| If you are trying to increase your credit score, one | | | | company may not have easy access to the records, |
| strategy that you may want to employ is to dispute | | | | particularly if the ownership of the debt has changed |
| old negative marks on your credit report. Disputing | | | | hands. |
| negatives, can in fact, be the easiest, fastest way to | | | | The company may also be unwilling to put the effort |
| raise your credit score. | | | | into proving that you owe the debt if it is a small |
| Most negative marks such as late payments and | | | | amount. It's just not worth the expense for them. |
| collections stay on your credit for seven years. | | | | The reporting companies have 30 days after you |
| However, after about 2 years, the records of these | | | | open an inquiry to investigate it. If they have not |
| negative marks become hard to produce. | | | | confirm the dispute in that amount of time, they have |
| What you'll want to do is get a copy of your credit | | | | to remove the record from the credit report. |
| report and circle all of the negative marks over two | | | | The credit bureaus have forms you can use to dispute |
| years old. Then write to the c | | | | bills. But, writing a letter yourself is sufficient, and in |
| When you dispute a negative mark, the credit card | | | | some ways better. The forms cut down on the |
| company or other creditor is forced to produce proof | | | | paperwork for the credit bureau and you want this to |
| that you actually made the mistake. If they can't | | | | be as complicated for them as possible. |
| produce proof, the negative mark is erased from your | | | | You could immediately see large leaps in your credit |
| record. Federal law is quite clear that the burden of | | | | score by disputing old negative marks. If you have |
| proof is on the reporting companies. | | | | small and/or old charges on your record, consider |
| So, this works if the credit or collection company has | | | | challenging them. |
| not kept good records. If it is an older charge, the | | | | |