The New FCRA Amendments Help You Re-Build Your Credit Score and Save Big $$$

By Dan O Spark

The credit report is a file with a collection of all the relevant financial information on each customer. In addition to the address and personal details, every application for a loan, credit card and payment history is recorded in the file together with all the payment history and whether the payments were made on time. The report also includes data on the legal history of the person, his law suits, arrests and bankruptcies. The credit reporting companies sell this information to businesses, insurance companies, potential employers and alike. This report actually tells them the person credit worthiness.

One of the key factors of getting credit and obtaining easy approvals for loans and credit is to have a good credit report. A good credit report also result in lower payments on any desired loan or credit. Recently and currently as you are reading this information the media is full with advertisements of credit repair scams that promise to remove any negative item on the credit report even if it's true. You are promised to increase your credit score from a clean credit report regardless of the real situation and history. Watch out so you don't loose additional money on such services. The truth of the matter is that no one can remove negative items from your credit report unless it's there by mistake. True negative items can be only removed over time with serious efforts to pay the outstanding bills and loans and start paying new bills on time.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was designed to assure that the data in each personal file of each consumer is accurate, kept private and it is used in a fair way by the official reporting agencies in the country. The FTC from its part is a key factor in imposing the FCRA on these agencies. The FCRA was recently expanded to further protect the consumers with new demands from the reporting agencies. These new additions are also imposed by law on the businesses that provide the information to the reporting agencies.

The previous and new measures of the FCRA the reporting parties (organizations, businesses or individuals) have the responsibility to make sure the information in the credit report is not partial and is correct. They have to by these new laws to take all the necessary action to correct and keep the information they sell to businesses and organizations. Every consumer can take advantage of this law and contact the reporting agency demanding them to correct erroneous information

One of the first things you can do to correct the error and increase credit score is contact the reporting agency directly in writing and tell them why you think that the information on the report is not correct. It is a good idea to attach copies (not originals) of any supporting documents that prove your point. It is extremely important that the letter has all the details that identify you and the specific item on the report you are referring to. After that write clearly the facts and the reasoning you are disputing the information on this item.

If you identify that the source of the error or incorrect information is from the creditor, contact them directly in writing. Most creditors have an address to send complains to and it is located on their statements and documents. Write in this letter what are the reasons you dispute the information they provided and demand it to be corrected or removed and attach copies of supporting documentation. According to the new law the creditor has to inform the reporting agencies of your complaint and if they find out that your complaint is justified, they need to ask the reporting agencies to correct or remove the item from your credit report, something that for sure will increase your credit score? . - 31380

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