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Make sure none
of your balances are more than 79% against your high credit
limit. Over 80% on balances will kill a solid credit score.
Check your Totally free credit report and look for old or
unfamiliar files and dispute these. In the end you will get a
phone number or address where you can ask forgiveness and pay. Ask for
total removal and a letter saying so if you pay in full or extra. Not
all bad credit can be removed or rebuilt, but it doesn't hurt to try.
What do I say when asking a creditor to remove bad credit file?
Tell them "I had a hard time with a job, or a sickness, I paid the
bill off in good faith, I'm a good person, now I am trying to buy a home
and this entry is the only thing holding me back. Will you please, pretty
please, remove this entry?" Remember they cannot pull up your credit
to find out if indeed your telling the truth.
What
if I have a unpaid collections account?
First try to contact the company and pay the bill. If you find the
company and the bill, pay them off and ask the company to contact the
bureaus and give you a letter Stating they have done so. You can use this
letter as leverage if a bureau is having a tough time showing the record
as paid
Why is my paid collection still showing on my credit file?
When you pay off a collection, the entry should show up as paid.
BUT the entry will remain on your credit file for 7 years unless
the entity that had collection filed on you agrees to let the collection
company delete the information. So collections still show up as
collections EVEN after you pay. They just show paid and still hurt your
score.
How do I get a paid collections account removed completely?
Wait for 7 years, or try to contact the entity the had you turned over to
collections and ask them to prompt the collection agency to remove the
entry. If you cannot find the record yourself by calling, then, chances
are Experian Transunion and Equifax can't either. So
print the dispute form and send it to the appropriate bureau. If you
can find the record beg the company to remove the record and send you a
letter saying they have done so.
What am I trying to get from the creditor when I ask them to remove a
file?
Try as hard as you can to get a letter saying account is paid in full,
paid on time and in good standing. Use this letter to follow up on the
creditors decision to remove your bad credit files.
Will
my credit score go up if I pay a collection account?
Generally no or not very much. The account will still show as a
negative credit item for up to 7 years, this is why it is important to
pay and ask for, forgiveness in a humble but persistent manner
asking for management if need be.
Free
credit report
When
disputing an accurate record.
The object here, is hoping for a bureau mistake. Send as little
information on your self as possible. Leave something out and don't
include you spouse. These are real people who make mistakes from time to
time. Remember you can dispute as many times as you like and it's
free.
When
disputing a inaccurate record.
Here you'll want to send as much information on you and your spouse as
possible. This ensures the bureau makes no mistakes. Click
here and use this form.
Do
I have to contact all three agencies for disputes?
Most creditors report to only one or two bureaus so it is only necessary
to contact those. BUT! You don't always know which one they report to,
so, it is good to dispute at all three. Equifax is by far the most widely
used bureau.
How
much does it cost to dispute a record? How many times can I dispute a
record? It's free and your right by law
to dispute as many times as you like. By law the bureau has to respond to
your dispute within a 30 time period of receiving your request OR remove
the entry.
How
long does it take to get a response?
Usually about two weeks to one month, when you dispute a credit item by
mail. It takes a week or so for them to get the mail and about two weeks
to search and verify the record in dispute. It is just as fast to
use the mail if you use priority mail and you can verify receipt with
mail. I use the mail! If you have not received answer within a 40 day
time frame, DO IT AGAIN!
Can you call and get something done?
No. The phone numbers get a automated MSG's stating address name and
general information. None of the bureaus are set up to answer
phones. They are set up to deal by fax and mail, thus ensuring
confidentiality of your credit files.
What about closed credit or even open cards with late payments?
Contact the card company and try to find your info. If you can't find
it, print the dispute form and send it to the bureau to get the record
removed. If you can find the record then talk to the company and ask that
your file be re-opened so you can make on time payments. After six months
call the company up and ask to have the late payments removed. Most
credit card companies only report the last twelve months of good credit.
If you ask to have the records removed they will almost always do it for
you.
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Will
it hurt my credit score to close credit card accounts?
Generally your score will not be affected UNLESS you close some accounts
that still have balances. When you close an account that has a balance,
it shows you have become frustrated and possibly emotionally detached
from a creditor who you have asked to borrow money from in the first
place.
What
about tax liens and judgments? Can I have them removed and how long will
they stay on my report?
Matters of law cannot be removed and will stay on your record for ten
years. I do think it may be possible to have judgments sealed though. If
they are sealed, they cannot show up on your credit. Try to negotiate and
have the record sealed as part of your payment or settlement. If you go
back at a later date, and pay a judgment that is already a part of your
credit file, ask that the judgment be sealed, then dispute the record. It
would then fall off.
What
if I have a record that I don't think is correct but I can't find a
number to call?
Dispute the record and make the credit bureau get the information for
you. Send as much information on yourself as possible. If you find the
record accurate use the number they provide and make amends. Then ask the
company to remove the record. Get a letter.
What
about a Jr. or Sr. or any case where names get mixed up and you get
someone else's credit.
Many times a son or father
who have the same name will get the credit MERGED on accident. If you are
a Jr. Sr. You should
Free
credit report and score. If
you find any items that aren't yours' dispute them. Send as much info on
yourself as possible and note the items which aren't yours. In the same
letter include the other parties information and note which accounts are
which.
If
you don't get an appropriate response for merged credit files.
Then send in the dispute form asking for a comment on each item which is
not yours stating so. Usually this will make the bureau come around and
repair the ghostly problem. 50-100 words max.
I want my Credit changed NOW so I can get a Loan NOW! What can I do?
Not much. Changing and repairing credit can be a long and tedious process
often resulting in frustration. Most credit changes take at least two
weeks IF you can make one. But you can overnight mail your dispute and
ask for overnight return on the dispute results. Sometimes a phone number
will come with your results allowing you to talk to a REAL PERSON.
What is a beacon score? More
on Beacon / FICO Scores
A beacon score is numerical rating from around 400 up to 850. 700 or
better and you can buy anything you like. 600 or less and you will have
troubles getting a loan. These scores reflect your re-payment habits,
number of credit items, length of time you have had a credit item, number
of times someone has accessed your credit.
How can some people with a bankruptcy get a loan and I can't?
Sometimes a bankruptcy is better than bad credit. One way is the Chapter
7 BK that erases all dept and stipulates the person cannot file again for
7 years. Since they have no outstanding dept and cannot re-file, many
banks view this as a "good risk". Many times after a
"7," a person will need to re-establish some small credit
items. Plus; a factor with any loan is job, job time, and amount earned.
If a person makes 3500 a month, has been on the job 5 years and owes
nothing, you can see how this may be attractive to a bank.
How
long do credit files stay on my record?
7 years for bad credit. 10 years for bankruptcy. 4 years on good
credit. Lawsuits and Judgments 7 years or until the statute of
limitations runs out.
When
does the 7 year thing start?
From the date of last activity stated on the account. Not from when you
open the account.
What
about the double credit file that has been reported as a charge-off then
sent to collections later. Does that move up the 7 year thing?
This is a question I cannot answer with
confidence. It's a common question and there seams to be a hint of
trickery with this action. I personally think everyone should pay their
bills or file bankruptcy. Lexington Law may have an answer for you on
this matter.
How long do inquiries stay on my credit report?
Usually three years.
How
many points do inquiries count against my beacon score?
I've heard they can count as much as 6 points for one "hard credit
hit". This means 6 points will carry up to 4-6 hits as long as they
appear to be related to the purchase of a single items and all the hits
represent the same item. Like when you go to a car dealer and they
shotgun your application to 4 banks trying to get you a low rate or just
plain approved. Most credit reports will show 10-20 inquiries and this
should be considered an average, not to worry yourself about much,
number. BUT. You can dispute these files and there is a possibility even
raise you beacon score by doing so.
Will checking my credit report online count as an inquiry on my credit
report?
No. Inquiries only show up for "hard credit hits" when a
creditor checks my credit worthiness in order to loan me monies.
Will
debt consolidation hurt my credit score?
In most cases debt consolidation will stop your score from going lower by
ensuring you make all payments before the 30 days past the due date.
How late can I be without being reported late?
As long as you make your payments before 30 days have lapsed your
files will show up paid as agreed. Now I must be upfront in telling you
that having a letter post marked the day before does not work. The
company must have the payment in hand before 30 days have lapsed.
What
about credit repair companies that charge to remove bad credit files? Do
they work and do I know of a good one?
Try this site Legal
Credit Report Representation
They know the law, how to protect your rights as a consumer and they've
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Who
are the 3 credit bureaus that keep my credit report and how do I contact
them?
Trans Union
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-888-4213
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
1-800-997-2493
Experian
P.O. Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013-2104
1-888-397-3742
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Your FREE Credit Reports & Scores Today
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