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You'll start the dispute process with all three credit bureaus with an initial dispute letter. What follows are the guidelines which should be followed for this letter and all successive letters, should additional letters be needed. Depending on what you receive back from the credit bureaus after you send this letter will determine how to evaluate what your next step should be.

Remember, you will make significant improvements in your credit if you are persistent and follow through with focus and deliberation. Otherwise, the alternative to having bad credit come off your credit reports is waiting seven to ten years, the time allowable by law for the credit bureaus to report your credit history, to be dropped from your reports.

All letters should contain the following:
1. Your name, address and social security number. Include a photocopy of part of your phone, electric or gas bill, etc. to prove that you are who you say you are.

2. The date you're writing or plan to mail the letter.

3. Place the name and mailing address of the credit bureau near the top of the letter.
See credit bureau addresses here.

4. Write your opening paragraph to state the following points:

1. There is an error or there are errors in your report.
2. The error(s) are hurting your credit and causing you problems.
3. State what the errors are costing you as a loss in one, no more than two sentences (i.e. a mortgage, car loan, new employment, insurance coverage, etc.).

(Refer to the sample letters as a general guide, but do not copy them word for word. Your letter should appear to be as individual and unique as you are.)

5. Provide the name of the creditor who's reporting the bad credit about you. Include the account number (or docket number for public records) the creditor assigns to your account. If you are disputing more than one item, include all of this information for each creditor. Do not, however, dispute more than three items per letter.

6. State the reason why the negative information is wrong. Since it's far too tedious and complicated, it's unlikely the credit bureau will ever evaluate or investigate your explanation. And, the negative information being reported can be wrong for any number of reasons:

1. You got a new billing address, and your bills were received late or not at all at the
   new address.
2. You pay your bills online and for some reason the creditor's website did not credit
   your account for payment.
3. You were never late or paid the account in full and have cancelled checks to prove it.
   (include copies of cancelled checks if you have them.)
4. Your payments were mistakenly applied to another customer's account.
5. You disputed a bill because you returned an item which was not removed from your
   balance.

Never admit to, or accept blame for bad credit... I was sick, in the hospital, out of work, my spouse left me, my dog ate my mail, etc. Your negative items will not go away on the basis of the fault coming back to you for any reason.

7. Always sign and print or type your name to the close of every letter.

8. Ensure you have legal proof that you sent the letter and it was received. Certified mail is the most economical method for proof of delivery that the United States Post Office offers. There are other methods such as registered mail, but they're more costly. If you don't use one of these methods, the credit bureau will know you have no proof that it was sent, and could ignore it.

9. Keep copies or photocopies of your letters and your certified mail receipts for all letters you send to the credit bureaus. You may be using these copies for future mailings and to prove your disputes.

You can use the following example letters as guides, as needed, to begin a complaint in writing:

Sample Letter - First Dispute
Sample Letter - Second Letter of Dispute
Sample Letter - Letter of Demand 1
Sample Letter - Letter of Demand 2
Sample Letter - FTC Complaint Letter
Sample Letter - Time's Up Letter

At this point, you will have completed the first dispute step. To continue the dispute process approximately 30 days from your letter mailing date, refer to the "Checklist and Time Table".

Next: Sample Letter - First Dispute >>>

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