How to Explain an Incorrect Balance in a Dispute Letter
How to describe an incorrect balance in plain English CheckDispute · Sources checked September 20, 2026 To explain an incorrect balance in a dispute letter, identify the account and the balance shown on the report, state what your supporting record shows, and name the document and date behind that comparison. Ask for the specific information to be investigated and corrected. Keep the explanation as narrow as your evidence allows. A difference between two numbers gives you something to examine; it does not, by itself, establish which number is wrong. You can build that explanation one sentence at a time. Start with the report and the relevant account record open together, rather than searching for a more forceful template. What should I say in my dispute letter? Say what is reported, why you believe it is inaccurate, and what change you are requesting. The FTC's sample dispute-letter guidance uses those elements. It does not require a dramatic accusation or a claim about every...