The three major credit bureaus in the United States are Equifax (based in Atlanta), Experian (based in Costa Mesa, California), and TransUnion (based in Chicago). There are many credit monitoring services which help you to escape from being a victim of fraud by alerting you about the slight changes in your credit daily or weekly by referring to credit bureau reports.

The three credit bureaus differ in their processes of determining the credit score according to the retrieval of information, and report of information. The three major credit reporting agencies determine their own FICO (Fair Isaac

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Credit bureaus keep your credit reports for prospective lenders to analyze while making credit decisions about you. Mistakes are common since they do not check for accuracy. Sometimes if it tells wrong things about you, minor mistakes can result in you being denied credit.

If you find that some information in your credit report is wrong, you have the right to dispute that information. When filing a dispute with the credit bureau, you have to attach a copy of your credit report and circle the items that you find incorrect. You have to enclose a copy of any proof showing that the entry is inaccurate. The address for filing disputes should be listed at the bottom of your credit report. You should mail the dispute letter as certified mail and keep a copy of the letter, so that you have a proof of what you wrote and when you sent it.

The credit bureau investigates your claim within a period of 30 days. If the charge is inaccurate or cannot be found out in that time, the credit bureau must delete it or alter it as per your request. The credit bureau must send you a new copy, if they make any changes in your credit report. You can also request to send a new copy to anyone who has received your credit report in the past 12 months. The credit bureau cannot add the item again without giving you written notice. The credit bureau cannot change or remove the disputed information from your credit report, if it finds out that the information that you disputed is correct. The credit bureau must give you a written report of the results.

If you think that the dispute is not resolved yet, you can submit a statement clearing up your side. While writing a disputing letter to the credit bureau, use your legal, full name. Type your letters and make sure that your letter is readable and you have made your point clear. It will take a minimum of 30-60 days before you see changes in your credit reports and scores.

Writen By : Kristy Annely

Tags: Credit Bureaus, Credit Reporting Bureaus, Letters to Credit Bureaus, Major Credit Bureaus