Credit Clean Up

A credit clean up is a good idea to do on an annual basis. But where to begin?

It may seem like an overwhelming task to do on your own but it’s not difficult and this article will walk you through the steps you need to take to clean up your credit report.

Credit Clean Up Task #1

Get a copy of your credit report.

In order to do a credit clean up you need to get a copy of your credit report. This can be obtained from one or all of the credit reporting bureaus – Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. You are permitted to get a free copy of your credit report once a year.

You can choose to get your report from all three credit reporting agencies at the one time or if you prefer you can contact one at a time and get one every four months.

It’s up to you how often you want to monitor your credit report, but once a year is a smart choice, so you can keep an eye on any inaccuracies that may appear on it and deal with those sooner rather than later.

To get a copy of your report from the three credit agencies, go to this page where there are instructions on how you can download your copy and print it out: Credit Report

Credit Clean Up Task #2

Check over your credit report.

Once you have your credit report check it over for mistakes. Errors do occur on credit reports so you want to make sure everything on there is correct.

Credit Clean Up Task #3

Dispute Inaccuracies On Your Credit Report.

If there are any discrepancies on your credit report you have the right to query them.

You need to send a dispute letter to either the credit reporting agency or the creditor involved asking that the inaccuracy be removed from your credit report.

It helps if you send in any forms that can back up your dispute. However, it is up to the reporting agency or creditor to verify the item as accurate within 30-45 days and if they can’t, they have to remove the item off your credit report.

You can find a copy of a dispute letter you can adapt for your use here: Dispute Letter

Credit clean up is a worthwhile task as having a good credit report in invaluable to obtaining the loans you want at low interest rates