- 1). Obtain your credit report. U.S. citizens are allowed to obtain one free credit report from each of the three credit agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once every 12 months (see Resources below).
- 2). Check your Credit Report for errors. Inspect each listing closely for discrepancies. Are the accounts listed as open and closed accurate? Are the dates correct? Are balances correct? Are the credit limits correct? Are accounts that are paid in full marked as such? Is the personal information correct? Do all the listings relate to you?
- 3). Dispute errors found. Report errors to the lender. Additionally, report errors to EACH of the three credit reporting agencies. Sending a letter to the agencies along with direct support from the creditor will be the most effective way to have the error removed. If you don't have hard copy support from the lender, just send a letter with the dispute to the credit reporting agency, which will then contact the creditor or lender.
- 4). Ask a lender to remove a one-time late payment off of your credit report. If you have had 12 months of on-time payments, the lender may give you a one time "goodwill" adjustment and remove the late payment notice from your account. If the lender agrees, ask the lender to re-age your account to improve your rating.
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