By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-02-14 03:35:59 | Word Count: 664
In a down economy, there are a number of people who need credit score help. If you’re one of them, don’t despair! The process can be long and cumbersome, but with the right tools, and maybe even the help of a company like Creditelves, who knows how to navigate the road ahead, it doesn’t have to be so bad.
The first thing you need to do to approach improving your credit score is request a credit report. That way you have a base line to work from.
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There are three agencies that provide this information, and you need to make sure you get a report from all three, as they don’t include the exact same information. They are:
Or, you can get all the information at once from www.annualcreditreport.com, or by calling 877-322-8228.
Depending on what your state’s laws are, you shouldn’t have to pay for your credit report if:
* This is the first time you’re requesting your report this year.
* You just lost your job as a result of information within your credit report.
* You’re unemployed.
* You suspect fraudulent activity or identity theft.
* You’ve been denied a loan or credit because of something in your credit report.
Should you end up having to pay for your report the cost varies by state, however it shouldn’t be more than $10.
Once you have your reports, it’s vital to go over each of them carefully. Look for factual errors in your account history. If you didn’t make any late payments, there shouldn’t be any notated on your credit report. Also, all your closed accounts should be marked as such. If you find any accounts you don’t recognize, that can be a red flag for identity theft, so make sure you pay attention to that. Additionally, old information should be removed. Any credit inquiries that are older than 2 years shouldn’t still be on there. Also, late payments, accounts sent to collections and overdue child support that’s older than 7 years should all be taken off your credit report. Even something as simple as having the correct personal information on your report can have a trickle down affect on your score, so make sure all of that is right.
If you find a mistake, or several mistakes, you have to be proactive if you hope to improve your credit score. Start by writing a letter to the agency. Here’s where the professionals at Creditelves can help. They know what information is pertinent to helping you clean up your credit report. They have templates available to you that will help you compile your personal information, specific details about the error, and proof that an error has occurred. If you find more than one mistake, this process must be repeated for each individual error.
Once the agency has received your letter, they have 30 days to respond and let you know in writing whether they agreed with your conclusion or not. If they do, they will either remove the mistake, or amend your credit report to reflect the findings of their investigation. If they don’t, you can try again or insert a statement into your credit report about the particular entry you feel is inaccurate.
For more information on credit score help and to find out how the professionals at Creditelves can help you improve your credit score, visit www.creditelves.com today.I
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Click here to read the rest of Credit Score Help. If you enjoyed this article, you also might like our other stories about Credit Dispute Letters.
