Helpful Tip In Disputing Errors In Your Credit Report
Author: Suzy Vanstrusen

Being able to dispute errors in your report is a right of
every consumer. This right was strengthened even more when
the Fair Credit Reporting Act was signed in 2003. This
important step is one way to fight fraud and ID theft. By
detecting early signs of fraudulent charges in your
account, the appropriate action can immediately be done. A
consumer can alert his creditors right away if someone has
been illegally using his account in committing fraud.

What other factors can cause errors in a credit report?
There will be instances that wrong information are given by
creditors, accidentally, to the credit reporting agency.
Still, there are cases where the credit bureaus fail to
update its databases, which results to erroneous reporting.

Yes, mistakes are often committed and this is why everyone
is encouraged to obtain a copy of their credit reports at
least twice year so they can personally check the accuracy
of their reports. But what if you do find errors in your
report? How do you dispute these errors effectively?

If you find errors in your credit report that you want to
dispute, your first step should be sending a letter of
dispute to the credit bureau who has issued the report.
After that, you have to send another letter to the creditor
concerned.

Some people may think that writing a dispute letter is
difficult. Examples of dispute letters are available online
in case you want tips on how to write one. You can read
sample dispute letters and observe how they were written.
Nevertheless, these sample letters are meant to serve as a
guide only.

Also, don't be tempted to use readily-made templates on the
web. If you do, your creditors may not take you seriously
or consider your disputes at all. Just point out the items
in question and explain why you think these charges have
been a mistake. Enclose a copy of your report with the
items you're disputing encircled. You can also enclose
copies (NOT ORIGINALS) of supporting documents or receipts
in your dispute letter.

Make sure that you keep your courtesy and professionalism
when composing your letter of dispute. Don't use foul words
or offensive terms. When requesting for a change or the
removal of your charges, be polite and express your
sincerity about the issue. After completing your letter,
check for typos or misspellings. More importantly, make
sure that the details of your letter are accurate and
pointing to the right items in your credit report.

After sending your dispute letter via registered mail, you
may need to wait up to 30 days before the issue is
resolved. As soon as the credit bureau gets a hold of your
letter, they will notify the creditor concerned and conduct
an investigation. If your creditor agrees with your
dispute, changes will immediately be made on your credit
report. The credit bureau will also alert the other two
credit bureaus to update their reports.

You can expect a response from the credit bureau about the
result of their investigation along with the updated copy
of your credit report. However, if the issue isn't resolved
because your creditor disagrees with your claims, you can
ask the credit bureaus to include your dispute letter with
your credit report each time a lender requests for it.


About the Author:

Suzy Vanstrusen is a credit analyst and a writer of the
website http://www.ezcreditrepairsolutions.com/ and has
been providing consumers with tips and tricks in repairing
your credit. Check the site for more free credit repair
tips and credit repair services.