| Cleaning up marks on your credit report is one of the | | | | The other way to have similar accounts removed |
| most important ways to strengthen your overall credit | | | | without waiting for that time frame would be to |
| rating. Negative entries can come in the form of late | | | | challenge the account with the bureaus as well. This |
| payments, charge-offs, collection accounts and | | | | involves you writing a letter and also giving them a |
| bankruptcies to name a few. | | | | reason why you are disputing the account. |
| The good news is that these negatives can be | | | | At this point they are supposed to look further into |
| removed with the a little work and the right information | | | | your claim for proof of what you are saying. If they |
| on your part. For example, collection accounts should | | | | cannot find any evidence then the account would also |
| not remain on your report for no more than seven | | | | need to be deleted regardless of how long it has been |
| years from the date of last activity. | | | | on your credit reports. |
| So if you have a negative that has gone past this time | | | | There are three main credit bureaus, Equifax, |
| frame you want to contact the credit bureaus that | | | | Transunion and Experian and each of them maintains |
| have it listed on your report and have it deleted. It is | | | | a different credit file on you. You want to make sure |
| important to give them the reason why it needs to be | | | | that you check each of these reports for negatives |
| deleted or you might not have much success. | | | | when you begin your restoration efforts. |