How to Remove Inquiries & Negative Things From a Credit Report

It is crucial to monitor your credit annually to review all inquiries and potential negative accounts that could prevent you from obtaining credit.

When you apply for credit, almost all lenders will pull your credit file to determine if whether or not you are too risky to lend money too. After the application process, you might find out that there are several inquires or negative accounts which made your credit score too low and now you can not get the money you need. This happens to many of us, so it is important that we keep checking our credit file. If you have several inquires and negative accounts, you should get them removed so that it does not effect your ability to obtain credit.

Things You'll Need

• Credit reports
• Computer with printer
• Envelopes
• Certified receipts
• Return receipts

Instructions

1. Visit the webpage of Annual Credit Report to order your free credit file (Annual Credit Report). You have the right to view the report instantly or have it mailed to you. You will need to review inquires at the end of the credit bureau, as well as any negative items listed on your credit file.

2. Prepare letters to your creditors. If you are trying to remove an inquiry, ask the creditor for your authorization of the inquiry. If the creditor cannot furnish an application or proof that you did authorize the inquiry, they must remove it. If you are trying to remove a negative account such as a chargeoff, late payment, collection, or public record, you need to ask for proof that the debt was yours. This will generally mean that they furnish a copy of the agreement of the debt signed by you. If sufficient proof cannot be furnished to the credit bureaus within 30 days, the credit bureau must remove the debt.

3. Mail the letters to your creditors. You need to mail the letters certified with return receipt showing that the creditor did receive your letter (Credit InfoCenter: How to Erase Credit Inquires). This is proof that you started a dispute and by law, the credit bureau must verify your dispute within 30 days or remove it from your credit file.

4. Settle with your creditor. If you are trying to remove a negative debt and it is consistently verified with the credit bureau after your disputes, contact the creditor and seek a settlement. Offer to do a payment for deletion settlement agreeing that the creditor will remove the account from your credit file once you pay the agreed upon settlement.

5. Be persistent. After 30 days, follow up with the credit bureaus to see if the debt or inquiry was validated. If the debt or inquiry proved to be, dispute the debt or inquiry again. Persistence is key in ensuring that inquiries and negative items are removed from your credit file.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to get an agreement to delete a negative account from your creditor when you do a payment for deletion settlement option.

• If you have already obtained your free credit report, you can purchase another one by contacting the credit bureau agencies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

References

• Credit InfoCenter: How to Erase Credit Inquiries

Resources

• Annual Credit Report