How to Erase Negative Credit Reports

Every credit report has a credit score associated with the report. The credit score relates to how well you have handled your previous credit. Negative entries lower your credit score and damage your ability to obtain future credit. Credit reports should be reviewed once a year to check for any errors in reporting. Negative entries that are incorrectly reported can be disputed with the three credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.

Instructions

1

Examine your credit report very carefully. Pay special attention to the negative accounts and look for any aspect of the account that is reporting incorrectly. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives consumers the right to dispute inaccurate items on credit reports.

2

Circle all incorrect items listed on the credit report. You can also dispute incorrect spellings of your name, date of birth, previous jobs or addresses.

3

Write a letter to the credit bureau. State that you have reviewed your credit report and are disputing some incorrect items. List each account with an error. End the letter by asking the credit bureau to correct the accounts. Send the letter to the address displayed within the credit report.

4

Wait for the credit bureau to conduct an investigation. The credit bureaus contacts the creditor and asks for the information to be verified or corrected. If the creditor fails to respond to the investigation within 30 days, the credit bureau will delete the entire negative account.