Can You Dispute the Information on Your Credit Report?

In case you get your credit report and find out some inaccuracies, it is in your power to dispute this information and do what it takes in order to correct your credit report and get credit card deals that you really deserve! It is your legal right to dispute the information on your credit report as you are protected by Fair Credit Reporting Act. According to it, all credit agencies have to make the investigation in order to clear up the case. If the information on your credit report is found to be wrong, it will be removed from it or it will be corrected during 30 days.

The next time you get your credit report, pay close attention to the common areas where mistakes are often found.

For example your creditor charged you a fee for a late payment, but you are completely sure that you made the payment on time. You can get the late notation removed from your report in case you have statements or cancelled checks that show the date when the checks where cashed.

You also have to look at the information and see if it is up-to-date. All the negative information can stay on your report only for 7 years, with exception of Chapter 7, which is bankruptcy.

Check out all the accounts, because you can find the ones that you didn't open. You can be a victim of identity theft or your account information may be mixed up with the information of someone with a similar name.

You may wonder how you can file a credit dispute. First of all it is necessary to do it in writing. Remember that according to Fair Credit Report Act, credit reporting agency has only 30 days for investigation and coming to the conclusion on the case. After this time you will receive the results in a written form and a copy of your credit report.

It is wise to enclose a photo copy of your report to your letter. You should circle the disputing info and number it. In your letter you should explain why you dispute each piece of information.

Make sure that you include the following information: your name and address, your SS#, your date of birth, the name of your creditor and your account number (the one you dispute). Don't forget to sign your letter!

If the mistake seems to be rather simple, you can contact your creditors directly and let them know about incorrect information on your credit report. If the information will be indicated as inaccurate, it will be removed from your credit report or corrected.

It may not always be easy to dispute the information on your credit report all by yourself, so you can always ask for a help of specialists, like the National Consumer Assistance Center or contact the office of your Attorney General.

If you think that you do not deserve to have bad credit and low credit score and wish to have only best credit cards, you do have a right to dispute the information on your credit report!