In order to correct an error in your credit report, you need to inform the reporting agency in writing what information you believe is an error or is incomplete. Below is a sample credit dispute letter.

Your Name

Your Address

Your City, State, Zip Code

Complaint Department

Name of Reporting Agency

Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. The items I dispute are also encircled on the attached copy of the report I received. (Identify item(s) disputed by name of source, such as creditors or tax court, and identify type of item, such as charge card account, judgment, etc.)

This item is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be deleted (or request another specific change) to correct the information.

Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records, court documents) supporting my position. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Your name

Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing)

First get a copy of your credit report from all 3 CRA's(Credit Reporting Agencies). Go over each one line by line, first correcting and disputing any erroneous personal information such as incorrect spelled name, wrong phone numbers, old or incorrect addresses, d.o.b.'s etc. Then look at the TL's(Trade Lines) if you feel as though they are in error or reporting TL's that are not yours, disput this information with the Original Creditor under F.A.C.T.A., or the Collection Agency/Debt Collector under the FDCPA or FCRA directly asking them to validate the information they are currently reporting to your credit reports. Make sure you send all correspondence US Postal Service CMRRR, wait about 15 days, if no response, now dispute it with all 3 CRA's and wait for there response. id the investigations come back verified or updated you now have the Collection Agency for violation of you State and Federal rights as it Relates to the FCRA and FDCPA.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act information can be included in your credit reports for seven years. But there are exceptions to this rule:

• Information about criminal convictions may be reported without any time limitation.

• Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years.

• Information reported in response to an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limit.

• Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limit.

• Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer.

Here is more input:

• The seven year statute of limitations on information listed on your credit report figures from the date of last activity.

• According to the FCR Act Section 605 a debt can remain on a credit report for 7 years and 180 days after the delinquency that caused the account to go bad. Sometimes creditors will sell their bad accounts or post information on the credit report to show an activity date that is less than 7 years. THIS IS PROHIBITED. (I ended up having a judgment removed, the collection accounts removed, and the original creditor account removed.) In short, the time clock starts on the month the original delinquency started by the original account, regardless of whether the account has been sold to a collection agency, was paid at a later date, or a judgment was placed. The FTC has ruled this to be the law when it comes to time periods. If the credit reporting agencies are showing an account on your record that originally went bad more than seven years ago, regardless of date of last activity, dispute the information and they will have to remove it. The reasoning behind this is similar to chapter 13 bankruptcy which stays on your credit for just 7 years instead of chapter 7. The courts have ruled if you did not file a bankruptcy and had several bad credit items they would strictly fall in under the chapter 13 guidelines. I ended up paying on debts that were less than 7 years old and had all the collections, judgments, and original creditors of more than 7 years removed. Even though the judgment was only 2 years old and unpaid and the collection account was only 3 years old, they were still bound to the time line of the original creditor. This regulation prevents accounts from staying on your credit forever.

Actually, I wouldn't recommend closing your credit card account, closed accounts impact your score and do nothing to help improve it. If you zero balance the card just put it in your sock draw get gas or pay a bill with it once a month and then P.I.F. it when you get the bill, that way your not paying any interest, the credit card companies hate when you do that! LOL It makes you look good it fakes up your score and your utilization of your credit limit is well below the recommended 35%.

From what I understand, if you are closing an account in good standing, it is important to include in your letter a request, stated clearly and in no uncertain terms, that your credit record show YOU were the one to request that your account be closed and NOT your credit card company.

This way in the future anyone needing to check your credit will see this and know that the account was not closed for other reasons that could reflect poorly on your rating.

It might not hurt, as a follow up, to check your credit record. I know sometimes it's recommended to check your credit record yearly in order to check for errors and mistakes.

However, I've also read that you shouldn't check it TOO often because this can adversely affect your record or score.

1) Do you have a history of credit being extended to you? They want to see a long history, which is why you should NEVER close the account for the credit card you've had the longest, even if you never plan to use it again (unless, perhaps, you're paying a yearly fee, but--even then--call them to see if they'll waive the fee; tell them you're thinking of closing your account otherwise): keeping the account open keeps it on your credit history, showing that you've have credit for a while.

2) Do you have multiple types of credit (credit cards, mortgage, car loan, cell phone, student loan, etc.)? They like to see a mix.

3) How much of your credit do you use? They like to see that you use no more than around 30% of the credit available to you. For example, let's say you have two credit cards--one with a $10000 limit, one with a $20000 limit--and so, you have $30000 of available credit. You owe $5000 on the card with a $10000 limit and $0 on the $20000 card. That means you're using about 17% of your available credit ($5000 of $30000). That's fine. But let's say you close your $20000 card. Now, all of a sudden, you're using $5000 of $10000 in available credit--50%. That looks horrible--like you are living beyond your means, getting by on credit, even though you owe THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY as you did when you had $30000 of available credit. But, by closing the account, you jacked up your debt ratio past 30%, making you look like a poor manager of credit. People will be less likely to offer you credit now, and they'll offer you worse interest rates when they do.

So--if you want to close the account, make sure it's for the right reason, such as it's costing you an annual fee. Otherwise, if you can hang on to the card, do it. If you are worried you'll use it when you shouldn't, put it in a bag of water and put the bag in the freezer. That way you'll have to wait for it to thaw before you can use it, which will cut down your impulse purchases.

• It really depends on how long ago the debt was and what you are looking to do now. Paying the charged off debt will not increase your credit score, the damage is already done. However if you are looking to purchase a home or some other major purchase, it would be best to have the accounts show a zero balance. You can usually settle charged off accounts for 50% or less of the total debt. Otherwise you can just wait the seven years until they are removed.

• For any personal credit related concerns I recommend a website that I know has many very good answers to even the toughest questions. It is an 'ask' site directly on Experian's website which is hosted by Maxine Sweet, the V.P. of Public Affairs for Experian. You can get to the site from the following link: http://www.experian.com/ask_max/index.html

• From my own personal experience, if you can afford to pay your charge off in full, then do it. It not only helps your credit score but, when you go to apply for a loan, credit card, mortgage to buy a house or even a car although, it will still show up as a paid in FULL charge off. The lender will, more than likely, still give you what you are looking for because they'lll see it as "oh, this person just came on to some hard times but is cleaning up their credit by paying everything in full". When a debt is charged off, the creditor isn't expecting the borrower to pay anymore so, they may sell your account , or assign it on a contingency basis, to a collection agency.

You should always try to remove charge offs that are on your credit report. You can either negotiate the removal with the original creditor or you can try to dispute it to the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus have 30 days to verify the listing or it must be removed from your credit report. There is no reason not to try and remove your charge offs from your credit report.

You are probably referring to the "Public Records" part of the credit report. In that case you can't. Court cases are a public record, even if its dismissed, unfounded, you win, etc. All the CRAs do is searh for your name in courts across the country. If they find a case, it goes on your credit report along with the type (Judgement Lien, Foreclosure, etc). If you sue someone else, it can show up on your credit report.

Here are more opinions and answers from other FAQ Farmers:

• You cannot remove the lien that was in the bankruptcy, but you can contact each of the repositories, equifax, experie and transunion with a copy of the bankruptcy list of creditors and have them listed on the credit report. This way it will show the creditors being included in the bankruptcy which will show they are no longer open accounts and raise your score.
• Your bankruptcy attorney should have removed any judgment liens on exempt property during the bankruptcy. This is done by the filing of a Motion to Avoid Judgment Liens or a Motion to Avoid Liens on Exempt Property. If this was not done, most Bankruptcy Courts will allow you to reopen a case to avoid liens. It might be cheaper to pay the lien or negotiate a settlement. Call both the lien holder and your lawyer to determine the cost of either action.

Use this addresses when sending credit report dispute letters to Experian. Experian Credit Reports

By delivery via US Mail only:

National Consumer Assistance Center

PO Box 2002

Allen, TX 75013 Report Fraud using this Address or Toll Free Numbers:

Experian PO Box 9595 Allen, TX 75013

1-800-583-4080 Here are more contacts found: Experian PO Box 2104 Allen, TX 75013 1-800-493-1058 Experian PO Box 9532 Allen, TX 75013 To order your report: 1-888-397-3742 To report fraud: 1-888-97-3742 www.experian.com Current phone number = (800) 493-1058

Try this! Go to https://www.experian.com/cic Go through this, don't add anything and continue and you will get a free credit report. This will have a number at the top call Your report number is! This is the number you want. Then you can call 1 866 853 0303 put in the number but when you get to the tree say the word AGENT then it will ask you if you want to talk to an agent and then you will finally get through!

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act negative information can be included in your credit reports for seven years.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. Bankruptcy is one of those exceptions. Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years. Sorry.

Once the ten years are up, there's nothing you should need to do. If for some reason a credit reporting agency keeps reporting the outdated information, click here for more information about fixing errors in your credit report.

More information:

If you filed Chapter 13, it should have fallen off already since those come off your report in 7 years. Many people in that situation have the credit reporting agencies do an "investigation" of their report to remove it.

If you filed Chapter 7, then you have two years to wait since those come off your report in 10 years (see Section 605(1) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Please note that nothing in this posting or in any other posting constitutes legal advice; this is simply my understanding of the facts, which I do not warrant, and I am not suggesting any course of action or inaction to any person.

According to Golden Financial Services, after two years a bankruptcy can be removed off a credit report.

The best way is to look for a reputable organization that is an approved nonprofit organization. You can check with the IRS to ensure that the organization is tax-exempt. Otherwise, any Debt Consolidation Company can try to sell you on a consolidation option that could make your situation even worse.

No harm looking for a company that is BBB registered.

Look for unresolved complaints in the company's name.

Search the internet for the complaints that company has.

You can look up rippoffreport or search for the company name + complaints/ scam/ review/ feedback.

All these things will always help you make a decision.

Ask the companies to provide some referrences of customers who are already enrolled into the program.

Do not forget to ask the Debt Consolidation company about the drawbacks of the programs.

READ THE AGREEMENTS THEY SEND. The entire world knows that Americans dont read agreements. It is high time we stop trusting what is told to us over the phone. Start reading the agreements and make sure that what ever was told on phone, is that true or not.

And never forget to compare multiple options. There is no harm comparing. It is better to spend more time researching initially than regretting later.

2

You can choose the companies that provide you the consolidation services from some information like consolidation services can help people in debt by either repackaging their debts into one lower-interest loan or by actually reducing the total amount of debt a person owes through negotiating with that person's lenders.

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You should search first the reviews of debt consolidation loans company to make sure that they were not scam.

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You should look for a debt consolidation company which is registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has a good rating. The best rating is A+. Check the BBB to see if there any complaints registered against the company and if there are, whether these issues have been resolved amicably. You should also view the history of a debt consolidation company. If the company is more than 3 years with good standing, it should be a safe bet. You should check with as many companies as you can and see which one can help you settle your debt the quickest, as that would be to your best advantage.

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Aside from checking its legality, services and capacity You could always check its company background, costumers testimonials, records and current progress. You can also crossed check it compare prices and accuracy, with other companies. If still your not satisfied you can always ask for a free demo from them and see it fits in your needs.

Fix Bad Credit

1. DELETE COLLECTION ACCOUNTS

Did you know that paying a collection account can actually reduce your score? Here's why: credit scoring software reviews credit reports for each account's date of last activity to determine the impact it will have on the overall credit score. When payment is made on a collection account, collection agencies update credit bureaus to reflect the account status as "Paid Collection". When this happens, the date of last activity becomes more recent. Since the guideline for credit scoring software is the date of last activity, recent payment on a collection account damages the credit score more severely. This method of credit scoring may seem unfair, but it is something that must be worked around when trying to maximize your score.

How is it possible to pay a collection and maximize your score? The best way to handle this credit scoring dilemma is to contact the collection agency and explain that you are willing to pay off the collection account under the condition that the all reporting is withdrawn from credit bureaus. Request a letter from the collector that explicitly states their agreement to delete the account upon receipt/clearance of your payment. Although not all collection agencies will delete reporting, removing all references to a collection account completely will increase your score and is certainly worth the involved effort.

2. DELETE PAST DUE ACCOUNTS

Within the delinquent accounts on your credit report, there is a column called "Past Due." Credit score software penalizes you for keeping accounts past due, so Past Dues destroy a credit score. If you see an amount in this column, pay the creditor the past due amount reported.

3. DELETE CHARGE OFFS AND LIENS

Charge offs and liens do not affect your credit score when older than 24 months. Therefore, paying an older charge off or a lien will neither help nor damage your credit score. Charge offs and liens within the past 24 months severely damage your credit score. Paying the past due balance, in this case, is very important. In fact, if you have both charged off accounts and collection accounts, but limited funds available, pay the past due balances first, then pay collection agencies that agree to remove all references to credit bureaus second.

4. DELETE LATE PAYMENTS

Contact all creditors that report late payments on your credit and request a good faith adjustment that removes the late payments reported on your account. Be persistent if they refuse to remove the late payments at first, and remind them that you have been a good customer that would deeply appreciate their help. Since most creditors receive calls within a call center, if the representative refuses to make a courtesy adjustment on your account, call back and try again with someone else. Persistence and politeness pays off in this scenario. If you are frustrated, rude, and unclear with your request, you are making it very difficult for them to help you.

5. CHECK YOUR CREDIT LIMIT(S) AND EVENLY DISTRIBUTE BALANCES

Make sure creditors report your credit limits to bureaus. When no limit is reported, credit scoring software scores the account as though your current balance is maxxed out. For example, if you know that you have a $10,000 limit on your credit card, make sure that the limit appears on the credit report. Otherwise, your score will be damaged as severely as if you were carrying a balance of the entire available credit.

Credit scoring software likes to see you carry credit card balances as close to zero as possible. If it is difficult for you to pay down your balances, read the following guidelines to maximize your score as much as possible under the circumstances:

1. There are different degrees that scoring software can impact your score when carrying credit card balances.
2. Balances over 70% of your total credit limit on any card damages your score the most. The next level is 50% of your balance, then 30% of your balance.
3. In order to maximize your score without having to pay down your balances, evenly distribute your credit card balances among all of your credit cards, rather than carry a large balance on one credit card. For example, if you are carrying a $9000 balance on a credit card with a $10000 limit, and you have two other credit cards with a $3000 and $5000 limit, transfer your balances so that you have a $1500 balance on the $3000 limit card, a $2500 balance on the $5000 limit card and a $5000 balance on the $10000 limit card. Evenly distributing your balances will maximize your score.

6. DO NOT CLOSE YOUR CREDIT CARDS

Closing a credit card can hurt your credit score, since doing so affects your debt to available credit ratio. For example, if you owe a total credit card debt of $10,000 and your total credit available is $20,000, you are using 50% of your total credit. If you close a credit card with a $5,000 credit limit, you will reduce your credit available to $15,000 and change your ratio to using 66% of your credit. There are caveats to this rule: if the account was opened within the past two years or if you have over six credit cards.

The magic number of credit card accounts to have in order to maximize your score is between 3 and 5 (although having more will not significantly damage your score). For example, if a card was opened within the past two years and you have over six credit cards, you may close that account. If you have more than six department store cards, close the newest accounts. Otherwise, do not close any at all.

7. BECOME AN AUTHORIZED USER

(Note: Although this tactic is no longer effective for Experian, both Trans Union and Equifax consider authorized user accounts when calculating your credit score.) If you have a short and limited credit history you can ask someone who is a primary account holder to add you to their account as a joint account holder or an authorized user. When added, the primary account holder's credit card will appear on your credit report. Credit scoring software will treat the added account as though it is your account and you will benefit from the low balance and the long payment history for that account. It is important to remember that being an authorized user is helpful for your credit score only if (1) the person is carrying debt below 10% of the credit limit and (2) has had good payment history on the card for seven years or longer. The longer the history, the better. Being an authorized user is potentially detrimental to your credit score if, for example, the primary card holder carries a high balance on the card and has had it less than five years.

8. KEEP YOUR OLD CREDIT CARDS ACTIVE

15% of your credit score is determined by the age of the credit file. Fair Isaac's credit scoring software assumes people who have had credit for a longer time are at less risk of defaulting on payments. Therefore, even if your old credit cards have horrible interest rates, closing those cards will decrease the average length of time you've had credit. Use the old card at least once every six months to avoid the account rating to change to "Inactive." Keeping the card active is as simple as pumping gas or purchasing groceries every few months, then paying the balance down. An inactive account is ignored by Fair Isaac's credit scoring software, so you won't get the benefit of the positive payment history and low balance that card may have. The one thing all credit reports with scores over 800 have in common is a credit card that is twenty years old or older. Hold onto those old cards!

Yes, you can removed settled debts -- if they are outdated as defined by law.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act negative information can be included in your credit reports for seven years. But there are exceptions to this rule:

• Information about criminal convictions may be reported without any time limitation.

• Bankruptcy information may be reported for 10 years.

• Information reported in response to an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limit.

• Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limit.

• Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer.

If an item is outdated, you can dispute it on your credit report for free. Ask the reporting agency for a dispute form or submit your dispute in writing, along with any supporting documentation. Do not send them original documents.

Clearly identify each item in your report that you dispute, explain why you dispute the information, and request a reinvestigation. If the new investigation reveals an error, you may ask that a corrected version of the report be sent to anyone who received your report within the past six months. Job applicants can have corrected reports sent to anyone who received a report for employment purposes during the past two years.

When the reinvestigation is complete, the reporting agency must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. If an item is changed or removed, the credit bureau cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies its accuracy and completeness, and the credit bureau gives you a written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the provider.

You also should tell the creditor or other information provider in writing that you dispute an item. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider then reports the item to any bureau or reporting agency, it must include a notice of your dispute. In addition, if you are correct � that is, if the information is indeed outdated � the information provider may not use it again.

If the reinvestigation does not resolve your dispute, have the credit bureau include your version of the dispute in your file and in future reports. Remember, there is no charge for a reinvestigation.

Here is more advice and input:

• Yes, they can be removed. I have found three services so far that guarantee the results for complete credit cleaning or removal of any items you want for one year for $400-800 total.

• The answer is not just to dispute the items. You want a book that explains WHY the credit bureau broke the law, and helps you draft the letter threatening legal action. Dispute letters are a waste of time in most cases and can't get a bankruptcy or foreclosure off your report. You have to apply the laws. For instance, I've learned that foreclosures and bankruptcies must be HAND DELIVERED to the credit bureaus, which NEVER happens, before they can be listed on the report.

• Yes. Contact the establishment you paid. Tell them to withdraw the claim from the reporting agency. If they do it should be removed within 30-60 days. However, they do not have to remove it if under the 7 years. Ask nicely explain you plight and I have found 3 of my creidtors withdrew the claims.

Recent amendments to the Act expand your rights and place additional requirements on credit reporting agencies (CRAs). Businesses that supply information about you to CRAs and those that use consumer reports also have new responsibilities under the law.

Here are some questions consumers commonly ask about consumer reports and CRAs, and their answers: Fair Credit Reporting. (Note that you may have additional rights under state laws. Contact your state Attorney General or local consumer protection agency for more information.)

Although the FTC can't act as your lawyer in private disputes, information about your experiences and concerns is vital to the enforcement of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Send your questions or complaints to: Consumer Response Center � FCRA, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Here is more advice and input from FAQ Farmers:

• The Act is overseen by the FTC. Goal to protect consumer rights. Practical applications, for example: how to handle annoying debt collectors, etc.

Only the collection agency or the credit bureaus can remove collections off your credit report. You can either negotiate with the collectiona agency or dispute it to the credit bureaus.