Having errors on your credit report can bring your score down. Some errors include things like derogatory items that don’t belong to you or credit inquiries that you never authorized. If you find any errors, the best thing you can do is get in touch with the credit bureaus to get rid of them so you can increase your credit score.

How To Dispute Inaccurate Credit Report Information

The Importance of Disputing Inaccurate Credit Report Information

For starters, you need to get a copy of your credit report so you can look and see if there are any errors on there. Luckily, ordering a copy of your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus is very easy.

Once you have your credit report, you must check it very carefully to see if you can find any inaccuracies on it. Some of these inaccuracies include:

• Payments that you made on time that are marked as “late payments”
• Duplicate accounts
• Derogatory information that is over seven years old (after seven years, the credit bureaus must delete any derogatory information in nearly all cases but bankruptcies).

If you want to fix the errors on your credit report, you must look at your credit report for instructions on how to do so. The way in which you dispute errors depends on the specific credit bureau you are talking to. To make sure your dispute goes as smoothly as possible, there are a few other things you should consider.

Making Sure Your Dispute Runs Smoothly

See if you can find a credit dispute letter sample online. It’s nice to use one of these sample letters as a template for writing your own. You will want to write a letter for each credit report error, sending your letters in one at a time instead of all at once.

Attempting to dispute several derogatory items at once could get your request marked down as “frivolous,” meaning the credit bureau will not make any adjustments.

It’s important that you give the credit bureau as much information as you possibly can. The more information you have to support your claim, the more likely you will win your case. If you don’t have the necessary proof or documentation, the credit bureau could dismiss your dispute claim altogether.

It’s also a good idea to send your documentation and letters through certified mail so that when the credit bureaus receive them, you will have proof.

Bottom Line – Becoming the Master of Your Credit and Finances

If you are trying to boost your credit score, there are many different routes you can take. Of course, before looking at these methods, you must make sure your account is free of inaccurate information. Once your account is in better standing, you can begin looking into options like authorized user tradelines.

Tradelines have a proven track record of helping individuals reach their credit goals for many years now.

If you’re ready to take the first step towards building better credit, then make sure to get in touch with us here at Personal Tradelines!