A credit repair letter is a letter that you or a firm which represents you, sends to a credit bureau or credit reporting agency to report inaccuracies on your credit report. This is not an “official term”, just a term that people have begun to use to refer to this type of letter. Many people are interested in credit repair. Because of this, there are many companies selling credit repair “kits”, services and even sample copies of a credit repair letter.
Some of these services are scams. Some recommend action which is illegal. The kits and software programs are mostly full of information that can be obtained free. The only credit repair services which can be purchased with confidence are those provided by a law firm or private attorney.
The idea behind credit repair is simple. False, inaccurate, misleading or outdated information on your credit report leads to a lower credit score. If the company that reported the inaccurate information is a company that you currently deal with, you may want to contact them first. If they will not correct the information, then you contact the credit bureau directly. This is where the credit repair letter comes in to play.
A credit repair letter should include the following information:
Today’s Date
Address of the Credit Bureau which is reporting the inaccurate information:
Equifax PO Box 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Trans Union PO Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022
Experian PO Box 2104 Allen, TX 75013
These are the three major credit reporting agencies. Disputing information on line is an option to a credit repair letter, but the sites are not user friendly and it could be less time consuming to simply send a letter. They will have the same length of time to respond either way. The credit repair letter continues: Re: Credit Record Problem To Whom It May Concern: I recently reviewed a copy of the credit file your company is maintaining on me. While doing this, I identified the following problem(s):
At this point in the credit repair letter, you should clearly describe each inaccuracy in as few words as possible.
I have enclosed the following documentation that supports my claim:
If you have any “proof” that the information is inaccurate, (statements, cancelled checks, the “proof” depends on the individual item) list it here and enclose a copy of this material with your credit repair letter. Please investigate this problem as quickly as possible, correct it, and provide me with a corrected copy of my credit report. Please send this copy to: Your Name Your Street Address Your city, state and zip code
Include your phone number and thank them for their prompt attention to the matter. Sincerely, Your signature
You will also want to include the following information in your credit repair letter: full name, previous names, social security number, birth date, spouse’s name, current address and previous addresses for at least the last five years.
Once you send the credit repair letter(s), the credit bureau has thirty days to investigate. If you do not receive a response within thirty days, you can send a “follow-up” credit repair letter or contact an attorney who specializes in credit repair issues. The sample letters are not complicated and not worth paying for. This is some of the information provided in the credit repair kits that companies are selling. It is okay to sell information, it is big business. Rather than pay for the information, you may just want to pay for some help.