How To Construct a Credit Dispute Letter to Your Creditors

In order to repair your credit, you will first need to know what your credit report says about you. The first step in credit repair is ordering copies of your credit reports from the three major reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Once received, you need to carefully review all information contained in the report. Check for accuracy line by line. Because the reports are subject to human error, it is more than likely your credit score has been decreased due to erroneous information.

After discovering any information you would like to dispute, you’ll need to follow through by filling out the appropriate forms provided by the credit bureaus to dispute the information. Once received by the credit bureaus, each dispute must be investigated and contact will be made with your creditors.

If the creditor does not reply to the request for information, the credit bureau may drop the data from your report entirely if the debt is not verified. If the creditor does respond within the 30 day period, the information will be updated or left as is on your report. The credit bureaus will also send you written correspondence about the results of the investigation. If information is verified by the creditor to the credit bureaus that you do not agree with, you’ll need to construct a letter directly to the creditor.

Below is an example of what your letter to your creditors may look like:

Your Name
Address
City State Zip

Date

Attn: Dispute Department

Creditor Name
Creditor Address
City State Zip

Dear Disputer Supervisor:

This letter is to dispute the following information that is being reported to my credit file. I have attached a copy of the report that contains the information and have circled it for your convenience.

The information in question is not accurate because (describe why the information is not accurate or incomplete as well as any action taken to resolve the matter). I am now requesting that the information be removed from my credit report (or ask for a specific change to update to correct information).

I have enclosed copies of relevant documentation that proves the information contained on my credit report is erroneous. I respectfully request an investigation into this disputed matter as soon as possible and that correspondence of results be forwarded to me at the conclusion of the investigation.

Sincerely,

Name

Enclosures: (provide list of what documentation are included with the letter)

Once the letter has been completed and the documents are attached, send it via Certified/Return Receipt Requested through the US Post Office. This will ensure your dispute letter was delivered and you will have a confirmation of that receipt. Once you receive confirmation, wait 3-4 weeks before following up on with the creditor by phone if you haven’t received any other correspondence.

By disputing creditor information that is not accurate and having the reported data corrected, you can actually help repair your credit score by raising it a few more points. Since every consumer with a credit history is entitled to receive one free annual copy of their credit report, it is advisable that you check in with your credit at least once a year to make sure all information is accurate and complete.