It’s important to keep tabs on your credit report regularly. Many people assume that their score is accurate, and therefore, does not require them to worry about their score as often, but that’s not necessarily true.

Many times, a credit report includes unverifiable, inaccurate or outdated items that can be removed. But did you know that you can use credit repair letters to fix your credit report? It’s not as tough as people may think!

Read one of our articles for specific tips on how to dispute something on your credit report.

Credit Report Errors – What to Do

First, make sure you have your credit report. You are entitled to one free report from each of the three major credit reporting companies per month. You are also entitled to a free report under special circumstances including a job search or in cases of identity theft. If you are unable to pull your credit and obtain access to it for free, you can purchase each particular directly from the reporting agencies.

Read it carefully and make note of dates. Circle all inaccuracies to refer back to later.

Who Do I Call to Dispute Something on My Credit Report?

The phone numbers and addresses of all the major credit reporting companies are available through the Federal Trade Commission. They also have invaluable information that I used when I attempted to fix my credit report.

Use the address to the credit reporting company in your credit dispute letter. This same address will be used on the envelope and in the top section of the letter.

Prewritten Templates

Disputing items on my credit report was frustrating and time-consuming, but a good credit dispute letter template made the process much easier. There are many examples online of credit repair letters PDF, but be careful to make certain that the template is correct. Click here for a sample letter to remove items from a credit report.

Here is a brief walk through each part of an appropriately written dispute letter and what information you would need to include.

The Heading

A credit repair letter should be formatted just like any other business letter. It should have a heading, the recipient’s address, and a salutation at the top.

The heading includes your name, return address, and the date. It is a good idea to include your email address in the heading as well so that it is easier to contact you. Another item that you should include in the heading of a credit repair letter is your Social Security number – this helps the credit bureaus link this letter to the rest of your information.

The heading is then followed by the recipient’s address. Make sure the address is accurate and formatted correctly. After the recipient’s address, there is the salutation. “To Whom it May Concern:” or something similar is a safe and effective greeting to anyone who may be reading your letter.

The Body

The body is the meat of your letter. It should be written in a courteous and straightforward manner. Remember that this is a business letter and should be written in a professional way.

Your introductory paragraph includes a short explanation of who you are and why you’re writing the letter. If there are any errors with your identifying information on your credit report, this is where you should correct them.

After a brief introductory paragraph, describe your disputed item(s). If there is more than one item, list each one in its own paragraph. It is important to objectively state why the item is wrong.

Use terms such as “outdated” or “unverifiable”. Do not attempt to seek sympathy from the credit bureaus or go into unnecessary explanations. State the error clearly and simply, and only include pertinent facts. You should also include what actions you are expecting: “Please remove this item from my credit report.”

Additional Documents

Don’t forget to enclose any documents you have that support the claims made in your letter. Sending proof will speed up the process of having the items removed. Make sure the documents you send are copies because you’ll want to keep the originals in a safe place for when you need them again.

Include a copy of your credit report with the errors circled as well. This will help them along in the process.

Finally, make a copy of the dated letter to keep in your records. Keeping careful records of your communications with the credit reporting agencies will be essential in the next steps of the removal process. Make sure everything is dated.

Follow Up

The credit reporting company will usually investigate the items in question within about 30 days. They will then notify you in writing and include a new copy of your credit report (if any changes were made). It may take several tries to get your changes made, but if you are diligent and keep detailed records, you can end up with a higher credit score and a shorter credit report.

Free Consultation

This process is fairly straightforward, but if you want the best possible solution, you should consider working with experts and fortunately for you we can help.
For a FREE consultation with one of our lawyers, get in touch with us at (818) 254-8413.
Our team is standing by to be of assistance to you.