Writing to credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion) is an extremely effective technique for clearing past due items on your credit score—and consequently raise your FICO score. Only write to credit bureaus when you find yourself at least 30 days late with your creditor and the account shows up as past due on your credit score. This is the same exact method credit repairs services are using when you pay them a fee to fix your credit. So save yourself some money and do it yourself. It’s pretty simple.
When writing to the bureaus, make sure you put your identifying information (such as Name and SSN) along with the information in question (for instance your 30 day late Citicards payment in June of 2009). Your explanation should be short and concise, no more than a few sentences. It should state the reason why you believe the item on the report is erroneous (i.e. I was never late because I paid on so-and-so date). Though not necessary, you can attach any favorable evidence you may have. After sending in your letter, the credit bureaus have 30 days to respond or else they need to remove the delinquent item, pursuant of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. I’ve gotten all my items removed from my credit report by writing to the credit bureaus.
Two of three credit bureaus removed the item in question after my first letter, the third bureau followed suit six months later, after I sent in a second letter. The key is to be persistent. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again a second time, and a third time. But make sure the letters are not duplicates of the ones sent earlier or else they will dismiss your challenge as frivolous. I won’t go as far as to say that this will work for everyone. But I will say that if you don’t try, the negative item will definitely stay on your report.
This method is most effective when dealing with past due items. When dealing with collection or bankruptcy, it may be best to consult an expert or resort to other methods.
