Lawyers Who Will Help You Fight Negative Credit Report Information
Negative information on your credit report can hinder your progress in life. It could keep you from getting the job you want, prevent you from leasing an apartment and stop you from getting a loan for a car or other necessary item. When your report contains negative information that is not accurate, you deserve to have that information removed. Sometimes getting that done takes a fight.
Consumers across the country turn to the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. to fight for them. Our attorneys, with offices in California, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are positioned to help you address the negative credit information so you can move forward with your life. We have decades of experience in consumer law, and we are ready to use our knowledge to help you get a fresh start.
How Does Negative Information Get onto Your Credit Report?
There are events in life that lead to negative credit results. For example, if you go through a bankruptcy, that will appear on your record report for a few years. The same is true of foreclosures, late credit card payments and a number of other things. If you legitimately missed those payments or went through a tough financial time, then your credit report may show negative information, but it is accurate, which means you likely won’t have a valid complaint.
However, many people’s credit reports contain negative information that should not be there. For example, you have the right to dispute your credit report if:
- It contains inaccurate information posted by creditors;
- You were a victim of identity theft and now your credit report shows erroneous information;
- A creditor has failed to post payment(s) that you have made on time;
- Your report contains information from a different person (the credit reporting agencies often mix up people with the same or similar names);
- It contains information that is more than seven years old;
- The report shows improper charge offs; or
- Contains other credit reporting errors (there are dozens of possible ways your report can be inaccurate).
How to Challenge Negative Information on a Credit Report
Consumers have rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). If your report has negative items that should not be there, credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Transunion) are required to correct it once you bring it to their attention. In order to bring it to their attention you should do the following. Remember, our credit attorneys can help you with all of these steps:
- Obtain a copy of your credit report: Everyone is entitled to one copy of their own credit report per year, for free. Get yours at annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
- Write a dispute letter: You will then need to notify the credit reporting agency of what you think is wrong on your report. Your letter must include each item you want to dispute and why. You will also need to provide various documents to support your dispute. Finally, make sure the letter formally requests the removal of the information.
- The agency must investigate: The agencies are required to investigate disputes within 30 days. The agency will communicate with the creditor who placed the negative information on your report. If the dispute is resolved in your favor, all three agencies will be notified and they will update your report. If you do not win the dispute, you should insist that a statement of the dispute be included in your file.
- After the investigation: The agency must notify your of the results of your dispute. If any corrections are made, they must also send a notice to anyone who received a copy of your credit report within the last six months.
When Do You Need a Credit Report Lawyer?
We would be happy to assist you by analyzing your credit report and writing your dispute letter that you can send to the credit bureau.
If it appears that inaccurate or outdated negative information has been included on your report willfully, or if the agencies refuse to correct any issues, we can represent you in a civil lawsuit against the appropriate party. You could recover compensation including:
- Up to $1,000 for every willful violation of FCRA if you suffered no actual harm;
- Full compensation for any actual financial harm caused by the negative information;
- Punitive damages (in limited circumstances); and
- Attorneys fees (in other words, if we win your case, our fees are covered, you don’t have to pay them out of your own pocket).
Contact Our Credit Report Attorneys Today
The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C. helps everyday people fix their credit reports. Our lawyers serve clients in California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Please call 1-877-619-8966 or contact us online to schedule an initial consultation.
