Credit Repair Letter

The Pros And Cons Of Using A Credit Repair Letter Template

If you are getting bothered by debt collectors or if you have discovered that there is an error on your credit report, then you already feel shaky enough as it is. Perhaps you feel off balance and wonder how these mistakes were made. Under this kind of mind set, you don’t really want to try and learn a new skill, such as trying to write a credit repair letter. Templates of these kinds of letters are available online. But should you use them?

Things To Avoid

If you enter “credit repair letter template” into any search engine, you’ll come up with literally thousands of free templates for you to choose from. Or, should you ditch a template entirely and go with copying the FTC’s recommended credit repair sample letter up on their website?

There are many clues as to what kind of credit repair letter templates or samples to avoid. These are the ones that threaten legal action in words such as, “I’ll sue”. You also don’t want to follow any credit repair letter templates or samples that could in any way be construed as threatening. “You better pay attention to this letter, or else,” is an example of just such a threat, even if you haven’t expressly spelled out what the “or else” means.

You also want to avoid a credit repair letter template that has sentences containing ENTIRTELY CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS. This is not only considered rude, it’s also considered the mark of either an amateur or a scam artist. Letters containing a lot of capitalized words or exclamation points are not taken seriously because they look like they are written by a child.

When Worse Comes To Worse

If this is all very confusing, then you should forget filling in the blanks in a credit repair letter template. Just keep in mind that you need to keep your letter as brief as possible. If you want, it’s all right to say, “Dear So and So: This is a credit repair letter. I want to (whatever you want accomplished).” If you have an accountant, then by all means ask for their advice or for their recommendation of what credit repair letter template to use.

When you are writing your credit repair letter, pretend you are a lawyer. You want to write like a lawyer and not like someone who is angry, upset or frightened. Keep calm, just state the facts and don’t get personal.

Things You Shouldn’t Do On A Credit Repair Dispute Letter

There’s a right way and a wrong way to do just about anything, including writing a credit repair dispute letter. Granted, making a mistake on a credit repair dispute letter is not the end of the world. You may even get the desired results, but it can take longer and with a lot less hurt feelings if you follow a few simple rules. Remember, if you’re still unsure of how to write the letter, check out the credit repair letter template at the Federal Trade Commission’s website. Your bank also should be able to help you.

Explain Everything About Everything

A credit repair dispute letter should be as short as possible. You don’t do yourself any favors by having including your elementary report cards, letters from your Mom and a photo of your dog. All you need to do is inform that you noticed something wrong in your latest credit report, what this is and who you are. You also need to send a copy of the credit report and mark where the problem is.

Wrong Formatting

This really shouldn’t take more than one page, including your address. Be sure to sign the credit repair dispute letter in ink or it will not be taken seriously. You can write the letter or type it. Typing is best, because the recipient can’t claim that they couldn’t read your handwriting. You also don’t want to type in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS because that is considered rude. It’s the written equivalent of shouting in your face.

Not Following Directions

Your credit report (even the three free ones you are entitled to per year by law) will include instructions on how to properly file a dispute. They tell you if some errors can be solved over the phone. They tell you what address to send credit repair dispute letter to. They even add other details for some of the most common errors found on credit reports.

Fro example, with Equifax, if you discover that your credit report has been filed under the wrong Social Security Number, you need to also include a copy of your Social Security card or a photocopy of your most recent W-2 form. Please don’t send originals. If you don’t send the right paperwork, you’ll merely get a letter asking to send the right paperwork. You can save a lot of problems just by following the directions the credit bureau’s credit repair dispute letter directions.

Finding A Sample Credit Repair Letter On The Web

You got your credit report and notice there’s a big error. You need to write a credit repair dispute letter to that agency to get any hope of the situation being resolved. Or, perhaps you’re being hounded by debt collectors or even just one person who insists you owe them money. You need to write letters in order to get them off of your back and to back up your case, should it ever go to court. How do you write these important letters? You could go online and check out a sample credit repair letter.

Federal Trade Commission

The FTC offers a lot of free services on their various websites, including free sample credit repair letters. When you look at the sample credit repair letter to a credit bureau, you might wonder if such a short letter is all there is to writing a credit repair letter, but it is. You do need to send it snail mail and not email. You also need to include a copy of the place in the credit report that you are disputing.

It’s best to go with the FTC’s sample credit repair letters because some other sample letters on the web are not written very well and are not good examples to imitate. You never want to threaten legal action to a credit bureau or a bank. That makes you look really guilty in their eyes. As the old saying goes, you can catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Other Tips

Other kinds of sample credit repair letters you can find are letters that you write directly to who you owe money to or to the debt collection agency working on their behalf. Did you know that under American law, a debt collector has to stop contacting you once you send a cease and desist letter? An excellent sample cease and desist letter is at About.com.

No matter what kind of sample credit repair letter you are looking for, ignore the example if it threatens legal action. The most you can threaten anyone with is “If you do not stop, I shall be forced to file a complaint with the FTC and my state’s Attorney General’s Office.” Don’t write in all capital letters, too. This is considered rude.

Don’t plead your case that you are innocent of fraud or identity theft, either, even if you are entirely innocent. This makes you look as if you have something to hide. Make a copy of your letter and a copy of any threatening letters from the creditor or collection agency. Keep them all together, just in case your case goes to court.

Is There Such A Thing As A Free Credit Repair Letter?

Your bet your bootie that there is such a thing as a free credit repair letter. In fact, there are many kinds of letters you can send that eventually help to repair bits and pieces of your credit. One free credit repair letter won’t immediately wipe out an entire history of bad credit, however. Well, not legally, anyway. If someone does offer to write you a free credit repair letter that will get you a brand new credit history or eliminate all of your bad credit history, kindly refuse the offer.

What Are They?

Although so much about business is done on line, there are still some things that have to be done by old-fashioned snail mail. Free credit repair letters can be typewritten or hand written, but they need to be actually signed by you in ink. If you’ve every written a business letter or a cover letter for a job application, then you already have the skills to write a free credit repair letter. If you are not sure what a good credit repair letter looks like, you can go online to see a sample credit repair letter.

Some types of free credit repair letters are communications with whoever claims you owe them money – whether it’s just one person, a company or debt collectors. For example, one day I received a letter from an ex-roommate demanding I immediately pay $500 from an old debt. I couldn’t remember owing the ex-roommate any money. We’d parted on good terms. So, I wrote politely asking him to prove that I owed him money (technically called a debt validation letter). I never heard from him again.

The Most Common Type

One of the most common kinds of free credit repair letters is called a dispute letter. As the name implies, you are disputing part of the information on your credit record. These types of free credit repair letters are only sent to the credit report agencies Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. These are the three companies that give free credit reports to everyone in America.

You should get these free reports every year and look at them closely to be sure that all of the information is accurate. For example, if they’ve spelled your name wrong, this can wind up being a serious problem years down the line and needs to be corrected immediately. You just write a polite letter stating your point of view and asking that the information be changed.

What The Heck Is A Credit Repair Letter?

There are many types of letters to financial institutions about your credit that are lumped together under the term “credit repair letter”. Unfortunately, none of these types of letters will instantly fix all of your credit problems. It’s just not that simple. But they can certainly help make your credit get any worse and can help plug up any money leaks that can affect your credit rating. What’s really nice is that many credit repair letters are free credit repair letters.

Cease And Desist

If you are getting hounded by debt collection agencies or anyone you owe money to, you are not only legally entitled to tell them to shut up, but they are legally entitled to shut up. You do have to send them a type of credit repair letter called a cease and desist letter in order to prove that you are being hounded. The cease and desist letter needs to be polite, just state the facts and not get personal.

Before you send off the cease and desist letter, you need to make a copy of it and keep it with any copies or original harassing letters you have been getting. You also need to have the letter go by certified, return receipt mail. This will give you proof that the receiver has gotten your letter, especially if this winds up in court. Hopefully, you’ll never have to write this type of credit repair letter.

Debt Validation

This is another type of credit repair letter that you can send to anyone who owes you money. Debt validation letters could also be called “prove it” letters. Basically, you politely ask them to prove that you actually owe what they claim you owe. You also want to send this certified mail and make copies in case this goes to court.

Disputes

In America, you are legally entitled to three free credit reports a year, one from the three credit report agencies – Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. In this way, you can keep track of any identity theft or any mistaken charges or information placed on your permanent credit record. For example, you get a free credit report and see that you applied for a mortgage last year – only you hadn’t. But the report says you have.

This is where writing a type of credit repair letter called a dispute letter comes in. It’s very much like writing your bank to inform them of a charge on your checking account that you never authorized. You write the credit bureau and include a copy of the credit report. Calmly state your position. Never threaten to sue. This only makes it look like you have something to hide.

The Best Credit Repair Letter Samples Are Free

When people are scared and desperate, they will willingly pay for stuff that they should be able to get for free. One of these things is a credit repair letter sample. There are many credit repair do-it-yourself kits for sale that include several credit repair letter samples. If all you need is to know how to write a simple credit report dispute letter or even a cease and desist letter to pesky bill collectors, then you can get those things for free on the Internet.

Short And Sort Of Sweet

The best credit repair letter samples do not make the most scintillating of reading material. They seem like they are completely devoid of emotion, as if they were written by a robot. This is precisely what you need. You don’t need to go into any great detail wit these kinds of important business letters. You need to make your case as quickly as possible and sign off.

A credit report dispute letter is one of the most common kinds of free credit repair letter samples on the Internet. One of the best free credit repair letter sample is given by the American government on the website of the Federal Trade commission (FTC). Although the American government is not usually known for their accuracy and efficiency, this is one exception. There is also a toll-free phone number to call for more information.

Copies Only

Here’s another tip you need to follow when sending off these kinds of letters — make copies. Make copies of the dispute letter, the credit report or bill or any other kind of paperwork that is necessary for your particular circumstance. Never send the originals. You need to keep the originals just in case there is court case. Also, some documents required to clear up an error could be a birth certificate or a Social Security card. You need those in real life. Don’t risk sending them through the mail.

About.com

Other kinds of accurate and free credit repair letter samples are up on About.com, which is considered one of the best places to go to on the web for accurate and brief information. This writer especially recommends the sample cease and desist letter up on the site. When you go to About.com, click on the Business and Finance section, and then click on Credit/Debt Management. Or, you could cheat and just enter “About.com cease and desist letter sample” into your favorite search engine.