How to Remove Negative Remarks From Your Credit Report
- 1). Order your credit report. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA), consumers have the right to receive one free credit report per year from the three bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. You can order the report from annualcreditreport.com, the site established under FACTA. You can also order the report from the bureau's website, by mail or by phone.
- 2). Examine the report and check it for errors. Make sure the negative data in question is still present on the report. The database of the credit bureau updates often, so information may have changed since you last viewed it.
- 3). File your dispute online. The online form will allow you to specify which negative items you're disputing and the reason for the dispute. You can also initiate a dispute by phone with a customer service representative. If you submit the dispute by mail, include a dispute letter that details the items in dispute, the reasons and any supporting documentation.
- 4). Print your credit report. FACTA gives you one report for free, but if you access it online and fail to print it, the bureau may charge you a fee to view it again at a later time. Also, remember to print out a copy of the online dispute form.
- 5). Allow the bureaus up to 30 days to respond. Under the FCRA, this is how long the bureaus have to investigate your dispute and make changes. Dispute results are sent to you via email if you initiated the dispute online. If you filed your dispute by phone or mail, the results are sent to you via regular mail. The bureau will include an updated copy of the report that shows the deletion of the negative items.
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