HOW DO I IMPROVE MY CREDIT REPORT IN 2012?
How do you improve your credit report? You can improve your credit report – easily and almost for free! Whether you are applying for credit, a job or insurance, your credit report can mean you get the job or you stay at the house! Here are 3 easy tips to improve your credit report and improve your chances of getting credit, employment or insurance.
Step 1: ORDER YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORT
The first step in improving your credit worthiness is requesting your credit report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) consumers are entitled to one free credit report per 12 months. In other words, you have the right under federal law to request your credit report from Equifax, Experian and Trans Union for free! Click Annual Credit Report Request Form to download the free credit report order form. We do not recommend that you request your credit report online or over the telephone! The mail order request provides proof of your request and you do not have to agree to arbitration or the terms of usage from the credit reporting agencies’ websites. Mail the Annual Credit Request Form by certified mail return receipt requested and keep your receipt!
STEP 2: REVIEW ALL 3 CREDIT REPORTS FOR INCORRECT INFORMATION
Once you get you credit reports, review each for any incorrect items. Look carefully for incorrect name spellings, Social Security number variations, incorrect addresses, accounts or public records that do not belong to you (bankruptcies, liens or judgments), accounts with late payment history when you paid the account on time and inquiries from creditors that you did not apply for credit with. Any of these items can be considered inaccurate items. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) creditors and consumer reporting agencies shouldn’t report inaccurate information about you – this can lower your credit score!
STEP 3: DISPUTE CREDIT REPORT ERRORS TO EQUIFAX, EXPERIAN OR TRANS UNION
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have a right to dispute credit report errors with the credit reporting agencies. It doesn’t seem logical, but before the company who reported the incorrect information has any liability under the FCRA, you have to make a dispute to the credit reporting agency that is reporting the incorrect information, like Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. Like your credit report request, we do not recommend disputing the credit report error online or by phone – you should make your dispute by certified mail return receipt requested. Keep your receipt and a copy of your dispute letter for future reference.
Click Sample Credit Report Dispute Form for a free sample credit report dispute letter.
After you make the dispute to Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, the credit bureaus have 30-45 days to respond to your dispute. If you made the dispute by mail, you should receive a letter from the credit bureau that gives you the results of the investigation.
If Equifax, Experian or Trans Union verifies the inaccurate information, you may have a cause of action under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the company who is reporting the incorrect information to the credit bureaus. Contact credit report dispute lawyer Micah Adkins for a free telephone consultation 24/7 at 1-800-263-9091.