How to Delete Negative Items From My Credit Report

Credit is one of the most important aspects of your financial portfolio. It is almost impossible to make large-scale purchases without it, particularly when it comes to your most valuable assets like a home or car. Therefore, making sure your credit report is as clean as possible, free of errors and negative listings is paramount for every consumer. Removing negative items requires patience, persistence and an understanding of the removal process. However, once the goal is reached, the elimination of negative items can have a powerful impact on your credit score.

Instructions

1

Obtain a copy of your credit report. Go over it carefully, noting any errors and negative information. Highlight all the negative items as well as contact numbers and addresses for each of the companies reporting the information.

2

Dispute any of the negative items that you believe to be errors. Contact the consumer reporting agency, which is likely to be Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, as well as the company reporting the debt. Send a dispute letter to both, stating why the information is wrong and providing proof, such as a payoff letter or receipt. Request the information be promptly removed from your credit report.

3

Contact the companies in question for legitimate negative items. In many instances, companies may be willing to change the status of an item on your credit report from a negative listing to "current" or "up to date," or something similar to let those looking at your report know the account is not in arrears. The company may do this in exchange for a payment plan or some other form of payment. If you can pay the bill in full, request that the company change your credit report to reflect your status, taking the listing from a negative rating to "paid."

4

Wait it out, if necessary. Unless your company is one that continues to sell your debt to various collection companies to keep it on your credit report, the negative items will be gone within seven years. The exception is bankruptcy, which takes 10 years to be removed from your report.