Credit Report Question

[lmg]

I have a question regarding cleaning up your credit reports. I've been pulling mine and disputing info where necessary. With Experian, I disputed two accounts to include them in bankruptcy. They made the change but now after a few weeks they show debt discharged through bankruptcy/account charged off. These accounts were not charged off prior to bankruptcy and when I try to dispute it again, I get a message that the information was verified with the creditor to be correct.

Should I really make a big deal about the fact that "account charged off" is inlcuded? If os, how do I got about fixing it if Experian is saying it is valid?

[Flamingo]

You may have to contact your creditor directly to get it resolved. Experian should have provided you the address to contact those creditors. Prepare a brief letter, enclose a copy of the credit report and request the creditor to report the correct information to Experian. Explain the facts in the letter...be as brief as possible...and also copy Experian.

[PaKettle]

I'm not sure how much it lowers your credit rating to have a bankruptcy WITH charge-off on there, but if I were you I'd dispute it.

What you need to do is write the Creditor who is saying they charged it off pre-bankruptcy (Not the Credit Bureau) and tell them you either want proof that it was indeed charged-off pre-bk, or they must remove that notation from your credit report.

There are sample letters on the net, google them, find them and use them as models for your letter. What it boils down to is citing the laws which require the creditor to provide accurate information or remove it, or be fined.

So try that. Send the letter certified and keep the receipt # so you can see when it was received on the USPS web site and then print out that page as proof of their receipt. I believe they then have 30 (or is it 60?) days to come up with the proof or else it has to be removed.

I was lucky, I just disputed online with the credit bureaus and they took them off. However, I may now have a new one that appeared recently. I think Wells Fargo now has it listed as charge-off so I'll have to do the same thing I just told you above. I've been busy with other things lately and have not really put much effort into it...