How to Submit a Credit Statement to a Credit Bureau to Improve Your Report

According to the Federal Trade Commission, "Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment or renting a home." In essence, these companies use your credit report to determine your credit worthiness. If you have found inaccurate information on your credit report issued from a credit bureau, you might contact that credit bureau to have this information changed.

Instructions

1

Write a letter to the credit bureau stating that a specific item of information of your credit report is inaccurate.

2

Identify each item on your credit report that you are disputing. State the facts about that item. Explain why you are disputing the information, and request that the information be deleted or corrected.

3

Enclose a copy of your credit report with the information that you are disputing circled. You should also enclose copies of documents that support your position.

4

Send the letter by certified mail, return receipt requested. Document everything, and keep copies of the dispute letter and all enclosures. After the credit bureau receives your request, it will usually investigate your claim within 30 days. Investigation entails the credit bureau's forwarding the information that you provided to the organization that supplied the information to the credit bureau. This organization must then investigate, review information and report back to the credit bureau. If the information finds that the information is not accurate, it must report to all three credit reporting agencies. These agencies must then correct the information in your credit file.

5

Request that your credit statement be included in your credit file. If the investigation does not result in deleted or corrected information, you can ask that your credit statement be included in your credit file and all future credit reports. For a fee, you can ask the credit bureau to provide your statement to anyone who recently received a copy of your credit report.