The next step is to take stock of your progress on the items you have submitted for dispute to each credit bureau. The result of each item’s dispute will dictate what you do next. Basically, you will get one of the following results from your itemized disputes:

1. The item(s) you are disputing was not mentioned in the original dispute letter, or the description of the item and reason for dispute requires further clarification from you. In this case, once you respond with more info, the 30 day clock starts all over again.
2. The disputed item was verified and proven to be accurate. In this case, you move to the next phase of your plan, which I will explain in a minute.
3. The disputed item was not verifiable in time, or at all. IN this case, the item will be changed to positive status, corrected, or removed from the report altogether.

Obviously, the last outcome is what you are hoping for. If the item comes back as verified, I recommend next doing what is called a “Method of Verification” request. This is where the credit bureau has to respond to you within 15 days and explain to you the method they used to verify the negative item on your report. This is when you will get a letter from them stating that they used their software program eOscar to verify your item electronically.

eOscar is a bad way to verify because the clerk entering in your info just puts in a code to classify your dispute. This makes the dispute very generic, and can help you in a court case if you need to go to court to remove the negative items. Because of this non-personal way of verifying info, this tells us that they never contacted the information source, which is called the ‘Original Creditor’. This is good, this means that you can now contact the OC and ask them to investigate the item, stating that it is not valid.

The OC is under no obligation to verify the item for you, so don’t use the word verification , you just say investigation.  This way they have to respond to you, as stated in the FACT act of 2003. Send the original creditor a letter requesting that they provide you with documentation that the account is yours and the debt is yours. Never admit to anything. The truth is, if the account is a couple years old, they probably won’t have any original records. Then they will have to report to the OC that the account is not a valid item.

Wait for their response for a couple weeks, then if they don’t respond, send a more threatening letter, stating that you will sue them if they don’t prove it is yours or remove it. This method has worked many many times, so it is worth the effort.

Be sure to check back often for the third step in the credit repair process.

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You have seen it on television oh so many times. A company promises to completely wipe things off your credit report and have your credit score fully restored virtually overnight. Well, unfortunately, real life is nothing of the sort. Companies, like this one, have the same powers over your credit report as you do. The simple fact is that you cannot remove an accurate , legitimate debt from your credit report without paying it or settling it with the debtor, period. There are ways, however, to remove ones that are not legitimate. You do not need anyone to assist you to accomplish these tasks.

There are companies, however, that can perform all of the legal measures available for you. This can be anything from submitting credit disputes, to requesting debt validations, to setting up a debt repayment plan for you. Many different law firms specialize in this area. If you are too busy, or just would rather have someone else do it, then I would highly recommend one of these programs. They are usually very affordable, and there is almost always some level of benefit to the consumer. Just watch out for the incredulous promises like, “all negative items removed from your credit report” and other similar claims.

If you do have the time and energy, and you know for a fact that some of the items on your credit report are erroneous, then I also recommend taking your credit into your own hands. If there are erroneous debts on your credit report, you have to write to them with a formal letter and explain the discrepancy in detail. Tell them why you believe the debt is not legitimate, and provide copies of any documents and receipts to strengthen your case. When the credit bureau receives your letter, either they will remove it immediately (unlikely), or they will start an investigation into your claim. It takes about 30 days for this process to complete, and even a lot earlier sometimes. If you have used the same name and address for years on end, then they will have no trouble locating records about you, thus it is easier for them to complete the investigation.

After they are done, they send you a letter of decision. That letter will tell you that they found the debt to be accurate (it stays on the credit report), or they cannot prove the validity of the debt and remove it from your credit report. This is just an example of one of the simpler scenarios in dealing with the credit bureaus. Sometimes, the process can get complicated; getting to know the ins and outs of the credit industry can go along way towards helping you beef up your FICO score. This letter is an example of an erroneous entry removal request that you would send to the credit bureaus, just adjust it in the appropriate areas, and send it to the credit bureau.

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To request that a  security freeze be placed on your credit file, please use the following letter as a template for your communication with the credit bureau:

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