Writing letters to the credit bureaus can help remove collection accounts from your credit report -- but only in certain circumstances. The Fair Credit Reporting Act -- a federal law -- offers strict guidelines about the reporting of consumer debt, and the credit bureaus are expected to follow the rules to maintain the integrity of the credit reporting system.
Pay-for-Delete
The Bankrate website reports that you may be able to negotiate a "pay-for-delete" arrangement by writing a letter. Pay for delete allows you to have a charged-off or collections item removed from your credit report by the creditor or debt collector in exchange for full payment on the delinquent account. Your letter must be sent to the creditor -- and not to the credit bureau -- to negotiate the arrangement.
Erroneous Information
The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to dispute any information on your credit report that is inaccurate. The information must be removed from your report within about 30 days of you filing a dispute. Send your letter directly to the credit bureau to dispute the information. In your letter detail why the information is inaccurate. Include the account number, your Social Security number, address and telephone contact information. Get the mailing address for major credit bureaus Equifax and TransUnion by visiting the websites (see Resources). Experian, another major credit bureau, does not publish a postal address for consumer correspondence, as of 2010. It urges contact through the website (see Resources).
Outdated Information
Most negative credit information that is accurate -- such as collection accounts -- can be reported on your credit report for seven years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Bankruptcy information can be reported for 10 years. Information that is outdated must be removed if you write a letter disputing the timeliness of the information, or dispute the information online by visiting the credit bureau's website.
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