FREE CREDIT REPAIR

My credit report contains inaccurate information and accounts that I never applied for. How can I have my credit report corrected? You have the right to examine your credit file and to dispute inaccurate information. If you find inaccuracies on your credit report you can dispute the inaccurate information with the consumer reporting agency. Also, in most cases, you can file a direct dispute with the furnisher that provided the inaccurate information to the consumer reporting agency.

When can I file a direct dispute with the furnisher? You can dispute inaccurate information directly with the furnisher if it is about an account or other relationship you have with the furnisher.

Generally a furnisher must conduct a reasonable investigation of a direct dispute if it relates to:

* Whether you are responsible for a credit account or debt with that furnisher; this would include issues concerning identity theft, fraud, liability, and whether you are an authorized user of an account;

* The terms of the account; such as disputes relating to the type of account, the amount of the loan, the scheduled payment amount, or the credit limit on a credit card account;

* The credit history reported about the account; such as disputes relating to whether a payment was made, high loan balance, the date a payment was made, or the date the account was opened or closed; or

* Any other information contained in a consumer report regarding an account or other relationship with the furnisher that concerns your creditworthiness, your credit standing, your credit capacity or your general reputation.

I need to correct personal contact information that is listed in my credit report. Whom should I contact? You should contact the consumer reporting agency to dispute personal data such as:

* Your personal identifying information, for example, your name, date of birth, telephone number, address, or Social Security Number

* The identity of past or present employers

* Information related to fraud alerts or active duty alerts

Does a furnisher have to investigate all direct disputes? No. The general rule is that the furnisher must conduct a reasonable investigation of disputes unless an exception applies. There are several exceptions to the general rule, including the following.

1. The furnisher does not have to investigate a direct dispute if it is about certain kinds of information, such as:

* the consumers identifying information, such as name, date of birth, telephone number, or Social Security Number;

* the identity of past or present employers

* inquiries or requests for a credit report

* information derived from public records such as bankruptcies, liens, and other legal matters (unless provided by a furnisher with an account or other relationship with the consumer)

* information related to fraud alerts or active duty alerts; or

* information provided to a consumer reporting agency by another furnisher

In many cases, you can dispute this type of information with the consumer reporting agency.

2. The furnisher does not have to investigate disputes that it reasonably believes are submitted by a credit repair organization or that are submitted with the help of such an organization;

3. The furnisher does not have to investigate a direct dispute if the furnisher has reasonably determined that the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant; and

4. The furnisher does not have to investigate a dispute if it has given the consumer an address for submitting a direct dispute and the consumer does not send the dispute to that address; or if the consumer does not send in the information required to investigate the dispute.

How do I file a direct dispute? If you are disputing inaccurate information about an account or other relationship you have with the furnisher then you should send written notice of the disputed information to the address provided by the furnisher. This address may be identified on the consumer report, or in a separate notice to you regarding how to submit direct disputes. If a specific address is not listed, then the dispute notice may be sent to any business address of the furnisher.

You must include the following information in your direct dispute notice:

* Enough information to identify the account that is in dispute, such as an account number; and your name, address, and telephone number;

* The specific account information that you are disputing and an explanation of the dispute; and

* All supporting documentation or other information that the furnisher may reasonably need to confirm the dispute. Documentation could include a copy of the relevant section of the credit report, a fraud or identity theft affidavit, a court order, or account statements.

What must a furnisher do when it gets a direct dispute? Once the furnisher receives a direct dispute at the right address that includes all of the required information it must:

* Conduct a reasonable investigation;

* Review all relevant information provided with the dispute notice; and

* Report the results of the investigation to you.

If the furnisher's investigation finds that the information it reported was wrong, the furnisher must promptly notify each consumer reporting agency that the information reported was wrong and provide correct information.