Should I dispute everything on my credit report?

My husband%26#039;s family has told us that if he disputes everything on his credit report, those companies that don%26#039;t write back within 30 days don%26#039;t have to be paid. It seems like a good idea at first but how tedious is it to dispute all items? He has about 8-10 companies that he owes money to. Does this really work?

Should I dispute everything on my credit report?

Hi Tina,

First, my battle cry.

If you are going to take on the credit bureaus and collectors, prepare for battle! You are about to go to war. Do NOT fight them unarmed. Knowledge of the law is your only weapon, go get armed! Go to the links below and read up on the Fair Dept Reporting Act, and get the sample letters I%26#039;ve posted.

The advice above is mostly correct. You can NOT eliminate your debt by sending letters to the credit bureau. You CAN have information removed from your credit report, and this will improve your scores.

But be forewarned....the credit bureaus are on to people using this tactic. Their attitude is that they only report information, they do not investigate it. If you dispute the report, all they will do is contact the debtor, and if they verify the debt then it stays on your record. But they will placea comment on the record saying it%26#039;s under dispute. That%26#039;s awfull nice of them, but now that people only seem to care about credit scores they don%26#039;t even look at those comments.

This system only works if the debtor fails to respond back to the credit bureau%26#039;s request for verification.

What you want to do is %26quot;validate%26quot; the depts. %26quot;Verify%26quot; means you simply contact the debtor, and if he says it%26#039;s legit then it%26#039;s now %26quot;verified%26quot;.

%26quot;Validate%26quot; means that the debtor MUST supply you with copies of contracts, bills, receipts, or anything that was used to calculate how the amount you owe was figured out. They also must demonstrate that you have a legal obligation to pay it.

Depending on the state you live in, the Statute of Limitations runs from 5-10 years. If your debtis old, the law relieves you of any obligation to pay. They can not sue you.

So if you are now ready, here is your battle plan.

Get a copy of your credit reports for all 3 agencies at www.annualcreditreport.com. There is no charge to get it from this site.

Keep a log of every letter you write, every person you talk to, and every letter you receive. It will be important in the future.

Write to each of the agencies and dispute any negative report. Be sure to explain why you feel the debt is in error. Frivilous claims will be ignored.

Write a letter to each of the creditors. Use the sample form below as a guide on how to write it. Tell them to VALIDATE your debt, and they have 30 days to do so.

If you do not receive this information from the creditor, send copies of the letter to the credit bureau and demand that the listing be removed.

If they do validate, carefully examine the information for errors, and report it to both the creditor and agencies.

Do not expect to eliminate all of your negative reports. But it will remove some, and it will help your credit score.

ps, do NOT waste your money on credit repair agencies. They will do exactly the same things I%26#039;ve told you, but charge you hundreds of dollars. They are a scam.

Good luck

Contact me if you need more info or encouragement. I%26#039;ve been there.

Should I dispute everything on my credit report?

That advice is wrong. While you may be able to clear some of your credit history that way, the debt still exists, and the companies can still try to collect from you, and still send collection agencies after you, and it all will just end up back on your credit report. If you have real problems, consult a credit counselor to consolidate your debt, and renegotiate terms with your creditors.

Should I dispute everything on my credit report?

YES it works. it is the LAW that if you dispute a charge on your credit report then they cannot verify / validate the debt either the amt or the charge off etc...then the credit bureaus MUST remove it or change it to what you say it should be.

You MUST contact all three credit bureaus to fix with them all. it will make a HUGE difference!!!!!! I helped my friend get a house just by disputing her credit. if it is a judgment the chances of getting it removed arent good. if it%26#039;s just bad debt....esp if it%26#039;s a few years old....count it as gone. just takes time but it%26#039;s ok...take your time and most you can do online too. good luck. it truly does work. I%26#039;ve seen it a bunch of times!