Assuming you already have a copy of your annual credit report you may have already found some errors that should be removed. Errors should always be a big concern because they can and probably have affected your credit score, also called a FICO. You can repair your credit with a little bit of help.

It may seem like a lot of work but it’s really easy. The hardest part is actually sitting down to do it. You’ll need to check all three credit bureaus to make sure the same error isn’t on all three but if you just have one credit report, start with that one.

First make a list of any and all errors that you find on your personal credit report. These could be in the form of personal information such as birth date or more likely there will be information that you know not to be true such as late payments or no payments recorded etc. If you think there is any possibility that you could be wrong check your past history with the creditor in question first.

You want to make sure you are right before you make the request to have any information removed from your credit report.

You will be sending the letter only to the credit bureau mentioned on the report, which would be Esperian, Equifax or TransUnion. You don’t want to sound angry in the letter, just be matter-of-fact, straightforward and business-like. Just outline the facts – name of creditor, dates, and the error(s) or problem(s) you’re finding on the credit report.

Here is a sample letter:

Date:

To whom it may concern at Esperian (or other credit bureau):

I recently acquired a copy of my credit report and found some errors that I’d like to dispute. I am enclosing documentation to prove the information is incorrect and would like a correction. I value my good standing and good credit history and want to maintain a good credit rating and credit score.

Name the creditor along with the reference date including the month, day and year if possible.

The error(s) I have found are:

I’m including copies of my payment record, with a (cancelled check or online payment print-outs or any other documentation that you have).
I would appreciate any attention to the matter as I would like my credit report to be accurate. I’m sure you understand that credit bureaus need to include only information that is accurate in my file.

Thank you for taking a look at my letter and file and hopefully making the necessary corrections so I can continue to maintain my good credit standing. Please let me know that my file has been reviewed and what action has been taken. I would also like a copy of my corrected credit report sent to the enclosed address. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Besides your full name as shown on the report, include you mailing address, a copy of the report that you have, your social security number, driver’s license photocopy and any other documentation such as a cancelled check or online payment confirmations.

Make a copy of the letter for yourself and a copy of any enclosures with the letter. Send the dispute letter by certified mail with a ‘return receipt’ requested. Then make sure to get the free credit reports from the other two main credit bureaus or reporting agencies to make sure they don’t have the same incorrect information. You can get free instant credit reports from the other two online.

Whether you are young or old, male or female, wealthy or average, you are going to need a good credit score at some point. Getting a mortgage to buy a house or a loan to buy a car or sometimes even renting an apartment or getting a job hinge on your creditworthiness. To get the best loan terms or to be able to move in to the better apartments in the city, you need to show financial responsibility, and that is reflected in your history.

Do not miss payments or send payments in late. Missing payments or being late results in extra charges and looks bad on your credit report. The credit bureaus will lower your overall score if there are late or missed payments.

Do check your credit report yourself. It is important that your credit report be accurate, and if you never check it you will not know if there are mistakes in it. If you don’t understand your report or see something that looks wrong, contact the credit bureau in writing. Sometimes it can be a difficult task to change items in your credit report; if necessary, hire a professional to help you.

Do keep only a small number of credit cards. Having a lot of credit cards, especially if they are all opened up over the course of just a few months is a red flag to creditors.

There are no get-a-better-score-quick methods of improving your credit rating, but responsibly managing your credit cards and other bills will be reflected in your credit report over time. It is not as difficult as it may seem to improve your credit score if you follow the above advice.

If you’re just starting out with building credit, or you need to re-establish your credit, it is important to know exactly how your credit score is calculated. That way you can avoid the things that will hurt you, and passively work on things that will make you someone that a lender wants to do business with. When you effectively build outstanding credit, you will many options to borrow money whenever you want and with the terms that you want. When it comes to building wealth, there may be no greater advantage than having a relationship with lenders that are willing to throw any amount of money at you.

The most important factor that affects your credit score is your ability to repay your debts. That means for the person who is establishing credit for the first time, they need to create a repayment history. To do that, simply get two major credit cards and use it for your everyday purchases. Just don’t spend more than you normally would, and pay off your balance in full every month. If you don’t trust yourself, just use your card to make one minor purchase a month. The amount you charge has nothing to do with your ability to pay off your debts, so you can literally charge a penny every month and pay it off, and you would be establishing good credit.

The second important thing to make sure you are doing in order to build or re-establish good credit is to keep your available credit to debt ratio low. In other words, if you have a credit card with $10,000 limit and you have a $5,000 balance, you are using 50% of that available credit. The closer you are to reaching your limit, the more it will hurt your credit rating. Ideally you wan to be below 30% your limits.

The third thing you want to do is have different types of credit. The FICO score looks at how well you manage debt, which means they want to see you use revolving debt (or credit cards) and installments loans (such as an auto loan or mortgage). You can get creative with obtaining installment loans and repaying the loan back with the money that is lent to you if you don’t already have an auto loan or mortgage.