The Credit Score Zoom Kit

The Power to Zoom Your Credit Score Fast!

Published by Consumer Techniques, Inc.

Copyright 2014

CONTENTS
Your Mission

Page 4

The Basics
The Impact of Credit Scores

Page 5

You and the Credit Reporting System

Page 7

Your Credit Score; Your financial grade card

Page 10

Your Credit Report; Your financial history & reputation

Page 15

How can I Improve My Credit? Strategic Improvement Strategies

New Federal Laws give you a Huge Advantage

Page 18

Page 21

Taking Action
Credit Repair: An Overview of the Zoom process

Page 24

Begin the Zoom Process; this is where the Action Begins!

Step 1: Get Your Credit Scores and Reports
Step 2: Begin the Credit Repair Process
Find the errors in your credit report

Promote your positive accounts

Review your report for negative items

Putting together Your Dispute Letters

7 Sample Dispute Letters

Page 33

Page 40
Page 42

Page 44

Page 47

Inserts for Letters: Sample Account Information

The Zoom Results

Page 29

Page 32

Page 56

Page 27

Page 55

YOUR MISSION
You are 30 days away from the highest credit score you have had in years. Your mission is to
aggressively repair your credit report immediately.
You already know that a higher credit score will get you approved for a loan, pave
the way for that new car, provide lower interest rates and lower monthly payments,
qualify you for an apartment, help you get utilities connected without a deposit, even
lower your car insurance and much, much more.
The Credit Score Zoom Kit is designed to walk you through the credit repair process, to help you
understand the credit score system and to show you how to efficiently and effectively eliminate the
negatives on your credit history. You are going to make the mistakes of your past just disappear.
We will show you how to use the credit systems own rules to your own advantage.
Any entry, by any lender or creditor stays on your credit report for seven years and then is supposed
to be automatically removed. So if you were late on a payment this month, it will haunt your credit
score until 2019. We will show you how to cut that down from seven years to just 30 days.
Credit Score Zoom wont just fix the little errors; it will lead you through a major credit history
overhaul, a total make-over.
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) enacted the Fair Credit Reporting Act to give you, the
consumer, the right to dispute any entries, comments and errors on your credit report. The law was
written to empower consumers just like you. This federal law is heavily on your side. The federal
government is encouraging people to take action to repair their credit. Our procedures are totally in
compliance with that law.
But, you have to follow certain guidelines, use the proper procedures and have the appropriate
communications to make your disputes effective.
When you eliminate negative entries on your credit report, youll see an immediate boost in your
credit score. The higher your score, the more freedom, security and relief you will feel. This will be
completely worth your time and effort.
What a difference even 50 points makes!
Your credit score is your financial grade card for how well
you have managed money. It is the first thing that lenders
look at when applying for a loan, a lease, insurance, even a
job.
This chart shows how boosting your score just 50 points can
move you up one or two levels.
By following the simple steps in the Credit Score Zoom Kit, thousands of consumers have
raised their scores by 50, 100, 150 points or moreall within thirty days!
It works! Lets get started.
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The Impact of Credit Scores

The Impact of Credit Scores

Your credit score can mean the difference between being denied or approved for credit, getting the
car you want, paying high or low interest rates, and obtaining affordable monthly payments. A good
score can help you qualify for an apartment rental, lower your car insurance premiums, and even help
you get utilities connected without a deposit. Your credit score can even have an effect on
employment applications.
Lets take a look at what your credit score means
750 850: Excellent Credit. If you fall under this category, it
means that you are definitely qualified for a fair repayment terms
and the lowest interest rates.
720 749: Good Credit. Ones will usually be approved for
loans with favorable terms by their lenders.
660- 719: Reasonable Credit. For those who fall under this
ranking, they are normally offered for loans but they wont be
able to borrow at the best interest rates.
620- 659: Uncertain Credit. Not many lenders are willing to
approve the applications of people who are having these scores.
Some lenders can offer the loans but with very high interest
rates.
Below 619: Poor Credit. It is very difficult for people who have
these scores to obtain loans from lenders. It is a must for them
to consider credit repair before applying any loan.

Better Scores mean Better Financial Success

The better your credit, the less youll have pay for interest,
down payments, car insurance and more.
Look at this chart. You can see that the higher you raise
your credit score, the more affordable living becomes.
Take mortgage rates for example. Someone with good credit
pays less than half the amount of interest compared to one
with bad credit.
Then theres credit card rates. Bad credit cardholders will
pay over three times more in interest than those with good
credit. The same is true with interest on auto loans.
By zooming your score, you start saving hundreds, or even
thousands, of dollars a year.

You and the Credit Reporting System

You and the Credit Reporting System

Who decides my credit score?
Credit Bureaus formulate your credit score. There are three primary credit bureaus; Equifax,
TransUnion and Experian.
All three credit bureaus are independent businesses. However, they are all overseen by the Federal
Trade Commission. All three credit bureaus must follow the federal laws, policies, rules and
regulations about credit reporting.

Where do the Credit Bureaus get their information?

These bureaus gather information from banks, lending institutions, credit card companies, credit
unions, collection agencies and even court records regarding your finances. In other words, the
information comes from any source which deals with your credit.
Note: a lender is not required by law to report your credit activity. It is strictly voluntary. Remember
this for later in this Kit.
The credit bureaus have information on all of your borrowing, debts and bill paying habits; usually for
the last seven years.
Once a month, your lenders send the credit bureaus information about your current activity; balances,
amount of payments, pay dates, etc.
This current information is then added into your overall credit history in your credit report. The
bureaus review all of this information and calculate your credit score.

Who can get my credit report?

When you apply for a loan or a credit card, the lender has your permission to check your credit
history. Again, any of the three credit bureaus will provide that information to the lender.
These days, anytime you are leasing an apartment, applying for insurance, getting utilities hooked up
and many other services, your credit history is likely to be checked.
Your credit history is also likely to be checked if you are applying for a job. The employer wants to
see how responsible you are, particularly when it comes to money.
Lenders and service managers want to know how well youll pay. In other words, how much of a
financial risk you are. People who dont pay their credit are expensive and time consuming for
companies. High risk credit scores can actually cause the company to lose money if they default.
In many cases, the greater the risk to them, the more theyll charge for their services.

Why is my credit history so important to lenders?

When you apply for a loan, or any kind of credit, the lender will get your credit
history from one, two or all three of the credit bureaus. To a lender, your credit
history is basically your grade card for managing debt. Your credit history, and
your credit score, is your financial reputation.
Heres an example. Lets say you loan Mary $100 and she promises to pay it back in a week. A
month goes by and Mary has only given you $5 back. Months go by and shes only paying you in
small amounts. How likely are you to loan Mary more money? Probably not. Why, because she
doesnt have a very good reputation as a borrower.
You become like a credit bureau when you tell all your friends that they better be careful loaning
money to Mary.
The same is true with lenders. The information from the credit bureaus helps lenders assess your
credit worthiness and your likelihood of paying back a loan on time. In short, your credit history
shows how much of a risk you are.

Your Credit Score

Your Financial Grade Card

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Your Credit Score: Your Financial Grade Card

How is my credit score calculated?
All three credit bureaus issue their own credit scores based on the information they have collected
and analyzed. Your credit score is based on a combination of several basic factors. This chart
shows how much each factor impacts your credit score

Here is a brief definition of each of the primary credit score factors in the chart above.
Amounts owed: (30 percent) -- How much you owe on your credit accounts. That is important for
two reasons. First, the amount owed on debt is compared to your income. The more of your income
goes to paying debt, the worse your credit score. Secondly, the amount you owe on a credit account
is compared to the credit limit. That means if your credit limit is $1,000 and you owe $999 on that
account, it goes against your credit score. The less owed, the better.
Payment history: (35 percent) -- Your account payment information, including each time you made a
payment on time as well as each and every time you were late on a payment.
Types of credit in Use: (10 percent) -- The mix of accounts you have, such as revolving and
installment. Its actually better to have two or three different types of accounts (credit card, car
payment and mortgage) than to have all credit cards. Managing different types of accounts shows
better debt management.
New credit: (10 percent) -- Your pursuit of new credit, including credit inquiries and number of
recently opened accounts. If youve just opened three new credit card accounts, it shows there is a
likelihood that you will get yourself further into debt.
Length of credit history: (15 percent) -- How long ago you opened an account and the length of
time youve been managing that account. Typically, the longer the better.

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What doesnt count on my credit score?

Your credit score is supposed to show your financial management ability. Its is supposed to
represent to lenders how well you pay your bills and manage your money. However, your score only
reflects how well youve managed credit accounts.
Regular Monthly Bills. Your credit score does not include your payments to utilities, phone and
cable companies, insurance, rent, club memberships, subscriptions and other monthly, reoccurring
bills. Those are not credit accounts.
All of those years you made sure that your electric bill was always paid on time doesnt matter when it
comes to your credit score. You could have a perfect record of paying your mobile phone bill and it
wont impact your credit score at all.
The opposite is also true. If youve been frequently late or delinquent on utilities and other non-credit
monthly bills, it wont hurt your score one point.
Savings and Investments. Your savings and investments are not factors in calculating your credit
score. You could have a million dollars in the bank, but you were still late on 36 different payments to
MasterCard. Your credit score will suffer. This shows you are not a good credit manager.
Your Income. Your income is not factored into your credit score. Its the same as savings. Income
has nothing to do with how well you handle debt.
Income and savings become important when a lender is deciding if you have the ability to pay the
loan. If you only have $100 left each month after paying all your bills, a lender probably wont give
you a new loan with payments of $200 a month.

What are the worst things that can hurt my credit score?
Anytime the judicial system has to be involved with your financial
management, it can have a significantly negative impact on your credit score.
This includes some serious legal issues such as bankruptcy, evictions, tax
liens and foreclosures.
This can include a creditor having to take you to court to get paid. It may
involve bounced checks which, when not corrected, are taken to the county clerk for collection.
When an account has to be turned over to a collection agency, it will significantly lower your credit
score. When an account goes to a collection agency, it shows that you were so late in payments; the
loan had to be turned over to a company to put pressure on you to pay.
Do whatever you can do to avoid any of your financial situations ending up in the court house.
Otherwise, you will be paying for it for a long time.

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Can my credit score suffer even though it wasnt my fault?

Absolutely! There are three common reasons, through no fault of yours, that a credit score takes a
nose dive;
Mistakes. The information the credit bureaus have is only as good as what the lenders send them.
You are likely to look at your credit report and find mistakes, errors or just mis-information.
Statistics show that approximately 80 percent of all reports contain at least one error. 25% had
mistakes that could trigger a denial of credit. It is very likely you will find errors made by your
lenders/creditors when they reported your activity.
Mistakes can include reporting late payments which really werent late, balances which are incorrect,
accounts which arent yours, judgments which did not involve you, negative activity which is more
than seven years old, and more. By reporting and correcting key mistakes you could easily boost
your score by more than 75 points.
We will show you later in this Kit how to get rid of any and all of these kinds of mistakes.

Bad Timing. This is a trap that a lot of people fall into. What they think is a positive action turns out
to be a long series of reported negative activity. Its a little complicated, so read this carefully.
Lets say you have a MasterCard. The statement normally comes on the 15th of the month and it
shows a payment is due no later than the 30th of the month.
But, you paid the payment early! You paid it on the 10th of this monthfive days before the bill even
came. So you thought you didnt have to make the payment when the statement came. You thought
you had already made the payment for this month! You think theyll show you not only made the
payment on time, you paid it early.
WRONG. Those advance payments might work with the cable company, but not with credit cards.
Your lender will actually show you didnt make any payments. Your account is now delinquent and
you dont even know it.
Heres the catch. Most credit cards have a billing cycle. For example, there are no payments due
between the 1st and the 15th. Then, a payment is due between the 15th and the 30th.
If you make a payment before the payment due period, it does not count as a payment. Yes, it
lowers your balance. But a payment is not a payment until a payment is actually due. And in this
case, the monthly payment wasnt due until after the 15th.
You didnt make a payment during the payment due period.
Your early payments were seen by the credit card company as your way of paying down your
balance, but not as a scheduled payment. You next statement will show you are 30 days past due
and you will get hit with a $30 late fee. And your credit score will sufferfor the next seven years.

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Identity Theft. This is where someone steals your social security number, your address, and your
name and gets a handful of new credit cards, a car loan and an installment loan for new televisions.
And all of the bills come to you. While you are struggling for months trying to correct the situation,
your credit report is showing months of delinquent payments as well as substantial debt.

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Your Credit Report

Your Financial History and Reputation

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Credit Reports: Your Financial History and Reputation

Your credit report contains all of the information about your credit management. The contents are
supplied by almost every creditor that you use. Your full report shows the last seven years of your
payment history, your amount of debt, the type of credit you use, how often you apply for new credit
and even judicial issues such as bounced checks, judgments and bankruptcy.
Your credit report lists every one of your credit accounts and tracks details such as month-by-month
payments, balances, credit limits, and other activity on that account. On any given account, it will
show if and when the raised or lowered your credit balance.
All of this information is reviewed by any new creditor/lender you apply with. It gives the creditor, (the
lender) a good picture of how healthy your credit management is. The credit report is, in essence,
your credit reputation. It is an indicator of how willing and responsible you have been regarding the
repayment of debts.
All three credit bureaus issue a continually updated credit report which contains five sections.
Personal Information. Your address and length of residency, your employment history, your
marital status, your birth date, phone number and social security number.
Public Records. Any financial judgments against you such as bankruptcies, foreclosures,
evictions and even bounced checks which have been forwarded to the courthouse, etc. These
are likely to weigh heavily on your credit score.
Adverse Accounts and Potentially Negative Items. The section lists every credit account
which has negative factors associated with it. This will likely show your history of late payments
and delinquencies, credit cards with high balances and/or over limit instances, accounts which
have been closed by the lender, collection agencies, lowered credit limits, and charge offs.
Accounts listed as adverse or potentially negative are a primary factor in a lower credit scores.
Accounts in Good Standing, Satisfactory Accounts. These are credit or loan accounts where
you have shown good financial and credit management. For example, the balances on these
credit cards are below 50% of the credit limit, you have made timely payments, you often pay
more than the minimum balance and youve had this loan or credit for over a year.
Credit History Requests. Basically, this is how often you have applied for credit. The potential
lender requests a copy of your credit report and it goes on your record. Too many inquiries, in a
short period of time, are often seen as a negative credit score factor.
Personal Statement. This is a personal statement, written by you, which you have requested the
credit bureau to include in your credit report.

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Your Credit History Shows Seven Years of Activity

Any entry, by any lender or creditor stays on your credit report for seven years and then is supposed
to be automatically eliminated.
So if you were late on a payment this month, it will show up on your credit report until 2020. The
other way to look at it is when you made a late payment on a car loan back in 2005, it is still part of
your credit reputation today.
Youll be taking a hard look at your credit report in the a few pages. First, you need to erase any
negative entries which are over seven years old. You need to look for negative mistakes and errors,
because those will also haunt you for seven years.

Recent Responsibility Doesnt Count for Much.

Unfortunately, credit reports do not give much weight or acknowledgment to how well you managed
debt in the last few months.
What that means is that even though youve been excellent in payments and credit management in
the last three or four months, it doesnt impact your credit score that much. Credit bureaus look at
your last seven years in total to create a profile of you. The credit reporting system does not account
that much for how well youve been improving. It takes time.
To many individuals that doesnt seem fair because it does not recognize a serious, responsible
turnaround in your credit management.
This is why it takes years to improve your credit score. Excellent credit responsibility has to outlast
and outlive your mistakes of the past.
What all this means in the real world is when you go in and apply for a car loan in 2012, the lender
will see the 3 late car payments in 2009, the 4 late payments in 2011 and the 2 late payments in
2012. What he sees is someone who is frequently late on payments. That means you are somewhat
risky for a loan. The result; a higher down payment required, a lower amount allowed on the loan, and
higher interest rates.
Thats the credit system.
Now well show you how to use Federal Laws and the systems own rules to your own advantage.

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How can I improve my Credit?

Credit Score Improvement Strategies

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How can I improve my Credit? Credit Score Improvement Strategies

First, why do I have a bad credit score?
The primary reason people have a poor credit score is because their credit report has quite a few
negative entries and derogatory marks and comments from their creditors. These score killers can
include

Loan and Lease Defaults

Judgments
Foreclosures
Tax Liens
Too Many Credit Inquiries
High Debt Levels
Bounced Checks

Bankruptcy
Repossessions
Late Payments
Collections
Charge Offs
Applications for New Credit
Maxed Out Credit Cards

The second reason is that there are too few positive entries on your credit report. These are
accounts where you have paid on time and kept the balances low. Often, when you have bad credit,
there are too many negatives and not enough positives in your credit report.
The third reason is that your credit report is filled with mistakes and errors. This is more common
than you think. The lender may have accidentally issued past due or over limit when that was not
the case at all. The credit limit may be less than what it is really is. There may also be accounts
listed which arent yours. Accounts over seven years old may still be on your credit report.

1. Raising your credit score: the long term strategy

Your can improve your credit score over time by minimizing the number of negative comments on
your credit report and by adding more positive comments. Its that simple. You have to clean up your
financial reputation.
The long term answer is good debt management. Pay your bills on time. Keep the total amount of
debt low. Keep the balances on your credit cards at no more than one-third of the limit. Dont apply
for multiple loans over a short period of time. Have, and manage, different forms of credit; a car loan,
a credit card, a mortgage, a line of credit and so forth.
Yes, it could take months, a lot of money and continued discipline to reach these goals.
Keep in mind, that even with excellent credit management; it could take months or even years to
significantly raise your credit score. Why? Because it takes time, month by month, to build a good
credit reputation. Plus, all of your past mistakes for the last seven years are still dragging your credit
score down.

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2. Raising my credit score: the fast track Zoom strategy

You want a good credit score in the shortest period of time possible (as in right now!). The most
effective way to accomplish that is to Zoom your credit report. Get ready to
Challenge, Dispute and Overhaul Your Credit Reports.
Your strategy here is vigorous, aggressive and immediate credit repair. You will

Make sure that all three credit bureaus have all of your positive credit activities.

Correct and erase any errors or mis-information which is hurting your credit score

Dispute as many, or all, of the negative entries you wish

This strategy is easy, fast and very inexpensive. This manual will now show you exactly how to
accomplish this with a high level of impact and effectiveness.
The result is a greater credit score in 30 days. The best part is that you are using Federal laws,
designed to protect the consumer, to your advantage.

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New Federal laws give you huge advantages

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New Federal laws give you important advantages

FTC Guidelines Protect the Consumer
The United States Congress has enacted the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This
is a set of laws designed to regulate the credit bureaus as well as lenders. The
Federal Trade Commission was given the authority to monitor credit reporting
practices and enforce these laws.
These laws are designed to protect and empower the consumer. With these
laws, the federal government is encouraging people to take action to repair
their credit.
These laws have six very important statutes when it comes to your credit reports...
1. The consumer has the right to challenge and dispute any or all of the entries on their credit report
2. When the consumer disputes an entry on their credit report, the credit bureau must begin an
investigation into the claim.
3. The investigation means that the credit bureau contacts the creditor or lender about your dispute.
4. The creditor has 30 days to respond. If they do not respond in 30 days, the entry is eliminated
from your credit report permanently.
5. The creditor is not required to respond to the dispute. It is strictly voluntary.
6. During the 30 investigation, any and all disputed entries are removed from your credit report until
the investigation is completed.
In the next section, you will see how this law gives you great advantages in repairing your credit
history and zooming your credit score.

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Your incredible advantages in the dispute process

As we mentioned in the last section, when you dispute items on your credit report, the credit bureau
must begin an investigation. They cant ignore you. They are required to contact the lender who
posted the entry to validate your dispute. The lender has 30 days to respond to the credit bureau.
Now remember, one aspect of the dispute process is to eliminate errors and if the creditor
acknowledges that error, the item will likely come off your report. The same applies to errors by the
credit bureau itself where they are still listing entries over seven years old
You have two other huge advantages in the dispute process...
The 30 Response Rule: You Win by Default. When the credit bureau begins the investigation into
your disputed items, the creditors or lenders have 30 days to respond back to the credit bureau. If
they dont respond within 30 days, that item, regardless of what it is, is removed from your credit
reportpermanently!
Theres never been a better time for you to take advantage of the 30 Day Rule. Department stores
and smaller companies may only have one individual who handles validations and they are highly
likely to miss that 30 day deadline. Some of your creditors may have gone out of business.
Other lending companies may have been sold to other firms and your files have simply been lost in
the shuffle. Government agencies and collection agencies have downsized their validation
departments, so they are much slower to respond. Almost all creditors have become overloaded with
disputes and just cant keep up with the demand. All of these are likely to miss the 30 day deadline.
Remember, reporting back to the credit bureau is a voluntary action by a creditor. The odds are
totally in your favor.
Information that is older than 5 years old will stay on your credit for 2 more years, but if you dispute it,
the original creditor may not have records that date back the whole 5 years and you may win that
dispute that way as well.
The 30 Day Rule is your best ammunition for permanently removing negative items.
The result? Youll have a cleaner credit report and the power of a higher credit score. Many of your
past mistakes have been erased. And it only took 30 days.

A 30 Day Clean Credit Report. During the credit bureaus investigation, anything you disputed is
lifted off of your credit report until the investigation is over. That means that if you dispute every
negative item on your credit report, your credit report will show no negatives during the investigation
and your credit score will zoom.
If you are applying for a mortgage, a car loan or any other large credit item put in your application just
after the investigation has begun. The lender will see an almost perfect credit report and an almost
perfect credit score. Timing is everything. Once the investigation is over, any negative items which
were invalid will reappear on your credit report. Once again, all of this is part of the FTCs Fair Credit
Reporting Act. The law is on your side.

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Credit Repair: An Overview of the Zoom Process

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Credit Repair: An Overview of the Zoom Process

You will enjoy the benefits of a much higher credit score by eliminating errors and negative entries in
your credit report. Youll also help your score by making sure anything positive is fully represented in
all three of your credit reports. Remember, it does not hurt your credit score to file disputes in order
to repair your credit. These are the key steps in the Credit Score Zoom process

Step 1: Get Your Credit Scores.

Well show you where to get all three of your credit scores for free. Youll likely notice a difference in
your scores from each of the three credit bureaus. Well show you how to find out what is so negative
in the low scores and what is positive in the higher scores.

Step 2: Get Your Credit Reports (Its free)

Your credit reports contain all of your financial history for the last seven years. Credit reports are the
bases for your credit score. The better your credit history, the higher your score.
You can get all three of your full, detailed credit reports absolutely free. The Federal Trade
Commissions website allows you to view, download and print your credit reports from all three credit
unions; Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. There is no trial period, no subscriptions, no monthly
charges and no fees whatsoever.
In the next several pages, well give you the direct link to download your credit reports so you can get
started repairing your credit right immediately.
When you get your credit reports, youll see exactly what your lenders are seeing. In each of your
credit reports youll see your payment history, current accounts, closed accounts, account balances,
delinquencies, collections, legal actions and more. Youll want to take a look at, and compare, all
three credit reports.
Once you get your credit reports, well walk you through the following actions
A. Identify Errors. You will find anything in your credit reports which is a mistake, an error or just
mis-information. Statistics show that approximately 80 percent of all reports contain at least one
error. 25% had mistakes that could trigger a denial of credit. It is very likely you will find errors
made by your lenders/creditors when they reported your activity.
B. Identify Positive Items. Youll learn how to locate those items which are positive and are
boosting your score right now. Youll make sure all three credit bureaus have that same positive
information.
C. Identify Negative Items. We will show you how to quickly find all of the negative items on your
credit report. These might include late payments, defaults on loans and credit, high credit card
balances, legal judgments, bankruptcy, unpaid taxes, too many credit inquiries, bounced checks
and more. You can dispute any or all of these negatives.

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D. File Disputes. This is when and how you notify the three credit bureaus of the mistakes on your
credit report as well as the negative items you disagree with or question. Youll have the tools to
dispute any negative item in your credit report. Well also give you the methods, sample letters,
contact information and more. We will simplify the process so it is easy to understand and quick
to accomplish.
E. The Investigation. Your dispute letters will trigger an investigation by the credit bureau. That
simply means that the credit bureau is communicating directly with the creditors or lenders and
requesting that they address your dispute. The creditors then have exactly 30 days to respond.
Thats not just a policy, its the law. During the investigation, you dont have to do anything.
F. The Results. In 30 days after you have sent your dispute letters, the credit bureaus will send a
report to you outlining which items have been removed from your credit report and which have
not.
After you get the results from the credit bureau, check your credit score again. Youll see how
much of an increase youve achieved.

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Begin the Zoom Process!

This is where the action begins

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Step 1: Get your Credit Scores and Credit Reports

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Step 1: Get your credit scores and credit reports

Get your credit scores from all three credit bureaus.
First, you need to know your credit scores. Each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and
TransUnion) issue their own credit score.
You want to get all three of your credit scores; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. There are many
free credit scores websites on the internet. You have to find one which will give you all three credit
scores. Getting all three credit scores, side-by-side is typically called 3-in-1.
You can get your credit scores absolutely free from Credit Karma. Just go to CreditKarma.com and
youll have your scores instantly; with no fees, no subscriptions, no obligations.
For now, you are just looking for your credit scores. For that, we like .myfico.com, gofreecredit.com.
You can also look at freecreditscore.com, freescoreonline.com, creditreport.com, freecreditreport.com
and freescoreonline.com
Almost all of these free score websites offer a free trial period. You can get your free credit scores
and then cancel before the free trial is up and it will cost you nothing. Its your choice, after the free
trial is over, whether or not to get the monthly monitoring services (usually $6.00 to $18.00 a month).
Your credit scores, from all three credit bureaus, will look similar to this,

Look at your three credit scores and plan your strategy

Now you have your three credit scores. First, how bad are they? Check this chart to see where you
are in terms of your credit score. Dont be discouraged. This only gives you an idea of the challenge
ahead.

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Get Your Credit Reports from all three Credit Bureaus

You will need to get full and detailed copies of all three of your credit reports; Equifax, Experian and
TransUnion. This is easy. One option is totally free with no obligations. The second may cost $20 or
$30, but the convenience may be worth it.
Totally Free: AnnualCreditReport.com.
Obtaining copies from this source is easy and free. Thanks to a 2004 federal law, everyone is entitled
to one free credit report from each of the main credit reporting agencies, per year. Youll be able to
get Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- per year.
To order online, visit AnnualCreditReport.com. You will need to enter some information to verify
your identity. You then go to the first credit reporting agency, Equifax for example, and download
your credit report. You then return to the home page and order your next one from Experian and so
forth until you have retrieved all three credit reports.
Each credit bureau has their own interface or link, with the same menu bar on the top.

Go through this process very carefully. Once youve seen your credit report, you cannot pull it up
again for another year. Make sure you download each credit report and check to make sure the
download was successful before moving on to the next credit reporting agency. It is also a
good idea to print a copy of each as a backup.
The disadvantage to this source is that you get three separate credit reports with no side-by-side
comparisons on each entry. So you will have to manually lay out each one, find a particular entry,
and compare that entry to the other two reports.
If youve already visited AnnualCreditReport.com within the last 12 months, you will need to get your
reports from another online source.

Comparative Credit Reports.

If you want side-by-side comparisons of all three reports, you need to look for 3-in-1 credit reports.
Any of the three credit bureaus offer 3-in-One credit reports as well as analysis of each report.
We would also recommend that you look at identityguard.com, myfico.com, gofreecredit.com and
freecreditscore.com You can also find 3-in-One at creditreport.com, which is owned by
Experian. Several of the examples we use in this manual are from those sources.
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Entries in a 3-in- credit report, with side by side comparisons, looks like this

This entry is for a Sams Club Discover Card. You will notice that the entry for Experian, Equifax and
TransUnion are side by side which make comparisons of information very easy.
Many sources for credit reports offer a free trial period so take advantage of the free trial and, if you
wish, just cancel your subscription before the trial is up. However, for 3-in-One credit reports there
may be a $20 to $30 upfront fee.
Reminder! When you pull up your credit reports online make sure you download them and
back them up on a disk or memory stick.

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Step 2: Begin the Zoom Credit Repair Process

32

Step 2: Begin the Zoom Credit Repair Process

Find the Errors in Your Credit Reports
OK, so now you have all three of your credit reports in front of you. And yes, there are an awful lot of
numbers, abbreviations and terms you've never seen before. Not to worry, were going to cut through
all of that and get to the core and the real issues.
First, youll begin combing through your credit reports for errors. A 2004 study by the U.S. PIRG -federation of state Public Interest Research Groups, found that one in four adults have serious errors
on their credit reports. Not small errors either; some will lower your credit score significantly!
Since these are mistakes, and are very likely to damage your credit score, they have to be eliminated.
Even if theres the slightest chance of it being in error, make a note about it. Your note should
mention the error; wrong date, not my account, wrong amount, the account is closed, wasnt late on
payments, older than 7 years, etc. You will use that note in your dispute.
You need to review and note errors on all three credit reports; Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
Why? Because you will be writing dispute letters to each of them. Secondly, each of three credit
bureaus may have different information or have their own unique coding system for items. Lets go
section by section

Errors: Personal Information.

This has to be absolutely accurate. Also referred to as the "credit header" portion of the credit report,
the top part of your credit report contains your identifying information. It will include your legal
name(s), Social Security number, date of birth, current and former addresses, and employment
history reported to the credit bureau. It usually looks like this

The red circles show two very obvious errors. Under addresses, the Harrison Street address is her
husbands office address. Kathy never lived there. The history of rent payments on that office
should not be on her credit report. She doesnt know how it got on her report, but shell dispute it.
The bottom circles address employment. For the last two years Kathy has worked for Nationwide
insurance. According to her credit report, she has no employment. Being unemployed does not look
good on a credit report. Its an error, an omission. Shell dispute it.
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Errors: Public Records.

This section will list any bankruptcies, liens, evictions, bad checks, garnishments and other judgments
against you. Public record information comes from all the different courts at every level; city court,
county court, federal court, any public court.
What to look for: Anything that should not be listed. Since any information listed here can heavily
tarnish your credit score, you'll want to dispute any inaccuracies which include dates, amounts,
status, etc. Also look for anything that is over 7 years old. Particularly look for public records which
arent yours. Occasionally, a public record may be misfiled under your name, when in reality; you
didnt have anything to do with it.
This section usually looks like this

We see that Kathy owed the bank of Texas $1,049 on a loan and they had to take her to court to get
it. That part is true. These kinds of judgments will crush a credit score.
However, the red circle shows the date it was paid and, on the bottom, the date this item should have
been removed from the credit report: August, 2011. This was still on her credit report in January
2012 and is killing her credit score. It is well over the seven year removal law.
She noticed that this was from Equifax, the credit bureau who gave her the lowest credit score (poor).
We see here that it does not appear on the other two credit bureau reports. She will demand
immediate removal from Equifax.
Even if it was still timely, she could still dispute this entry in hopes that the overworked, understaffed
court in Texas wont be able to respond to the credit bureaus by the 30 day deadline. If they dont, it
will be automatically eliminated permanently.

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Errors: Collections.
These are accounts that have been turned over to collection agencies and the information comes
directly from the agency. These are very serious sins on your credit report and can make future
lenders very nervous.
What to look for: Accounts you don't recognize; these can be due to fraud or error, but either way,
collection accounts can hurt your credit score, so you'll want to dispute any and every inaccuracy.
Also look for collection accounts that have been paid, but its still showing up as an open account.
You have to dispute it. Of course, any collection agency reports which arent yours have to be
disputed.
Collection agency entries usually appear like this

The first line shows that this is indeed a collection agency. Kathy had a Sears Roebuck credit card
which she was three months behind on. Sears turned it over to a collection agency.
Now, this entry has two problems. First, Kathy paid off the $983 owed on the card just as it was
being sent to the collection agency. So the collection agency was never really involved. There was
no collection action. Therefore it should not be on her credit report.
Secondly, the entry from Equifax shows that this account is still open and unpaid. That is clearly an
error and a huge bruise on her credit score. Kathy will demand that Equifax correct this.
It would probably be best for Kathy to dispute this entire entry. Collection Recovery Services, a small
company, is not likely to respond within the required 30 day period. They are far more interested in
collections (which they get paid for) than in responding to credit disputes (which they do not paid for).

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Errors: Positive Credit Accounts

Positive accounts are ones where you paid it on time and are in good standing with the creditor. So
why look for errors. Because good credit accounts can be even better.
This is what a standard listing for an account looks like for a good account. Notice the number of
OKs in the green boxes. That means you paid the account on time for the last 24 months. Perfect!

However, look at the balances listed for this account. In actuality, your balance has been under
$1,000 for the last three months. The credit bureaus still show you with a high balance and that
keeps your credit score from being any higher.
Make note of this fact because you will be sending a dispute letter which will correct this. The result?
A good account turns into a great account and your credit scores zoom up.

Errors: Negative Credit Accounts.

This is an extremely important section to find errors and file a dispute. Why? Because negative
credit entries are a major factor in damaging your credit score. Even if it has the slightest possibility
of having mistakes, note it for a later dispute.
Further, if the negatives in the entry are corrected, the account may very well turn into a positive
entry and your credit score will increase accordingly.
As you identify each error, your notes may include, I made payments on time, I wasnt over my
credit limit, the balance isnt that high, this isnt one of my accounts.
What to look for: Individual account information. Remember, your credit score relies heavily on
anything in the credit history portion of your credit report. Not just if you missed payments, or how
much you owe, but when you opened it, what type of account it is, whether its open or closed,
whether it's revolving or installment; anything about the whole account history. Since negative
inaccuracies can lower your credit score, make sure to dispute any information that isn't correct and
certainly report accounts you don't recognize.

36

This negative or potentially negative section normally looks like this.

Why is this a negative entry? The chart on the bottom says it all. The orange boxes show months
where there were late payments. The credit bureaus list 9, 12, and 10 months out of 24 that Kathy
was late on a payment (see red circles) That is way too many delinquencies.
The first item Kathy should dispute is to tell Equifax (12) and TransUnion (10) that, according to
Equifax, she was only late 9 times. This may help to some extent.
Kathy can certainly write that she was always on time, and there may be a chance of this being
corrected. Since its a retail store account, they probably put a very low priority on responding to
disputes and are likely to miss the 30 day deadline.
More good news. Dillards Department Store has since gone out of business. They have no
records. Kathy would be very smart to dispute the entire entry with all three credit bureaus. Since
Dillards has no records, they will not be able to respond and the entry will be deleted permanently.

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Errors: Inquires.
This section contains a list of companies that have viewed your credit report. Youll want to look at
the hard inquiries. These occur when you apply for new credit and give permission for a company to
pull your credit report. These can include applications for credit, for an apartment, a mortgage, car
insurance, a car loan, or even an employment application. The number and the frequency of these
can, and do, affect your credit score.
What to look for: See if there are any inquiries you don't recognize. Since these can lower your
credit score, make sure every creditor listed sounds familiar to you. Check to see if any were
unauthorized by you. Look at the possibility of duplications. The credit inquiry section will look like
this

The reason this is negative is that too many inquires occurred in short period of time. The inquiries
were also for large sums of money. So what a creditor sees is someone with a low credit score
looking for even more credit. Not good.
There is some chance you can get one or more of these removed. For example, Cove Apartments
is not likely to respond to a credit bureau dispute. They are likely to be understaffed and busy with
other priorities.
Inquiries are only a small portion of your credit score, but every bit makes a difference.

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Eliminating Errors in Your Credit Report: Your Credit Score Zoom Action
You are now finished reviewing your credit reports for errors and mistakes. According to law, if you
are correct and they are any errors, they will be removed from your credit report within 30 days.
Hopefully, you made notes on each item that has an error and why they are in error. You will be
using these notes in your dispute letters.
In the section titled Investigation Letters, you will see the type of letters to send, and the types of
information to include, when demanding that any errors are immediately erased and corrected.
Adding these positive accounts will immediately boost your credit score.

39

Promote Your Positive Accounts

A positive account is one which has a relatively low balance and has a good record of on-time
payments. Any positive account raises your credit score.
You have to make absolutely sure that all three credit bureaus know about any and all of your positive
accounts.
Lets take another look at your three credit scores. Youll notice immediately that each of the credit
bureaus gives you a different score. In this case, one credit bureau (TransUnion) reports a higher
score than the other two. In fact, TransUnion gave an excellent score while Equifax rates your credit
as poor.

Why such different scores? It is very likely that TransUnion has listed positive accounts and entries
which Equifax and Experian somehow missed. Certain lenders and creditors may have sent their
information to one or two of the credit bureaus, but not all three.
Lets look into your credit report and see which positive accounts are being reported; and which are
not. Here is an example of an account with a near perfect history.

This is Kathys Discover card. Notice all of the green OK boxes on the bottom. That means
TransUnion is showing 24 straight months of on-time payments with 0 delinquencies. It also shows
that the low balance on the Discover card is only 41% of the available balance.
This is a very positive account. The problem is, only one credit bureau is listing it! Notice that Equifax
and Experian dont even list this account. This is very likely to be one reason TransUnion gave her a
much higher score.
40

Kathy has to notify the other two credit bureaus and let them know about this very positive entry.
Once the other two bureaus add it to your credit reports, you will see your score skyrocket. You need
all the positive entries you can get.
What to look for: Any account which has a good payment history and/or has a low balance
compared to the credit limit and is not listed by all three credit bureaus. All three credit bureaus
should show the same accurate balance and the same payment history for any account.
Secondly, look for positive accounts which you have, but are not listed on any of the credit bureaus.
Why arent that account listed at all? Either the creditor just failed to submit it or the credit bureau
misplaced it.
Regardless, you have to notify all three credit bureaus of any near-perfect accounts which you have,
but are not listed. This could be as simple as the account you had with your dentist where you made
arrangements to pay the bill in four or five payments. Thats a legitimate credit account and needs to
be listed with all three credit reports.
Yes, you can even go back seven years to old accounts which youve probably forgotten about until
now.

Adding Positive Accounts: Your Credit Score Zoom Action

In the section titled Investigation Letters, you will see the type of letters to send, and the types of
information to include, when requesting that positive accounts be immediately added to your credit
report. Adding these positive accounts will instantly boost your credit score.

41

Review Your Credit Reports for Negative Items

Now youll go through all three credit reports again and, this time, mark any or all negative items.
Each of these negative items is a score killer; they can cause severe and long lasting damage to
your credit score.
In some cases, the credit report will list negative accounts in a separate category. You can find
negative items in these two sections

Public Information. Bankruptcy, foreclosure, judgments, liens, repossessions, bad checks.

Adverse or Potentially Negative Accounts. Frequently late payments, defaults on loans,

over-limit credit cards, high credit balances, collection agencies, credit denied, etc. Heres an
example of a negative account because way too many late payments are shown.

The reasons for the dispute can vary from not my account, not a valid entry, older than seven
years, do not recognize this account, reported incorrectly and so on.
It is completely to your benefit to dispute as many negative entries as possible. Remember,
when the credit bureaus receive your dispute, they begin an investigation. That is, they communicate
your dispute with the lender or creditor. The lender has 30 days to respond. Lets review the
advantage one more time
The Window of Opportunity. The first thing in your favor is that any and all items under dispute are
removed from your credit report during the investigation. In other words, there are no negative items
on your credit report for a short window of time; usually 14 to 30 days. Your credit score zooms. Any
potential lender who pulls your credit report during this time will see a very clean credit report and a
high credit score. This is an ideal time to apply for car loans, mortgages, rental agreements or any
other major credit action.
The No Response Effect. Secondly, there is a very positive long term and permanent impact on
your credit report. Creditors and lenders are under no obligation to report back to the credit bureau; it
is strictly voluntary. If a creditor does not respond to the credit bureau within 30 days, the item you
disputed is removed from your credit reportpermanently! And your score increases automatically.
42

There are several reasons why a creditor or lender doesnt respond to an investigation. They may be
severely understaffed and overloaded, they may not have old records of accounts, they may have
gone out of business or have been sold to another company, they may have eliminated their credit
reporting department, they may feel that responding to a dispute is not a priority or they simply
overlooked your dispute and let it fall through the cracks.
If you are feeling at all apprehensive about disputing all of the negative entries on your credit report at
one time, there is a compromise. Simply locate the accounts with small companies and/or accounts
which are older than four years. You can erase negatives one at a time, in small batches or in total.
Remember, federal law allows these disputes, so youre working within the system to your advantage.

43

Putting Together Your Dispute Letters

44

Putting Together Your Dispute Letters

You now have all three of your credit reports (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) in front of you; each
with your notations on errors, negative items as well as positive accounts.
You are now going to create your dispute letters. There are three ways to communicate your
disputes with the credit bureaus; electronically, by phone or by mail. While electronically may be
faster and quicker, we strongly recommend sending letters because letters arent affected by any
techno errors and black holes. Writing a letter works. It provides a hard copy and the paper trail
provides proof of the dispute.
To file a dispute in writing, you must send a certified letter to the creditor with return receipt
requested. Certified letters can be produced at your local post office. Keep copies of your dispute
letters and any enclosures.
Your credit report will provide up-to-date contact information and instructions for telephone and
written disputes
When writing your letters you must make them brief and to the point. You do not need to write
excuses; they will be ignored by the credit bureau. In each letter include

Your full name as it appears on your credit report

Your current address, phone number, email address and social security number

A statement instructing the company to investigate the disputed item

The item in question, along with the account number

A reason why you believe the information is incorrect or invalid. Be concise.

Copies of any supporting documents as well as a copy of your credit report.

Your letters will include the account information which you are disputing. It is best to just clip and
paste the entire entry from the credit report to you letter. Its faster, easy and much more accurate as
opposed to re-typing the detail.
The reason why you are disputing each item is very important. On those items which are in error,
simply state the error; wrong dates, a closed, not open account, over 7 years old, incorrect
balances listed, incorrect past due information, not my account, do not recognize the account,
incorrect type of credit, actions stated never happened, erroneous payment entries and so on.
When disputing negative information, the most common reasons the account is being disputed
include; do not recognize this account, invalid account information, a closed, not open account,
has been paid in full, has always been paid in a timely manner, the account is over 7 years old,
not my account, has never been delinquent, incorrect type of credit, actions stated never
happened, erroneous payment entries, not my account, I never agreed to the terms and so on.

45

Again, you must send your letter by certified mail. The addresses set up to receive disputes should
appear on your credit report or you may use the ones below
Credit Report Disputes
Equifax Information Services LLC
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
1-800-685-1111
http://www.equifax.com
Credit Report Disputes
TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022-2000
1-800-916-8800
http://www.transunion.com

Credit Report Disputes

Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
http://www.experian.com

The following section will show you examples of effective dispute letters you can use.

46

7 Sample Dispute Letters

47

Sample Dispute Letters

Here are examples of dispute letters which have proven to be effective

Sample Letter #1: Adding Positive Accounts

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
This letter is a formal request to add missing information to my credit report. The following account(s)
do not currently appear on my credit report and should be included in my credit report immediately.
You will note that this account is in good standing and can be verified with the information I have
supplied in this letter.
In accordance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), I respectfully request you investigate
my claim and, if after your investigation, you find my claim to be valid and accurate, I request that you
immediately update my credit report. This account is:
Hillsdale Furniture Store Account #356-78954
757 Main Street
Columbus, Ohio 78402
767-998-9090
Date opened: January, 2008
Amount: $782
Terms: 36 months
I thank you for your consideration and cooperation. If you have any questions concerning this matter I
can be reached at the contact information listed below.
Sincerely,
John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

48

Sample Letter #2: Disputing Inaccurate Information and/or Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
I've just reviewed my credit report and have noticed there are several inaccurate items on my report.
This is a summary of the disputed accounts.
Chase VISA Acct: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxx-xxx:
This account is listed as being 30 days late. I have never been late on this account.
Sears Acct: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxx-xxx:
This account is listed as having a $3,980 balance. The balance has never been that high.
Universal Acct: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxx-xxx:
This account has been inactive for more than 7 years.
I have included a copy of my credit report with the disputed information highlighted.
In compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Agency (FCRA), I request that you investigate this matter
and update my credit report accordingly.
If your investigation validates the listing, please provide me with an explanation of the procedure you
used to validate the listing within 15 business days of your completion of the investigation, as per the
FCRA. I also request that you send me a copy of the information you gathered as a result of the
investigation.
If your investigation shows this listing to erroneous, please update my credit report and send me a copy
of my updated credit report.
Sincerely,
John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

49

Sample Letter #3: Disputing Inaccurate Information and/or Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am disputing some inaccurate information I have discovered on my credit report. The items I believe to
be incorrect are listed below. I am also including a copy of my credit report with the disputed
information highlighted.
This is where you insert a summary of the items being disputed. It will include the
creditors name, the account number, dates, amounts and any other information
related to the account. You will find all of this information in your credit report.
Next to each, you will include the reason for the dispute. See specific examples of
credit account listings at the end of this section.
In compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Agency (FCRA), I request that you investigate this matter
and update my credit report accordingly.
If your investigation validates the listing, please provide me with an explanation of the procedure you
used to validate the listing within 15 business days of your completion of the investigation, as per the
FCRA. I also request that you send me a copy of the information you gathered as a result of the
investigation.
If your investigation shows this listing to erroneous, please update my credit report and send me a copy
of my updated credit report.
Sincerely,

John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

50

Sample Letter #4: Disputing Negative Items and/or Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. I have circled the items I dispute on the
attached copy of the report I received.
Theses item include:
This is where you insert a summary of the items being disputed. It will include the
creditors name, the account number, dates, amounts and any other information
related to the account. You will find all of this information in your credit report.
Next to each, you will include the reason for the dispute. See specific examples of
credit account listings at the end of this section.
I am requesting that the item be accurately modified or removed entirely to correct the information.
Please investigate these disputed items as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

51

Sample Letter #5: Disputing Negative Items and/or Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
According to my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I am requesting that the following entries
below be corrected, modified or removed from my credit file. My file information is
John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com

SSN: 452-56-9980
Date of Birth: 01/05/1982
Credit Report ID: 567-890A4
Credit Report Date: January 1, 2013

A summary of the entries to be removed or corrected include;

This is where you insert a summary of the items being disputed. It will include the
creditors name, the account number, dates, amounts and any other information
related to the account. You will find all of this information in your credit report.
Next to each, you will include the reason for the dispute. See specific examples of
credit account listings at the end of this section.
I am also including a copy of my credit report with the disputed information highlighted. I am requesting
that the items listed be accurately modified or removed entirely to correct the information. Please
investigate these disputed items as soon as possible.
Sincerely,

John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

52

Sample Letter #6: Disputing Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
This letter is a formal request to correct inaccurate information contained in my credit file. The items
listed below are completely (inaccurate, incorrect, incomplete, erroneous, misleading, outdated). I have
enclosed a copy of the credit report your organization provided to me on January 1, 2012 and circled in
red the item in question.
In accordance with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), I respectfully request you investigate
my claim and, if after your investigation, you find my claim to be valid and accurate, I request that you
immediately delete, update or correct the items.
This is where you insert a summary of the items being disputed. It will include the
creditors name, the account number, dates, amounts and any other information
related to the account. You will find all of this information in your credit report.
Next to each, you will include the reason for the dispute. See specific examples of
credit account listings at the end of this section.
If your investigation shows the information to be accurate, I respectfully request that you forward to me
a description of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the item in question
within 15 days of the completion of your re-investigation as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
I thank you for your consideration and cooperation. If you have any questions concerning this matter I
can be reached at the contact information listed below.
Sincerely,

John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

53

Sample Letter #7: Disputing Negative Items and/or Errors

January 15, 2013

Attn: Credit Report Disputes
Experian
National Consumer Assistance Center
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
Dear Sir or Madam,
This letter is a formal complaint that you are reporting inaccurate and incomplete credit information.
I am distressed that you have included the below information in my credit profile and have failed to
maintain reasonable procedures in your operations to assure maximum possible accuracy in the credit
reports you publish.
Credit reporting laws ensure that bureaus report only 100% accurate credit information. Every step must
be taken to assure the information reported is completely accurate and correct.
I am also including a copy of my credit report with the disputed information highlighted. A summary of
the information which needs to be investigated immediately include:
This is where you insert a summary of the items being disputed. It will include the
creditors name, the account number, dates, amounts and any other information
related to the account. You will find all of this information in your credit report.
Next to each, you will include the reason for the dispute. See specific examples of
credit account listings at the end of this section.
Under federal law, you have 30 days to complete your reinvestigation. Be advised that the description
of the procedure used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the information is hereby
requested as well, to be provided within 15 days of the completion of your reinvestigation.
Sincerely
John D. Consumer
3737 Walnut Street
Raleigh, NC 27513
919-460-9628
jdconsumer@gmail.com
SSN: 452-56-9980
Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.)

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Inserts for Letters: Sample Disputed Account Information

The following are examples of how to present a summary of the disputed account information you will
include in your letters. All of this information is a direct copy from your credit report. This sample also
includes the reason why you are disputing the item.
Section: Public Records
Type: Civil Judgment
Date: 05/2004
Liability: $4589
Not Paid as of: 07/2004
DISPUTE: TOTALLY INACCURATE. PAID IN FULL ON 02/2010

Section: Collections
Subject Name: Collection Company of America
Subject Code: 3478
ECOA: Individual
Account Opened on: 4/2003
Verified on: 5/2003
MOP: Checks
Account Remains Open as of : 5/2011
Balance: $4500
Status: Frequent Delinquencies
DISPUTE: COMPLETELY INACCURATE. PAID IN FULL ON 07/2011
NO DELIQUENCIES.

Section: Credit Inquiries

SUBCODE: QRS999
SUBNAME: New Bank
DATE: 07/17/2012
DISPUTE: THIS CREDITOR WAS NEVER AUTHORIZED TO VIEW MY CREDIT.

Section: Negative Entries (or Trade lines)

Subject Name: XYZ Mortgage
Subject Code: xxxx
Balance: $2450
Account Opened on: 7/2003
Account Paid on: 9/2005
Account Closed on: 5/2004
Status: Past Due 45 days
DISPUTE: THIS ACCOUNT HAS NEVER BEEN, NOR IS NOW, PAST DUE OR DELIQUENT.

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The Zoom Results

Usually within 30 to 45 days you will receive an investigation report from each credit
bureau. This will tell you which items have been corrected, which items have been
removed and which items remain as they were.
In many states, you will be eligible to receive a free credit report directly from the credit
bureau, once a dispute has been registered, in order to verify the updated information.
Contact the appropriate credit bureau to see if you qualify for this service.

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