Data Quality

Report problems with our data

If you think that any information on this website or in any of our other publications may not be objective, useful, correct, or high enough quality, this page tells you how to let us know your concerns. This information also applies if you want to comment on someone else’s Request for Correction (RFC) or Request for Reconsideration (RFR).

We take great care, but you may have a concern

We take great care to ensure that the information on this website and in all our other publications is objective, useful, correct, and high-quality. We realize that this is especially important when we are presenting information that someone might rely on to make a financial decision.

However, if you think any information that we issue does not meet the standards of being objective, useful, correct, and high-quality, let us know.

What to include if you have a concern

If you want to tell us about a problem with the objectivity, usefulness, accuracy, or quality of the information we provide, write to us with this information:

• Tell us exactly what information you want us to review, clarify, or correct.
• Tell us where the information is found (which web page or specific other publication).
• If the information includes the date we issued it, tell us that.
• Specify the error(s) that we should review, clarify, or correct; and give us a proposed clarification, correction, or other remedy.
• Include your name and full mailing address so we can reply to you.

Where to send your concerns

You can send your concerns in either of 2 ways:

What we will do

We consider your letter to us to be a Request for Correction (RFC). We will assign an RFC number to your letter.

We will then research the clarification, correction, or remedy you suggest. Please understand that this research may take some time. We will send you our decision in writing by mail within 60 calendar days.

If you disagree with our decision…

If we find that your suggested clarification, correction, or other remedy is not needed or appropriate, you may appeal our decision.

You must send us your appeal within 45 calendar days after you get our written response.

Explain why we should change our decision.

Send your appeal by one of the methods listed above and clearly mark it, "Information Quality Appeal."

We consider your appeal to be a Request for Reconsideration (RFR). We will assign an RFR number to your appeal.

We will notify you in writing by mail of our decision on your appeal within 60 calendar days after we receive it.

If you want to correspond about someone else's RFC or RFR…

We sometimes get correspondence related to a Request for Correction or a Request for Reconsideration from someone other than the original writer. We call that "third-party correspondence."

If you are writing as a "third party," tell us the RFC or RFR number and send your correspondence using either of the ways listed above.

We may post your correspondence on this website

To ensure transparency, we may put all RFCs and RFRs, including third-party correspondence, online where anyone may see it. We will not include comments that contain copyright material, confidential business information, or information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. We will include information that identifies you and your contact information. We may do that whether you send the information electronically or on paper. We also reserve the right to not post correspondence that we decide is inappropriate.

By posting RFCs or RFRs, including third-party correspondence, we are doing so for transparency. We are not endorsing or agreeing with the information you sent. When we post third-party correspondence, we are also not necessarily agreeing to use the information when we respond to an RFC or RFR

See our Third Party Correspondence page.

We are fulfilling our responsibility under the law and guidelines

In offering this process for getting and responding to concerns about the information we provide, we are meeting our responsibilities under the law and following guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Having reviewed the types of information we provide we believe that we do not currently produce or sponsor the distribution of information that meets OMB's definition of influential scientific information (including highly influential scientific assessments) that would require peer review.