It's supposed to be the safety net for consumers plagued with errors on their credit reports, but a recent study calls the dispute process at major credit bureaus a "mockery."
To read the report "Automated Injustice: How a Mechanized Dispute System Frustrates Consumers Seeking to Fix Errors in Their Credit Reports":
http://www.nclc.org/issues/credit_reporting/content/automated_injustice.pdf
To read the text of a proposed bill that would give consumers better access to and control over their data:
To read a NY Times editorial in support of the legislation that would give consumers better access to and control over their data:
To read the ongoing Federal trade Commission study on credit report studies:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/12/factareport.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/12/factareport.shtm