You should also file a dispute with the bank, credit union, or company that provided the information to the checking account reporting company.

Tip: If you’ve had difficulty opening or managing a checking account, see our consumer guides on choosing and managing checking accounts. You might also consider getting a prepaid card.

See our consumer guide to selecting a lower risk account
See our consumer guide to managing your checking account
See our consumer guide to checking account denials

Checking account reporting companies must comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This means they must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information they provide to the banks, and they can’t include most negative information that’s more than seven years old.

All checking account reporting companies must investigate consumers’ disputes of inaccurate information on their reports and correct any inaccurate information. Banks and credit unions that report information to checking account reporting companies also have an obligation to investigate and correct disputed information.

Nationwide checking account reporting companies must provide consumers with one free annual report per year, upon request.  You have to request the reports individually from each reporting company. We’ve put together a list of some of these checking account reporting companies, along with some information about how you can obtain copies of your reports.

You also have the right to request a free report if you have received an “adverse action” notice. For example, let’s say a bank turns you down for a checking account based on a checking account report. This is an example of an “adverse action”. The bank must provide you with an “adverse action” notice that includes the name and contact information of the checking account reporting agency from which the bank got the report. You can contact the reporting company and request a free copy of the report.

To file a dispute about information in your checking account consumer report:

1. File a dispute with the checking account reporting company that compiled the report. Use the contact information provided on the adverse action notice. If you don’t have that information, below is the contact information for the two largest checking account reporting companies.

See sample letter #1 to dispute inaccurate information 

For ChexSystems you can write or call: ChexSystems, Inc. Attn: Consumer Relations 7805 Hudson Road, Suite 100 Woodbury, MN 55125 (800) 428-9623

For Early Warning Services, LLC, you can write or call:   Early Warning Services, LLC 16552 North 90th Street, Suite 100 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (800) 325-7775

2. Next, file a dispute with the bank or credit union that provided the information to the checking account reporting company. You should be able to find this information on your report.

See sample letter #2 to dispute inaccurate information

Hint: If you find inaccurate information on your report, you may also want to check your other consumer reports especially if it appears that the inaccurate information is the result of identity theft.

3. Have your social security card and other identifying information ready: If you are a victim of identity theft, the company may require you to provide a copy of your social security card with your dispute. It may also be helpful to include an identity theft affidavit, which was created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to provide a standard dispute letter for identity theft-related problems .

If the investigation does not resolve the dispute to your satisfaction, you also have the right to send a brief statement explaining why you think the record is inaccurate to the checking account reporting company to keep in your file. The reporting company must include your statement about disputed information in a report it issues about you. You can also submit a complaint to the CFPB.

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We’ll forward your issue to the company, give you a tracking number, and keep you updated on the status of your complaint.