After separating, I just wanted to share my rant/data point and experience with DFAS.
So, I was honorably discharged from the military in May 2023, double-checked all my forms and appointments, and covered all my bases at my out-processing appointments around October 2022.
Fast-forward to the present. I track my credit like a normal citizen and get a notification of an account opened in my name with an associated debt ($1732.89). I’m also building a home, so I freak out at work (in isolation) because my credit tanked -130 points.
The next day, I got on the phone with DFAS to figure out what was happening. It was due to government overpayment from federal and state income. I’m like, whatever, words from the representative. I confirm with the rep that this will be deleted from my credit report after the payment is posted, and I will also receive a paid-in-full/debt-satisfied letter. The payment will take 4-6 business days to be posted. DFAS also sends out the delete letter every third Sunday, and the credit bureaus can take up to 90 days to remove the account from my credit file.
Four to six business days pass, and I call DFAS like they owe me money. I got the debt satisfaction letter and confirmed that the payment was posted. Now, here comes the fun part: disputing the report to get it deleted from my credit report.
Experian didn’t report the account; only TransUnion and Equifax did. I immediately started disputing the record with the two credit bureaus because fuck waiting on the government to move fast. After filing the dispute, the account was removed within 3-5 days, and my credit scores were returned to above 760.
TLDR: DFAS's archaic ways of notifying someone are inefficient and can cause a random panic episode. Pay the debt (if you owe it) and dispute it to have the account removed.
Posted by wmiii