Your attorney should threaten to sue any source of defamatory information about you who refuses to expunge the information from your credit files.

FORBES: Dealing with Identity Theft

If the source of defamatory credit information about you refuses your demand to contact the credit reporting agencies and expunge the defamatory information from your credit files, you should sue the source.

FORBES: Dealing with Identity Theft

You should not take the word of a source of a defamatory credit report concerning you that it has contacted the credit reporting agencies expunged the defamatory information from your credit files.

FORBES: Dealing with Identity Theft

The consumer can then red-flag his credit files and consult the Equifax fraud specialist about how to prevent the identity thief from opening up new accounts, taking out loans or making big-ticket purchases in the customer's name.

FORBES: Paying For Peace Of Mind

Credit files often contain inaccurate information.

FORBES: Manage Your Credit

They should also receive partial credit for determining that disability claims files are incomplete.

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They produce credit reports on you from their files and sell them to prospective creditors and employers.

FORBES: Manage Your Credit

Under current laws, people who have been denied credit, as well as consumers who believe that their files contain inaccurate information due to fraud, are among those entitled to free credit reports.

FORBES: Paying For Peace Of Mind

Starting in June, the industry's information-exchange network will allow files to be attached so credit bureaus can send documentation to lenders, says Steve Wagner, president of Experian's North American credit-bureau operations.

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The information maintained in the files includes your age, Social Security Number, your payment history on credit extended to you in the past, your current and prior addresses, and your current and prior employers.

FORBES: Manage Your Credit