A mixed credit file or a merged credit file occurs when another consumer’s credit information is placed erroneously on your credit report.\u00a0 Despite the fact that the responsibility for the debt is that of another consumer, a credit reporting agency will attribute that information to your credit report.\u00a0 This situation can lead to disastrous consequences because the information can cost you a mortgage, a job, or to pay higher interest rates.<\/p>\n
As you would expect, both furnishers and credit reporting agencies can be the source of the incorrect credit account that appears on your credit report.\u00a0\u00a0Mixed credit files and merged credit files occur for consumers\u00a0because of\u00a0the manner that credit reporting agencies acquire and organize their data.\u00a0 Originally, furnishers provide information to credit reporting agencies about consumer accounts.\u00a0 Furnishers provide this data electronically by including identifying information like name, address, and social security number.\u00a0 If the information provided by the furnisher to the credit reporting agency is incorrect or missing, then the\u00a0credit reporting agency\u00a0can match the information to the wrong consumer’s file.\u00a0 Incorrect file matching occurs because the credit reporting agencies do not maintain one file for each consumer.\u00a0 The credit reporting agencies maintain pieces of individual data in their records and then associate and match similar data based upon complicated algorithms that are proprietary secrets.\u00a0 While these algorithms are closely guarded secrets, we know some information about the process through discovery in litigation of mixed and merged credit file cases.\u00a0 Typically, a nine for nine social security number match is not required to associate one piece of credit information with a particular credit file,\u00a0 and other criteria like name and address are factors into the decision as to which file to place a credit account.\u00a0 A name and address alone may be enough for incorrect data to match to your file and cause a completely different credit file\u00a0to ultimately merge into your credit file as part of the computerized matching process.\u00a0 Accordingly, people with common names have a higher chance to be the victim of mixed and merged credit files.\u00a0 Inappropriately merged credit files typically occur when an existing credit file begins to more closely match your credit file with the credit reporting agency. Identity theft victims also can have the identity theif’s actual bad credit merge into the good credit of the victim.<\/p>\n
Common mixed credit file\u00a0and merged credit file\u00a0causes include:<\/p>\n
Correcting inaccurate credit information as a result of mixed credit files or merged credit files is accomplished in the same manner as any other credit report inaccuracy.\u00a0 Please review my previous blog post on how to dispute inaccurate information information on your credit report<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you would like to contact me with any questions, or potential referral to a lawyer in your area, please contact me at 571-313-0412.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A mixed credit file or a merged credit file occurs when another consumer’s credit information is placed erroneously on your credit report.\u00a0 Despite the fact that the responsibility for the debt is that of another consumer, a credit reporting agency will attribute that information to your credit report.\u00a0 This situation can lead to disastrous consequences … Continue reading Inaccurate Credit Reports Because of Mixed Credit Files and Merged Credit Files<\/span>