If you have been denied new credit because of your existing bad credit and you want to know WHY your credit repair rights are legally protected then you will save time and money by reading further. Let's start off by defining what the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is:"A United States federal law designed to help ensure that consumer reporting agencies act fairly, impartially, and with respect for the consumer's right to privacy when preparing consumer reports on individuals." Simply stated your credit repair rights are protected under the law. So HOW do we use this information to our benefit when embarking on a credit restoration program? By understanding and focusing on three parts of the (FCRA):
"If the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer's file at a consumer reporting agency is disputed by the consumer and the consumer notifies the agency directly of such dispute, the agency shall reinvestigate free of charge and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file in accordance with paragraph (5), before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer."
EXPLANATION: This means the credit reporting agency has 30 days to verify the accuracy of a credit item that is disputed. You make this section work for you by making sure that all disputes are always written and mailed with a return receipt. This way you have documentation as to when your credit dispute was received and therefore when the 30 day limit starts. This can be used as proof later if you need to verify the actualy date you started a credit dispute.
"...a consumer reporting agency may terminate a reinvestigation of information disputed by a consumer under that paragraph if the agency reasonably determines that the dispute by the consumer is frivolous or irrelevant, including by reason of a failure by a consumer to provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed information." The law requires that an agency notify you within 5 business days if they determine your dispute to be frivolous or irrelevant. The law does not dare to define what is grounds for making such a determination except for "failure by a consumer to provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed information."
EXPLANATION: This means the credit reporting agency can decide not to verify the accuracy of a credit item if they deem it frivolous. You make this section work by making sure you have a specific reason that you feel the credit item is wrong and have a specific action to take when it is verified.
CREDIT REPORT DISPUTE REASONS
Reason Number Description01 Are the balances, high limit, payment and date opened all correct?
02 Is the date of last activity correct? (Last time you paid or they reported you late)
03 Is the account being reported by a collection agency and the creditor?
04 Has it been paid off but is not reflected?
05 Was it closed by you but does not reflect that?
06 Is it a spouse's or relative's account?
07 Is it current but showing late?
08 Is the account number right?
09 Is your name correct on the reports?
10 Is your social security number correct on the reports?
11 Was the credit card ever stolen?
12 Was there fraud on the account?
13 Was there a billing error such as you gave a change of address and they did not change it, resulting in a late pay.
14 Are there duplicate accounts for the same lender listed?
15 Is the account listed positive on one report but negative on another?
16 Was it closed and refinanced but is not reflected.
17 Did you file bankruptcy but the accounts included do not reflect "included in BK."
18 Is your bankruptcy accurate: Filing date, discharge date, dollar amount filed for etc.?
19 Is your tax lien satisfied or vacated but does not reflect it.
20 Was your judgment paid but no satisfaction of judgment was ever filed.
21 Was the debt ordered to be paid by the x-spouse?
22 Did you receive shoddy service or defective merchandise?
23 Was it a medical bill that the insurance did not pay?
24 Was it a workers comp bill?
25 Has the statute expired to legally report the debt? Very important!
26 Did your spouse use your cards without your knowledge or forge your signature?
27 Has the creditor or collection agency validated the debt on their end?