Posts Tagged Accuracy

How To Write Letters To Remove Information Off Your Credit Report

Tim Gorman asked:




Many people who look into their reports find that their credit information has errors and those errors usually affect your credit negatively.

Maintaining an accurate score sometimes requires us to be pro-active, and we must write letters to remove information off our credit report. These are sent to the big 3 credit bureaus. Although in many cases the first thing most people want to do is to call the Credit Bureau and tell them off, this would be counterproductive. Instead the best method would be to sit down and write a credit report dispute letter.

You should read your credit report, take notes as to what you consider the problem areas are and think whether what’s on the report could actually be true. If, in finding that what’s on the report is false, you need to think through how you’re going to word your letters to remove info off credit report. You’re going to have to send a copy of this letter to each of the three main credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Be polite and state facts as you see them. See example letter below.

Dear (credit bureau name here),

After looking at a copy of my credit file, I found that it contained erroneous information. I would like to dispute this information and request a correction. I am concerned about the information that you have put in my credit report as it could seriously impair the credit rating I enjoy with lending institutions.

You have not (state the problem here).

Be sure to include the month, and the date, and the name of the business.

I am enclosing a photocopy of my cancelled check as proof of my payment. Hopefully, this will correct the accuracy of my credit file. As you are certainly aware of, the credit bureaus are only allowed to use accurate information in a consumer’s credit file.

Thank you for correcting the above errors to insure that it doesn’t impair my personal credit. Please contact me as soon as the correction has been made and my credit report is again accurate. Please send a copy of my credit report to: (place mailing address here).

Yours,

(Your name)

Be sure to include your full name as listed in your credit report, address, Social Security number, copy of your driver’s license, copy of the credit report, and copy of your proof, i.e. cancelled check.

Be sure to retain a copy of whatever you send to each credit bureau. Make a note of the date that you mail your letters to remove info off credit report. Using certified or registered mail is a good idea, as this will give you proof of the mailing date.

Joan

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Credit Reports and Credit Repair Tips

Ronnica Rothe asked:


Having a bad credit report can affect your current interest rates and your ability to apply for further credit or loans. It is a good idea to know what your credit report contains, as this is what potential lenders see when they consider you as a candidate for a loan whether it is for a house, car, or other item.

The first step you need to take in examining and fixing your credit is to obtain a copy of your credit report. The three major credit bureaus are now required to provide you one free credit report each year, through the website annualcreditreport.com. Though each credit bureau might have slightly different information about you, each report should be more or less the same.

Once you have obtained a copy of your credit report, look it over for accuracy. Most negative items are only allowed to stay on your credit report for 7 years, however bankruptcies can remain for 10 years and unpaid tax liens can remain indefinitely after they are posted to your report. If there are any negative items older than that, you need to dispute it so that they will be removed.

Also, make sure that all items are correct. Because negative items are more likely reported than positive ones, it is possible that there is something beneficial missing. Check that all the accounts that you have stayed current on are listed. If not, dispute it so that they will get listed. Also, sometimes items have been reported inaccurately or have been inappropriately attributed to you. These also need to be disputed.

It is relatively simple to dispute an item on your credit report through the specific credit bureau’s website. After filing the dispute, you will hear back from the company with an updated copy of your credit report. If it is not fixed completely, it will then be time to file a dispute by mail with documentation. Make sure to save a copy of everything you send.

There is no need to pay a credit repair service to help you out. There is nothing that they can do that you can’t do easily for yourself. Anything more that they promise you is most likely illegal and not actually beneficial.

If you want to find out more about what on your credit report is helping or hurting you, talk to a credit counselor. They can weed through your credit report and provide you with steps you can take in the future to improve your credit. A credit counselor can show you ways to improve your credit score by making positive credit history to offset the negative items you have in your past.

If you have credit card accounts that are reaching their credit limits or ones that are delinquent, a debt management plan and credit counseling might be right for you. It will allow your accounts to stay current and action to be taken to lower your debt, which are positive factors. Such credit counseling can be beneficial to your credit history as well as provide you with information that can help you avoid bad debt in the future. Knowing what is on your credit report can help you determine what steps to take to improve your financial situation.



Dennis

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How to Remove a Foreclosure From your Credit Report

Chane Steiner asked:


A foreclosure can be reported on your credit report for 7 years and should be avoided at all costs. A foreclosure can be devastating to your credit scores. If you have a foreclosure on your record, credit repair should be one of the very first things you look into. A foreclosure can be deleted from your credit report just like any other negative account, but you must know what you are dealing with or you could actually make matters worse.

If you would like to remove a foreclosure from your credit report, you will first want to learn about your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and all other laws having to do with foreclosures and credit reporting. The better you understand your rights, the easier it will be to have your foreclosure removed from your credit report.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows a consumer to challenge any information on his credit report, including a foreclosure, on the basis of “completeness and accuracy.” If, after a reinvestigation by the credit bureau, the disputed information “is found to be inaccurate or can no longer be verified, the credit bureau must promptly delete such information.”

The credit bureaus are required to complete the investigation within 30 days.

Most people would claim that they don’t have the time or resources to commit to learning about the laws and their rights, but it’s very important to know your civil and consumer rights. If you don’t have the time you may want to seek legal help and/or consult with a credit repair company.

Credit repair professionals specialize in removing foreclosures and other negative items from your credit reports. They focus on correcting inaccurate and erroneous information on your credit report. If a negative item on your credit report is disputed and can not be verified by the creditor or contains any kind of inaccurate information it must be legally be corrected and/or removed from your report immediately.



Tom

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