Q28: Who would contact first to dispute an error on your credit report?

Demographic and experience categories The lender The CRA The BBB Other Do not know
All respondents 64.2 ( 1.4) 18.4 ( 1.1) 3.6 ( 0.5) 1.1 ( 0.4) 12.7 ( 0.9)
AGE GROUP          
18 to 24 60.5 ( 4.9) 18.4 ( 3.6) 2.2 ( 1.2) 2.1 ( 2.1) 16.7 ( 3.4)
25 to 34 68.2 ( 3.2) 14.8 ( 2.4) 3.3 ( 1.2) 0.9 ( 0.5) 12.8 ( 2.3)
35 to 44 66.4 ( 3.2) 19.9 ( 2.8) 2.4 ( 1.0) 0.7 ( 0.5) 10.6 ( 2.0)
45 to 54 65.1 ( 3.0) 18.2 ( 2.4) 2.9 ( 1.0) 0.9 ( 0.5) 12.8 ( 2.0)
55 to 64 68.0 ( 3.4) 23.5 ( 3.1) 2.1 ( 1.0) 0.8 ( 0.8) 5.6 ( 1.4)
65 and older 53.8 ( 3.2) 19.8 ( 2.7) 9.5 ( 2.0) 0.9 ( 0.6) 16.1 ( 2.2)
INCOME          
Less than $25000 55.7 ( 2.3) 15.9 ( 1.7) 5.4 ( 1.0) 0.5 ( 0.3) 22.5 ( 2.0)
$25000 to $49999 64.6 ( 2.9) 21.6 ( 2.4) 3.0 ( 0.9) 0.7 ( 0.5) 10.0 ( 1.8)
$50000 to $74999 68.1 ( 3.3) 18.1 ( 2.7) 3.9 ( 1.5) 1.1 ( 0.6) 8.9 ( 1.9)
$75000+ 73.3 ( 2.9) 18.1 ( 2.4) 1.5 ( 0.8) 0.8 ( 0.5) 6.3 ( 1.7)
EDUCATION          
Less than high school 44.0 ( 3.7) 12.3 ( 2.5) 8.7 ( 2.2) 0.6 ( 0.6) 34.5 ( 3.4)
High school 63.7 ( 2.4) 17.4 ( 1.9) 4.2 ( 1.0) 1.3 ( 0.9) 13.3 ( 1.6)
Some post-secondary education 70.1 ( 2.5) 16.8 ( 1.9) 2.2 ( 0.6) 0.8 ( 0.5) 10.1 ( 1.7)
BA or more 65.8 ( 2.6) 23.1 ( 2.2) 2.6 ( 0.9) 1.3 ( 0.6) 7.2 ( 1.3)
ETHNICITY          
White 69.3 ( 1.7) 17.1 ( 1.4) 3.0 ( 0.6) 1.3 ( 0.5) 9.3 ( 1.0)
Black 62.3 ( 3.0) 21.0 ( 2.5) 3.6 ( 1.1) 1.2 ( 0.7) 11.9 ( 2.0)
Hispanic 43.4 ( 3.1) 19.7 ( 2.6) 7.8 ( 1.6) 0.0 ( 0.0) 29.1 ( 2.8)
Other 54.7 ( 6.4) 26.8 ( 5.8) 0.6 ( 0.6) 0.8 ( 0.8) 17.2 ( 5.1)
SEX          
Male 67.1 ( 2.1) 17.6 ( 1.7) 4.0 ( 0.9) 1.2 ( 0.6) 10.0 ( 1.3)
Female 61.7 ( 1.7) 19.3 ( 1.4) 3.2 ( 0.6) 0.7 ( 0.3) 15.1 ( 1.2)
EMPLOYMENT STATUS          
Actively employed (FT or PT) 68.0 ( 1.8) 18.8 ( 1.5) 2.3 ( 0.5) 0.3 ( 0.1) 10.7 ( 1.2)
Student 62.2 ( 7.8) 19.2 ( 6.2) 1.2 ( 1.2) 1.0 ( 1.0) 16.5 ( 5.3)
Not employed (homemaker, retired, unemployed) 56.8 ( 2.3) 18.5 ( 1.8) 6.9 ( 1.2) 1.5 ( 0.6) 16.3 ( 1.6)
Other 64.6 ( 6.3) 13.9 ( 4.0) 1.2 ( 1.2) 8.0 ( 5.6) 12.3 ( 3.3)
GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCE          
Resident of a free report state (CO, GA, ME, MD, MA, NJ, VT) 60.4 ( 3.0) 26.0 ( 2.8) 2.2 ( 0.8) 1.4 ( 0.7) 9.9 ( 1.7)
Resident of another state 64.7 ( 1.5) 17.3 ( 1.2) 3.8 ( 0.6) 1.0 ( 0.4) 13.1 ( 1.0)
FINANCIAL AND CREDIT REPORT EXPERIENCE          
Obtained a credit report 70.4 ( 1.7) 19.1 ( 1.5) 2.4 ( 0.5) 1.0 ( 0.4) 7.1 ( 0.9)
Did not obtain a credit report 55.6 ( 2.2) 17.6 ( 1.6) 5.3 ( 0.9) 1.2 ( 0.7) 20.4 ( 1.7)
           
Obtained credit score 72.6 ( 2.2) 20.4 ( 2.0) 1.4 ( 0.5) 0.7 ( 0.4) 4.9 ( 1.0)
Did not obtain credit score 60.0 ( 1.7) 17.5 ( 1.3) 4.7 ( 0.7) 1.3 ( 0.5) 16.6 ( 1.2)
           
Disputed information on credit report 72.1 ( 3.0) 21.9 ( 2.7) 1.8 ( 0.8) 0.7 ( 0.5) 3.6 ( 1.3)
Did not dispute credit report information 62.4 ( 1.5) 17.7 ( 1.2) 4.0 ( 0.6) 1.2 ( 0.4) 14.7 ( 1.1)
           
Had an auto or mortgage loan 67.9 ( 1.5) 18.4 ( 1.2) 3.3 ( 0.6) 0.8 ( 0.3) 9.6 ( 0.9)
Did not have an auto or mortgage loan 51.5 ( 3.0) 18.4 ( 2.2) 4.8 ( 1.1) 2.1 ( 1.2) 23.2 ( 2.3)
           
Was a victim of identity theft 69.5 ( 3.8) 18.2 ( 3.1) 3.5 ( 1.5) 1.9 ( 1.2) 6.9 ( 1.9)
Was not a victim of identity theft 63.6 ( 1.5) 18.5 ( 1.2) 3.6 ( 0.5) 1.0 ( 0.4) 13.4 ( 1.0)
           
Obtained credit report due to an adverse action 74.5 ( 4.3) 17.1 ( 3.9) 1.7 ( 0.8) 0.4 ( 0.4) 6.4 ( 2.0)
Did not obtain credit report due to an adverse action 63.2 ( 1.4) 18.6 ( 1.1) 3.8 ( 0.5) 1.1 ( 0.4) 13.3 ( 1.0)

Percent estimates totaling 100% within each demographic and experience category, with standard errors in parentheses
 
GAO-05-411SP Credit Reporting Literacy Survey Data
Full Report: GAO-05-223