A Guide to fixing credit reports.
How many of us found ourselves in the situation of having a bad credit rating? Oh, many. I myself am a person that is having problems with credit. These days without credit and a job there is nothing that any of us can buy or rent or lease. So what to do when your credit sucks? Let's look at what steps we need to take in order to fix the credit report and ultimately get that 700 or above credit score.
First let's order our credit report. Now, I hope you are aware that there are THREE major credit reporting agencies that make the reports: Experian, Equafax, and TransUnion. Some of you may say-"I knew that and I also know that there is a FOURTH agency." Yes people you are correct. There is a FOURTH credit "agency" but we are not going to count it for now since not many of businesses use it.
So let's get back to ordering the reports. There are a couple of options you can do.
Option number 1: You can go on each individual credit agency website and order your report and don't forget to PRINT IT. (This option will cost you about $14.99 or $ 16.25 with tax per each report)! Whooh, I don't know about you but if you get that amount and times by three that's $48.75 per month. Oh, yeah you probably thought it was ONLY ONE TIME payment. Ha! Jokes on you. Oh, ok I am sorry I just have to laugh at it because even I thought that too at the beginning of my long journey. )
Option number2: You can get ALL THREE reports for a hefty price of $29.99 ONE TIME PAYMENT. (Caution: this option is ONLY available, for your viewing, a period of ONE MONTH or THIRTY DAYS from ordering it.) So, PRINT IT as soon as possible.
Option number three: You can go on any website of those agencies and ONE time per year and get a FREE credit report.
Currently I know that many of you are looking at the last option because it's FREE but it has a price: its confusing, or at least to me it is. With other options the reports are in more detail, have more options AND give u YOUR SCORE. Yes, this is what you have been waiting for- the score! GOD, even if it is as horrible as 590 or something like that or as exceptionally good as 787 you will be able to see it and either cry or laugh hysterically about it.
Now if you are one of those people that are crying then this following section is for you.
Yes you are and this is how you are going to do it. First and foremost LOOK OVER IT, if you SEE any abnormalities CIRCLE THEM, note them, highlight them! This way it will be easier for you when you are going to address them with the agencies.
There are options to filing disputes with the agencies.
One: via website-currently only Experian offers this option.
Two: via phone or regular mail.
YOU WILL NEED YOUR CREDIT REPORTS TO dispute the information in either option.
The filing dispute is the easy part. Now comes the hard part: writing dispute letters is the hard part and time consuming but at the end of it all it's ALL worth it you will see the "light" per se - your score going up. Again you have two options:
Option1: you can write the letter yourself and get an idea about what should be in the letter you can go online like about.com and type credit dispute letters.
Option2: you can pay a company "to send" these letters for a hefty price of $99 or more dollars.
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Whatever option you choose they accomplish the same thing: dispute the information on your credit report and fix any problems. You should remember that the dispute letter can be written to the agencies or the lenders directly.
Finally after months of writing and sending a lot of paperwork you will see that your credit will become so clean that it will "shine" so to speak and of course you will see your score go up. Now the downside of this is that your score can go up ONLY 50 points each 3 months. Yes that is correct! It can go down ANY amount of points almost immediately.
Fixing credit report is not hard work but with time and your dedication you can finally fix it and be able to get out of this financial rut of having a bad credit score.
Hope this info will help, Good Luck!