FAQS
If you have a specific question that is not listed, please call and one of our advocates will try to answer it for you.                        
What information is included in my credit report?
Your personal credit report contains:
Federal district bankruptcy records and state and county court records of tax liens and monetary judgments. This information comes from public records.
Specific information about each account, such as the date opened, credit limit or loan amount, balance, monthly payment and payment pattern during the past several years. This information comes from companies that do business with you. Enlist a credit repair company like community credit repair to help you understand more.
The names of those who have obtained a copy of your credit report.
Your name, current and previous addresses, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth and current and previous employers. Your spouse’s name may appear on your version of the credit report, but it will not appear on the version that is provided to others. This information comes in part from your credit applications, so its accuracy depends on your filling out the forms clearly, completely and consistently each time you apply for credit.
Statements of dispute, which allow both consumers and creditors to report the factual history of an account. Statements of dispute are added after a consumer officially disputes the status of an account, the account has been re-investigated, and the consumer and creditor cannot agree about the account status. Both the consumer’s and creditor’s statements of the account status will appear on the credit report. Enlist a credit repair company like community credit repair to help you understand more.
 
How often should I check my credit report for errors?
Your credit history plays a major role when you apply for any type of credit or loan, such as a credit card, auto loan, mortgage, employment screening, utilities deposits and insurance. It is a good idea to know what is included in your credit history before applying for credit or a loan. Creditors and lenders use your credit history to determine if you are a credit risk. The most important thing you can do to demonstrate you are a good credit risk is to pay your bills on time. There are many monitoring sites that are free now such as www.creditkarma.com. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.

Why aren’t my spouse’s accounts displayed on my credit report?
The credit reporting agencies maintain individual credit files for each U.S. resident. They do not maintain combined files for spouses. Therefore, your credit report is separate and different from your spouse’s. Joint credit accounts you have with your spouse will appear on both credit reports. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.

What information is not in a credit report?
Your credit report does not contain – and does not collect – data about race, religious preference, medical history, personal lifestyle, political preference, friends, criminal record or any other information unrelated to credit. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.
 
What should I do if I find an error in my credit report?
First, get a copy of your report and review it carefully. If you find an error, you may dispute it. You can also call the telephone number on your credit report for assistance if you feel any information is inaccurate or incomplete. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.

How long does it take before I get results from a dispute?
Please be specific by including the account number of an item you feel is in error and explain exactly why you feel it is inaccurate. Simply saying an item is wrong does not give enough detail to help resolve the issue. Investigations of disputed items can take up to 30 days, or up to 45 days for items disputed on your credit report. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.

How does a credit bureau help me?
If you’re like most consumers in the United States, your ability to own a home, purchase a car, fund a college education, travel and make routine purchases hinges on your responsible use of credit. Because an automated credit reporting system run by national consumer credit reporting agencies works quietly in the background, you have unlimited options in your financial life. For example, you can:
Purchase a home in one area of the country based on the good credit record you established while living in another part of the country. Shop for and be offered financial services from institutions in other regions of the country. Negotiate a deal for a new car and drive it off the lot within a few hours. Credit reporting also helps foster intense competitive marketing battles among financial services providers. This competition provides you with: Lower interest rates. Reduced annual fees Special toll-free customer service phone numbers. Customer recognition programs. Purchase protection plans, and many other benefits. Enlisting a credit repair company like community credit repair will help you understand more.

How long does information remain on the credit report?
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Credit Accounts
Accounts paid as agreed remain for up to 10 years.
Accounts not paid as agreed remain for 7 years.

Collection Accounts
Remain for 7 years.
The time periods listed above are measured from the date in your Credit Report shown in the DATE OF LAST ACTIVITY field accompanying the particular credit or collection account.

Courthouse Records Remain for 7 years from date filed except:
Bankruptcy-Chapters 7 & 11 remain 10 years from DATE FILED.
Bankruptcy-Chapter 13 non-dismissed or open remain 10 years from DATE FILED.
Unpaid Tax Liens remain INDEFINITELY.
Paid Tax Liens remain up to 7 years from the DATE RELEASED.
California State Residents Only: Unpaid Tax Liens remain 10 years from DATE FILED
Experian stores information regarding unpaid tax liens, which remain for up to 15 years.
Active positive information may remain on the report indefinitely.
Inquiries requests for your credit history remain on the credit report for up to two years.

Why can’t information be deleted from the credit report?
Credit bureaus store information from credit grantors and public records in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. When you use credit, a record of your payment history is reported to credit reporting agencies. If you believe the information in the credit report is inaccurate, you may dispute it and the credit bureaus will investigate and correct or remove any inaccurate information or information that cannot be verified. Enlisting credit repair companies like community credit repair will help you understand more.

Do credit bureaus approve or deny credit?
Credit bureaus do not grant or deny credit. Each credit grantor makes that decision based on its own guidelines. Credit bureaus only store information from credit grantors and public records and supplies this information to other creditors.

How does a collection account appear on the credit report?
While you make payments on your collection account, the status will remain “collection account.” Once you pay the account in full, then it will show “paid collection.” A paid collection account will remain on the credit report for seven years from the initial missed payment that led to the collection.  Enlisting credit repair companies like community credit repair will help you understand more.
 
Why does student loan information appear more than once on the credit report?
Student loans are reported individually by enrollment periods, therefore, the loans cannot be combined.
 
Can I get a free copy of my credit report if I’ve been turned down for a loan?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you may be entitled to receive a free copy of your personal credit report if you have received notice within the past 60 days that you have been declined credit, employment or housing, or if adverse action has been taken against you based on information from your credit file.  Enlisting credit repair companies like community credit repair will help you understand more.
 
How do I contact or order a copy of my personal credit report?
You may call or go to their website.
Equifax
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com

Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
www.experian.com

Trans Union
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
All consumers are also eligible to obtain one free annual credit file disclosure from each of the national credit reporting companies every twelve months. You may request your disclosures at www.AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 877 FACTACT. If you prefer to write, a request form is available at www.annualcreditreport.com

What’s the difference between a consumer disclosure and a credit report?
A consumer disclosure contains a comprehensive history of your credit information, including all inquiries. A credit report contains the same type of credit information and inquiries that a lender or creditor will see when they check your credit. The key difference is the consumer disclosure includes some inquiries, such as account monitoring and those resulting in pre-approved offers and some address and demographic information that is not displayed on the credit report viewed by lenders. 

COMPLETE E BOOK AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS

Example of a few of our letters:

• Verify debt with original creditor
• Verification of chexsystems listing
• Validate debt with a collection agency
• Request validation of a late payment from original creditor
• Repossession dispute doc
• Offer to settle debt
• Offer to settle debt with possible damages
• ​Debt validation when being harassed by a collection agency
• Do not call letters
• Inquiry dispute letters
• Update bankruptcy information
• Direct dispute letters
• Debt validation with settlement offer
• Debt validation misrepresentation of debt
• Over 40 letters Example below of one of our letter

Debt Validation On A Credit Report Listing (Paid Account)
Use this letter as an initial contact to Collection Agencies for collection accounts listed on your Credit Report.
SAMPLE LETTER
Enlisting credit repair companies like community credit repair will help you understand more.