Fix Your Credit Yourself for Free like Me
Ticked me off, so I went ahead and followed my own advise, starting with a correctly written and correctly mailed debt validation letter mailed using certified mail, return receipt requested (NEVER use online disputes. my experience is that they’re largely ineffective).
Next, I also sent mailed a dispute to the credit bureaus requiring they validate and prove that they made the attempt to validate the disputed item. Also sent this letter by Certified Mail.
The correct way to do this is to simply write a letter to the three major credit reporting agencies that are reporting the incorrect item: Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. State which items you’re disputing and why (my reason was simply “not my account”), include copies of the report along with a copy of your photo ID. Then go ahead and mail it to them. Certified Mail is the best way because then you have a record of the sending date, the receiving date and then it’s easy to keep track of days they have to investigate your dispute. Federal Law gives them 30 days.
A few weeks later and I received a letter showing the items were deleted. Below you’ll see a copy of one of the deletions by Trans Union.
Here’s the address to mail your letter to Trans Union: 1561 E. Orangethorpe Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92831
Here’s the address to mail your letter to Experian: P.O. Box 9556, Allen, Texas 75013
Mail your letter to Equifax at this address: P.O. Box 105891, Atlanta, GA 30374
US Certified Mail, return receipt requested is the best way to mail your credit dispute letters.
I’m happy that I did it myself for free (other than the cost of postage), took just 10min, and with both deletions Trans Union increased my credit scores by a whopping 48 points!
Steve Silver’s completed nearly $2Billion in real estate and finance business. To consult with Steve or to book him to speak to your group, contact him at his blog: Steve Silver Now or at his mortgage site: Silver Mortgage Funding, LLC.
