Getting Your Credit Facts Straight

In order to ensure the data on your credit report is accurate you need to see a copy of it. Actually, you need to see three copies of it – one from each of the three credit reporting agencies. You can simply get your credit reports above or go ahead and contact each of the three credit bureaus. By law each of the consumer reporting companies is required to provide a free copy of your credit report.

Carefully check your report to see what has or will soon expire according to the tips below. It may be helpful to highlight or mark every error you find to keep track of what you need to dispute.

Bankruptcies, as a general rule, expire after 10 years from the filing date. However, some of the credit bureaus may remove Chapter 13 bankruptcy after 7 years, so it won't hurt to file a dispute on a 7 year old Chapter 13 bankruptcy just in case.
Charge-offs, or debts which have been “written off”, expire after 7 years.
Collection accounts will stay on your account for 7 years after the last payment or agreement was made to pay on the account.
Negative payment history on a closed or open account will stay on your record for 7 years (however, positive payment history often stays longer).
Foreclosures and repossessions stick to your report for 7 years.
“Hard” credit inquiries, such as those from lenders and creditors, will stay on your credit report for 1 to 2 years. Your credit report doesn't reflect inquiries by yourself, your employer, or potential employers though.
Public information judgments, such as child support, civil suits, and small claims expire 7 years after the date it was filed with the court.
Tax liens only drop from your credit report 7 years after they have been paid.

As you are going through the report for expired items, also mark accounts you didn't open or anything you don't recognize, as they could be fraudulent accounts, or a simple computer glitch.

Video: Understanding Your Credit Report

State Your Case

Although you can file the dispute online, it is best to write a letter, copy it, and send the original via certified mail for your records (with the exception of Experian which only allows online disputes). You will need to send this letter to each credit bureau to have the errors corrected since they keep separate records. The letter should be to the point, stating why you are writing (to dispute inaccuracies in your report), an itemized list of each inaccuracy, and a note on any supporting documents included, such as a marked copy of your credit report, and account statements or copied cashed checks which help prove your case. It is also a good idea to include a phone number for quick resolution, and, at the bottom, include your social security number to verify your identity.

Video: Dealing with credit report inaccuracies

Finally, send your letter to each of the credit bureaus accordingly:

Experian

TransUnion
2 Baldwin Place
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-916-8800

Equifax
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Finishing Touches

Last, but not least, keep track of your results. If, after the 30-day investigation, you don't get the resolution you wished, you can submit the dispute again with different supporting information, or take the matter up with the original creditor.

For further assistance, you can also contact credit counselors:

Credit Dispute Pro Of North Texas
(972) 236-6038

CRA Credit Report Advocates
(215) 333-5500

Repair your Report
(866) 632-2744

LJ Professional Services Credit Repair & Small Business
(786) 267-4397

Credit Repair Consultants
(305) 805-9023

Virgin Credit, Credit Repair Services
(617) 326-3688

Credit Repair Consultants Financial services
(866) 901-1272

Credit Repair
(866) 377-6275

Credit Assistance Network
(561) 494-0225

Better Credit LLC
(646) 290-7525

Smart Credit Solutions
(708) 991-7734

JBR Credit Services, LLC
(800) 896-2811

Credit Repair Xpress
(267) 808-8820

CREDIT HELPERS
(804) 943-7289

Credit Team
(877) 990-8326

Credit Repair Advocates
(215) 463-3190

UCan2 Credit Repair
(614) 252-2781

Clear Credit Corp
(513) 898-3708

Credit Repairs Unlimited
(803) 641-4655

Walton Credit Repair LLC
(219) 865-8337

Lake County Recovery Inc.
(219) 947-1371

A + Credit Repair
(859) 243-0716

Credit Solutions Inc
(941) 378-2717

Fscorponline.com Corp
(407) 275-6100

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