Everyone is faced with the prospect of getting a ding on their credit report at some point. Even the most financially responsible people have had to deal with errors on their credit report that wind up putting a dent in their financial planning. Often times, it happens when it’s not expected and when you can least afford it – typically when you’re looking to purchase a home or a brand new automobile.
Eliminating those negative items on your credit report is not simple but it’s also not too difficult. The critical thing to remember is that those negative items won’t just depart magically. Having a proactive approach when dealing with your credit rating might be the best personal finance guidance that you ever get. It’s called taking care of the problem before it becomes a problem. If you’ve tried avoiding those damaging marks on your credit report and you need to fix your credit report in lockstep quickly, we’ve got a few pieces of advice on how to fix it and make those negative marks on your credit go away in 6 simple steps:
- Ask for Copies of Your Credit Reports Immediately – You have to know wherever you are at before you can forge a plan. You should immediately ask for copies of your credit report from all of the three big credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Transunion. Federal law has granted each consumer the right (by law) to request a free copy of their credit file once every year. You can request those free copies of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com.
- Thoroughly Examine Your Credit Files from Each Bureau – Once you receive copies of your reports from each bureau, you should examine each report completely and go line by line to review each one reported. Confirm that you recognize each creditor indicated on the file and personally confirm that the item is accurate. If you don’t recognize the company’s name, dial the number indicated by the name to confirm the report information that is outlined. Each line item will contain data from each creditor who return data to the credit rating agencies, including the creditor name, creditor’s contact information, outstanding balances, credit limits and status of payment. Be sure that you can actually verify each line on the report. Errors on your credit report can damage your credit history in a giantway and have a huge effect on your credit scores if left unchecked.
- Dispute Any Mistakes You Find Immediately – Each rating agency has their own process for reporting inaccuracies and fixing inaccurate data for consumers. Utilize the appropriate form letters for each respective bureau to dispute any inaccuracies or errors that you find. The dispute letters should be mailed directly to all creditors outlining the details of the things you’re disputing. Credit bureaus are required to investigate and contact each creditor to corroborate the information being reported. Creditors have 30 days to respond to any disputed charge. If a creditor does not respond to the dispute inside that 30 days, by law, that disputed information has to be pulled off your credit report.
- Verify All Your Outstanding Balances – You can call each creditor by mail or by phone directly to request a verification of the outstanding balances owed on your account. The creditor must supply a document in writing that verifies the sum of the outstanding balance, upon your request. Having this request completed is particularly critical if your account has been turned over to a collection agency.
- Negotiate Possible Payments With Your Creditors – If you’ve missed a payment at some point or otherwise created a negative item on your report, consider negotiating a payment plan with your creditors. You could agree to pay the remaining balance in full or negotiate a plan for payment of some type to improve the negative item that is hurting your credit score. Whatever arrangement you decide on with the creditor, be sure that you get it in writing before you agree to pay anything. If your account has previously been turned over to a collection agency, however, you may want to contact the creditor straight away. Ask your creditor if you can work out some type of settlement arrangment or payment agreement that can also be reported back to the credit bureaus as ‘paid as agreed’. If you can convince your creditor to do so, that will go a long way to improving your credit rating. Not all creditors will agree to talk about it with you if your account has since been passed to collections but some might. Whatever you agree to with your creditor, make sure you get it in writing.
- Follow Up With Every Creditor – Not all the creditors you contact will respond favorably if they do at all. Continue to follow up with each one if you have not received confirmation on any of your settlement arrangements or negotiate payment plans in writing within 6 weeks. Every one of us should be proactive about protecting our credit long before it is required. Solid credit status not only influences a lender or a credit card company’s approval but may also influence your ability to get lower insurance premiums, your ability to rent an apartment, and in some cases, your eligibility for a new job.

