How To Dispute An Item On Your Credit Report
You are allowed to dispute anything on your credit report, but first you will want to start with any information you find that is too old, inaccurate, or misleading.
Go through your credit report and circle or highlight any information you have questions about or want to try and remove.
Once you have identified the items you want to dispute, you will need to write a dispute letter for each item.
Credit Bureaus do not have to validate a disputed item that they deem to be frivolous.
To avoid being categorized as a frivolous dispute I recommend you dispute every item with a separate letter, and some say it is better if you handwrite your letters.
If you simply send in a letter with every account you want to dispute included on one page, they are much more likely to classify your dispute as frivolous.
There are several sample letters at the end of this book that you can use as a template for your disputes. You will want to vary the reason for your disputes depending on what item you are disputing.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!
YOU MUST CAREFULLY DOCUMENT EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING!!
Make copies of ALL of your dispute letters, and keep a copy for yourself. Be sure to sign and date everything! The better you document your case, the higher the likelihood of removal.
If you have documentation to support your claims enclose it with the letter you send, be sure to keep the originals for your own records and send the copies to your creditors.
When writing a dispute letter, be sure to state what item you want removed from your report in a simple direct way without providing too much detail. Use words like adverse, destructive, disadvantageous, disturbing, harmful, hurtful, injurious, negative, and unfavorable to stress how the item could potentially jeopardize your future creditworthiness.
YOU MUST SEND YOUR LETTER TO THE DISPUTE DEPARTMENT OF THE CREDIT BUREAU OR YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED!!
Send the letter by certified mail as well as standard first class with proof of mailing. The reason for sending your letters like this is because your creditor could deny receipt of your certified mail, and if you show you also sent with standard first class mail(with proof of mailing), you can prove you made a sincere attempt to contact the creditor by all means possible. Be sure to make copies of the ENVELOPES as well as the letter you are sending!!
ALWAYS INCLUDE PROOF OF YOUR IDENTITY WITH EVERY LETTER YOU SEND!!
In every letter include a copy of your Social Security Card or Drivers License AND proof of address ie. a utility bill or phone bill with your address and name on it.
I am an expert in debt settlement and credit repair. I offer the information above for those who do not know want to do their own credit repair, and are looking for a starting point to begin their search for credit repair companies. You can visit my website for information about settlement, credit repair, consumer credit counseling, etc….
I have also written an ebook on how to do your own credit repair.
Free Credit Report and Bad Credit Score
Understand How and Why To Correct The Errors In Your Credit Report
How To Read A Credit Report - Things You Must Know
Eliminating Negatives From Credit Report And Advice For Building Credit History
How To Dispute Items On Your Credit Report