In most cases, you can dispute your credit report without any negative impact on your credit score. Some rare exceptions apply, so watch out for these.

Removing negative items from your credit report typically involves filing a dispute with one (or multiple) credit bureaus as well as potentially contacting the creditor or debt collector directly.

The three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — keep track of your credit score and financial history. Ideally, you can pull your credit report every year for free through ...