How to Write Letters to Credit Bureaus

Your credit report contains a complete record of your financial history, including debts you have, payments you make, loans you've taken out and credit cards you use. You can also find out who else has requested to see your credit report, such as a potential lender. The basic purpose of a credit report is to let a lender know if you have good enough credit to pay back your loan. You can obtain your credit report by contacting a credit bureau.

Instructions

1

Type the date you plan to send the letter, your name and your address at the top of the letter. This will ensure the credit bureau knows where to send the report.

2

Type the name of the credit bureau you're contacting and the address of the credit bureau below your address.

3

Start the letter with a polite greeting, such as "Dear Sir or Madam," or, "To Whom It May Concern."

4

State your reason for writing to the credit bureau in the first paragraph. Explain right away that you'd like to receive a copy of your credit report.

5

Continue the first paragraph by providing all the information they need to send your credit report. This includes your full name, date of birth, social security number and your current phone number and address. You should also include all the companies you've worked for in the past five years and all the addresses for places you've lived in the past five years.

6

Include the legal reason you should receive your credit report for free, if applicable, in the next paragraph. The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that you can receive your credit report for free if you are unemployed, on Public Assistance or were denied credit in the past 60 days. Also, if fraud has caused an error in your credit report, you can also receive it free.

7

Enclose a check or money order if you can't receive your credit report for free. Check with the credit bureau you're contacting to determine how much you should send. You can usually find this information on the credit bureau's website.

8

Add a polite closing to your letter, such as "Sincerely" or "Best Regards." Type out your name below the closing, skipping about three spaces.

9

Print out the letter, and sign your name between the closing and your typed name. The credit bureau will require that the letter be signed before they can send you credit report.