How To Correct Your Credit Report
Your credit report is a very important piece of personal information because it is used in many different parts of your life. An error in your credit report could cost you hundreds of dollars in additional fees and interest payments, result in loan application denial, result in job application rejection, or disqualify you from renting a home or apartment. Experts estimate that nearly 25%, of adults have errors on their credit report. To fix errors in your credit report, there are several steps to take to ensure that the information has been corrected properly.
Take The Time To Review Your Credit Report
Checking your credit report is one of the easiest ways to discover if there are errors that need to be fixed. Reviewing your credit reports from each of the three credit reporting bureaus will show you what information is in your credit report and allow you to spot any errors. It is important to check the reports of all three credit reporting bureaus to make sure that none of them contain any mistakes because they can each have different information in them.
Check Your Personal Records
If you do not remember having a delinquent payment on an account but one has been reported, check any records that you have first before calling the credit bureau to report the error. In some cases, it may be a case of a payment that was sent not being applied to the account but in other cases, you may have never made the payment. By checking your records first, you can explain the entire situation when you contact the company about the incorrect item on your credit report.
Contact The Credit Reporting Bureau
If incorrect information is found in your credit report, you will need to contact the credit reporting bureau to have the information corrected. You will need to explain why you believe that the information in your credit report is inaccurate and ask the person that is helping you which steps you will need to take to correct the situation. The credit reporting bureaus are required by law to investigate allegations of incorrect information in a credit report and must correct any information that is found to be invalid.
Make A List Of Contacts
When you deal with a company or a creditor, you will want to create a list of all communications and when the contact occurred. Every time that the company is contacted about the incorrect information in your credit report, you should write down everything that you can about the person you talked to, including their name, position, the method of contact, and the time of the contact. Any documentation that must be sent by mail should have a delivery receipt added so that you know when the documentation has arrived and have independent confirmation of delivery.
Be Prepared To Go To Court
If the company is being uncooperative about deleting incorrect information from your credit report, it may be necessary to take your case to court. In most cases, the threat of a court review is enough for them to remove the incorrect items from your credit report. Keeping a record of what steps have been taken to correct the issue will be valuable and may even prove your case. It is important that court is a last resort and you have attempted to resolve the situation using other means first.
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