How to Write a Letter Expressing an Error to a Credit Report Agency

Your credit report contains information about your borrowing history that is used to calculate your credit score. This score determines whether your applications for credit are approved and what interest rate you pay, so it is important that your score be as high as possible. However, sometimes your credit report contains errors that could drag your score down. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute any piece of information on your credit report that you believe is in error. The credit reporting agency must investigate your dispute within 30 days of receiving your letter.

Instructions

1

Obtain a copy of your credit report from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion. If you have not gotten your free credit report yet this year, you can get the report for free through the Annual Credit Report website.

2

Circle each error on the credit report.

3

Open a word processing document. Type today's date and your full name and address at the top. Skip one line and type the name of the credit report agency and its mailing address.

4

Type one to two paragraphs to explain why you are writing. In these paragraphs, you should identify each piece of incorrect information and state what needs to be done to correct it. For example, you could write, "The late payment listed in January of 2011 on my Visa credit card account is incorrect. I paid on time that month and request that you delete the late payment entry."

5

List the enclosures that you are providing with the letter. These include your credit report and copies of documents that back up your claim. For example, if you have a bill that shows the on-time payment, this supports your claim that you were not late.

6

Print a copy of your letter and print or make photocopies of supporting documents.

7

Mail your letter through certified mail with return receipt requested. This gives you proof that the credit report agency received the letter.

8

Edit the letter so you can send a copy to the company that provided the incorrect information. This could be your credit card company or lender. Include the company's address in the header and change the text so it asks the company to report the correct information to the credit bureau. Again, mail it through certified mail with return receipt requested.