How to Repair Credit Reports With the Bureaus

Your credit report determines your credit score, which in turn determines whether or not lenders will be willing to loan you money at a reasonable interest rate. Even if you do not intend to take out a loan in the near future, it is vital that you regularly monitor your credit report for errors. Credit reporting errors may remain on your report for seven years or longer and can have an significant negative impact on your score. In addition, credit reporting errors can result in your current creditors raising your interest rates. If you notice errors on your credit reports you can dispute those errors with the credit bureaus in order to have them corrected.

Instructions

1

Order a credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus; TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. If you have not already pulled your credit report for the current year, you may pull one copy of each credit report for free.

2

Scrutinize each credit report for errors. Check account numbers, the amount you owe on each account, your payment history to each creditor, your name and your birth date. Verify that all public records and past addresses are correct.

3

Underline or highlight any inaccuracies that you find on your credit reports.

4

Make a copy of each credit report that contains errors. Also make a copy of a picture ID and your Social Security card to prove your identity to the credit bureaus.

5

Write a letter of dispute to each credit bureau whose report reflects errors. Include details of what information is inaccurate and why. If you have documents that support your dispute, include copies of them with your letter.

6

Mail your dispute letters and copies of your credit report, picture ID and Social Security card to each credit bureau that is reporting errors within your file. Once your disputes are received, the credit bureaus will conduct an investigation within 30 days and inform you via mail of the actions that were taken to remedy the errors within your credit report.