How to Clean up a Credit Report at Home
- 1). Study the instructions on how to read the credit report. The three credit bureaus are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and each uses different codes and formats. Information on how to interpret them is provided with your report.
- 2). Read through the credit report line by line. Highlight any possible mistakes. These can include obvious things, such as on-time payments coded as late, or more subtle errors, such as misspellings in negative items. The Credit Infocenter credit repair website states you can dispute all of them, and they will be erased if the creditor does not confirm them with the bureau.
- 3). Review your statements, receipts and other records for information that supports your position on as many errors as possible. Make copies or printouts of these documents. You don't have to provide evidence, but it helps validate your claims, as the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows the bureaus to ignore obviously frivolous disputes.
- 4). Write a letter that lists all of the disputed items and explains why you believe they are incorrect. Refer to the evidence you enclose with the letter. Make a copy of your credit report, circle the disputed items and cross reference them to the relevant enclosures. Enclose this copy with your letter.
- 5). Mail your letter, along with the enclosures, to the dispute address on the credit bureau website. All three bureaus encourage you to send the dispute online, but the FTC recommends a certified letter so you have proof that it was mailed and received.
- 6). Review the credit bureau's response, which should arrive within 30 days. Recheck your credit report to ensure that successfully disputed items are erased. The bureau may claim to have confirmed some items. You can dispute them with the original creditor if you still believe your challenge was correct, according to Credit Infocenter.
Source...