankruptcies, liens, and other legal matters (unless provided by a furnisher with an account or other relationship with you)
• Information related to fraud alerts or active duty alerts
• Information some other creditor or furnishing institution gave to the credit reporting company

Generally, the types of disputes creditors and furnishing institutions investigate when you file disputes with them directly relate to:

1. Your liability for a credit account or debt with that entity furnisher (for example, whether it is your account)
2. The terms of your credit account or debt with that entity (for example, how much you owe)
3. Your performance or other conduct on an account or relationship with that entity (for example, whether you are paying on time)
4. Any other information about your account or relationship with that entity relevant to a credit report (for example, your creditworthiness)

A creditor or furnishing institution does not have to investigate a dispute about your credit report that you file directly with it if:

• You use a form a credit repair organization supplies to you or a credit repair organization prepares or submits the dispute for you
• The dispute is substantially the same as one you previously submitted to it or to a credit reporting company, if the creditor or furnisher has already met its legal responsibilities for that dispute