How to Remove CRDT First From Your Credit Report

CRDT First is one of the more puzzling entries you might find on your credit report, mostly because the name doesn’t immediately point to anything familiar. It’s the credit bureau shorthand for Credit First National Association, the same company that appears elsewhere as CFNA. If you’ve already read about CFNA on Crediful, you’ll recognize the territory. If not, here’s everything you need to know.

CFNA issues co-branded credit cards for automotive retailers and service centers. If you financed a tire purchase or applied for a store card at one of their partner locations, that’s what triggered the CRDT First entry on your credit report.

What Is CRDT First on Your Credit Report?

CRDT First is an alternate credit bureau code for Credit First National Association (CFNA), a bank that issues private label credit cards for auto-related businesses. The same lender can appear under different codes depending on which credit bureau is displaying the entry and how the inquiry was submitted, which is why you might see CFNA on one credit report and CRDT First on another.

When you apply for a store card or financing through a CFNA partner, they run a hard inquiry that gets recorded on your credit report under whichever code that bureau uses.

Which Companies Trigger a CRDT First Inquiry?

CFNA partners with a wide range of automotive retailers and service centers. Applying for credit at any of the following can result in a CRDT First hard inquiry on your credit report:

• Bridgestone
• Firestone Complete Auto Care
• Tire Rack
• Tires Plus
• Hibdon Tires Plus
• Wheel Works
• Town Fair Tire
• Virginia Tire & Auto
• And dozens of other regional tire and auto service providers

If you’ve had recent work done on your vehicle and signed up for a store card to cover the cost, that’s the most likely source of the entry.

How CRDT First Affects Your Credit Score

A single hard inquiry from CRDT First causes a minor dip in your credit score, typically just a few points. That’s not a meaningful concern on its own. The impact becomes more noticeable when several hard inquiries appear within a short window, which can signal to lenders that you’re actively seeking credit and potentially taking on more than you can handle.

The effect on your credit score fades significantly within the first 12 months, even though the entry itself remains visible on your credit report for two full years.

How Long CRDT First Stays on Your Credit Report

Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for two years from the date they were pulled. All three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, display the entry during that period. Once the two years are up, it drops off automatically with no action required.

What to Do If You Don’t Recognize the CRDT First Entry

An unfamiliar CRDT First entry on your credit report is worth investigating, particularly if you haven’t visited any auto retailers or applied for any store cards recently. Here’s what to do:

• Contact CFNA directly: Ask them to identify which retailer the application was tied to and when the inquiry was made. This will usually connect the entry to a specific visit or transaction you can verify.
• Dispute with the credit bureaus: If CFNA cannot connect the inquiry to an application you authorized, file a formal dispute with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Include your personal details and a clear explanation of why the entry should be removed from your credit report.
• Monitor your credit reports: Check all three credit bureaus for any other unfamiliar entries, since unauthorized activity rarely shows up in just one place.

Credit First National Association Contact Information

If you need to reach CFNA to ask about a CRDT First inquiry, here is their contact information:

Phone: (800) 321-3950

Mailing Address: Credit First National Association, P.O. Box 81315, Cleveland, OH 44181-0315

Bottom Line

CRDT First on your credit report is simply another way Credit First National Association appears across the three major credit bureaus. If you applied for a store card at a tire shop or auto service center, this is the expected result. If you didn’t, it’s worth a phone call to CFNA to find out what triggered it.

Either way, knowing what the code means puts you in a much better position to decide whether to let it age off naturally or dispute it before it does any unnecessary damage to your credit score.