| Your credit report contains personal information such | | | | and/or correction of the inaccurate information. |
| as your full name and address and your employer's | | | | Needless to say, keep copies of your dispute letter |
| name and address as well as information about court | | | | with clear indication that indeed the addressees have |
| suits, jail arrests, bankruptcy filings, foreclosure and | | | | received them. |
| short sale proceedings and bills payment trend, to | | | | The law states that the credit bureau must perform a |
| name a few. These factors, in turn, affect your credit | | | | reinvestigation of the disputed items within 30 days of |
| score that can range from 300 to 850 points, with 678 | | | | receipt, unless your position is deemed without merit. In |
| points as the average score. | | | | turn, the credit bureau will forward all the relevant |
| Consumer reporting agencies, also called credit | | | | information to the information provider for review and |
| bureaus, gather the abovementioned information, | | | | reinvestigation on their side. If and when your dispute is |
| calculate your credit score based on a common | | | | deemed with merit, you can then receive a clean |
| formula and then sell the information to various | | | | credit report. |
| businesses on the national and international levels. | | | | Second, you must also write the prospective creditor |
| These businesses, in turn, use your report to assess | | | | and/or information provider about your dispute of your |
| your suitability for credit, employment, insurance and | | | | credit score. Always include second copies or |
| other FCRA-allowed uses in their establishments. | | | | photocopies of your dispute letter and its proofs, which |
| With that said, there are two basic but effective ways | | | | should be addressed to a specific person and address |
| to obtain a clean credit report from these credit | | | | provided by the information provider. |
| bureaus. This is, of course, assuming that you believe | | | | If your dispute is to be reported to any of the credit |
| and you have proof about deserving a better credit | | | | reporting agency, then a copy of your dispute letter |
| score than that reflected on your credit report. By the | | | | must also be attached. In the event that your dispute |
| way, there are three major recognized credit bureaus | | | | indeed has merit, you should be provided with a clean |
| - Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. | | | | credit report. |
| First, you have to inform in writing the credit reporting | | | | However, take note that any and all accurate negative |
| agency about the inaccuracies of their data as it | | | | information will be reflected on your credit report for |
| applies to you. You have to include photocopies or | | | | up to 7 years. Exceptions to the rule include |
| second copies - keep the original documents in your | | | | bankruptcy information (10 years), criminal convictions |
| possession - of your proofs supporting your position. | | | | (unlimited time), application for a position with annual |
| Of course, your dispute letter must contain your full | | | | salary of more than $75,000 (no time limit), lawsuit and |
| name and address, the items in the credit report you | | | | unpaid judgments (statute of limitations or 7 years, |
| are disputing, and the facts and explanations for your | | | | whichever is longer), credit or life insurance of more |
| dispute. | | | | than $150,000 (no time limit). |
| You must close your letter with a request for deletion | | | | |