Are You Having a Dispute with the Credit Bureaus? Know What Your Rights Are before You Fight Back — but Do Fight Back

On April 25, 1971, the Fair Credit Reporting Act was established by the federal government so that consumers would be protected against the reporting of obsolete, misleading, or inaccurate information. Lawmakers’ intent in designing the law was to help make sure that consumer reporting agencies operated responsibly and fairly.

The FCRA provides a list of rights and procedures that will assist you in clearing away negative remarks and reestablishing your creditworthiness – regardless of your previous credit history. By understanding your rights and using the law to your advantage, it’s possible to remove bankruptcy, judgments, late payments, collection accounts, charge-offs, and other negative information from your files permanently.

What’s first with this process? Draw copies of your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus. You can find addresses for each of these bureaus in the Yellow Pages under “Credit Reporting Agencies,” either on the Internet or in the phone book. If you’ve been denied credit within the past 60 days, you can get a free copy of your credit report by sending a copy (not original) of the letter stating that you’ve been denied, and include your request for a credit report. Other information needed will be your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and all addresses you’ve lived at within the last five years. If you haven’t been denied credit within the last 60 days, you’ll have to buy the report, but you can do so from each credit bureau for a relatively small fee. In California, the fee is eight dollars to get a copy from each of the three major bureaus, and it may cost you a different amount in another state, depending on where you live.

In addition, you can also visit credit bureaus in person and ask to review your file. Call the bureau in question and ask to make an appointment. Then, present the proper identification and pay the fee necessary. You can also be accompanied by one of the person you choose if you wish to do so. The law gives you this right.

You can also request a credit report by mail, and if you do, you should receive a copy within three weeks. Along with it, you should also receive an explanation of the various abbreviations encodes the report contains. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to challenge any remark on your report that you think is incomplete or inaccurate. Those items must be investigated by the credit bureau within a reasonable period of time, usually about 30 days. If it’s found that this information is somehow inaccurate, incorrect, out of date, or can’t be verified in longer, it has to correct or take the information off your file.

In addition, if the bureau does not respond to your initial dispute challenge within a reasonable time, you can follow up with another letter. This time, demand (don’t request) that the bureau should respond to your dispute investigation request immediately, or you will be forced to take legal action. Wait about two weeks in order to give them time to comply, and make sure you keep copies of all correspondence you undertake.

If the bureau persists in violating your rights by refusing to reinvestigate your legitimate dispute, send them a final letter demanding action. This time, send copies of your letter, along with the original request, to the Federal Trade Commission and your local office of the attorney general.

6 Tips To End Credit Card Debt!!

In order to get out of credit card debt it takes action on your part. So whether or not you are being swallowed by the sink hole of credit card debt or you are just starting out to dig yourself into credit card debt – you have to take action before it’s too late in order to be come debt free.

The six tips listed below will help you get out of credit card debt…if you use them.

1. Stop using your cards – By using your credit cards you are paying additional interest on the credit card balance you owe on which you’ve already been charged interest. Unless you pay the new charges when you are billed you are accumulating additional interest on both present and past charges. (Don’t you love credit companies…and yes this is legal for them to do.)

2. Figure out how much credit card debt is costing you. You can find out how much credit card debt is costing you by seeing how much interest rate you have to pay. This is done by reading the fine print on your latest credit card statement. If you do not understand then you call your credit card company and have them explain it to you. (By law they have to explain it to you.)

3. Lower your interest rate you are currently paying on your credit cards. Lowering your interest rate is the most effective and easiest way to get your credit card debt problem under control. You can lower the interest rate you are paying by transferring high interest rate amount balances to lower or no interest credit cards. Once you’ve stopped using your credit card you’ve stopped your situation from getting worst, it’s now time for you to improve it.

4. Call your credit card companies and tell them to lower your interest rates. Since you already know the interest rates it is time for you to ask your banks and credit card companies to lower the interest rates. You should call them and ask to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor has the authority to give you a lower interest rate. (Don’t take no for an answer)

This is what you tell them: The rates are too high and you want it lowered. And also let them know that if they are not willing to lower your interest rate you are considering to close your account and transfer all your credit card balances to the company that is willing to give you the lowest interest rate.

5. Consolidate your credit card debts – transferring all credit card balances to one credit card – is an effective way of getting out of credit card debts. So when negotiating to get a lower interest rate you should let it be known that your ultimate goal is to get out of credit card debt at the lowest possible cost and not credit card shuffling.

6. Cut your savings in half. It would be foolish to be paying high interest rates while continuing to save the usual amount, if you are indeed saving. If you are already so deep in debt that no one company is willing to loan you the money to consolidate your credit card debts then you would have to resort to this tactics.

It works like this. Get all your credit card balances. Divide each balance by the minimum amount you are required to pay each month. This tells you how long it would take to pay off each balance. Start by paying off the one that takes the least amount of time (half your savings + minimum payment). Continue making minimum payments on the rest. When that least payment is finished you would pay the next least payment and so on. You would continue using this tactics until you are no longer in debt.

If you follow the above tips and tactics you should be on your way to getting out credit card debts in very short order.