Equifax has agreed to a $2.2 million class action settlement after a lawsuit accused the credit reporting giant of listing the same collection account twice on consumer reports, a practice the plaintiff says cost her a mortgage.
The proposed settlement covers roughly 37,000 consumers whose Equifax credit reports allegedly carried duplicate collection accounts during August and September 2022. Eligible claimants who file by the September 1, 2026, deadline could receive up to $600 each, though the final payout depends on how many people submit valid claims. A federal court in Georgia must still grant final approval at a hearing set for October 6, 2026.
Named plaintiff Charmayne Bradberry filed the suit after discovering in 2022 that a $305 collection account appeared more than once on her Equifax credit report. The complaint, filed in federal court in Georgia, alleges the duplicate entries dragged down her credit scores and contributed to the denial of a mortgage application. Bradberry contends Equifax failed to follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy, as the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, the main law governing how credit bureaus handle consumer data, requires.
Equifax has not admitted any violation of the law. USA TODAY reported that the company agreed to settle to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation. The court has not ruled on the merits, it has not determined which side is right.
Beyond cash payments, the settlement requires Equifax to continue measures aimed at preventing duplicate collection accounts from appearing on consumer reports and to remove any remaining duplicates tied to the issue. Every member of the settlement class, whether they file a claim or not, will receive six months of Equifax Complete credit monitoring, which includes up to $500,000 in identity theft insurance coverage.
Consumers who had a duplicate collection account show up on their Equifax report when their credit was pulled during August or September 2022 are part of the class. Settlement notices have been mailed or emailed to affected individuals. Those notices contain a Notice ID and PIN needed to submit a claim through the official settlement website.
The deadline to file is September 1, 2026. Payments will go out only after the settlement receives final court approval and any appeals are resolved. With roughly 37,000 consumers in the class and a $2.2 million pot, the per-person figure could land well below the $600 cap if most eligible claimants file.
Several key details remain unclear. The settlement does not specify whether the $2.2 million total includes attorneys' fees and administrative costs or represents the net amount available for distribution. It is also unclear how Equifax identified the approximately 37,000 affected consumers or how many have already submitted claims.
Bradberry's case puts a sharp point on the stakes. A single $305 collection account, listed twice instead of once, allegedly inflated the negative weight on her credit profile enough to sink a mortgage application. For consumers who depend on accurate credit data to buy a home, secure a car loan, or qualify for a credit card, even a small reporting error can carry outsized consequences.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act exists precisely to hold credit bureaus accountable for accuracy. When a company as large as Equifax, one of the three major bureaus that effectively gatekeep American consumer credit, lets duplicate entries slip through, the law is supposed to provide a remedy. Whether $600 per person qualifies as a meaningful one is a question the 37,000 affected consumers will have to answer for themselves.
When the institutions that control your financial reputation cannot keep a single account from showing up twice, the least they owe you is a straight count.