Fixing a credit report begins with looking closely at this document. You can get a free credit report online (just look up “free credit report”). You can get a free copy of your report once a year, as well as when you are denied for credit – you can request a free copy of your credit report from the credit agency which supplied the report to the prospective creditor who turned you down.

Once you see your report, you’ll know why you were denied credit. Now that you know this, how can you go about fixing a credit report? What if there is something inaccurate on your report or something which while not inaccurate, is unfair?

If you want to dispute anything on your credit report, then you can do so in writing to the credit agency. You have to tell them that a given item is incorrect and by law they must investigate the matter within 30 days. Be sure to send your dispute by certified mail and include copies of any supporting documentation you may have.

The credit bureau will contact the organization which reported the item in dispute. If the credit bureau does not receive a satisfactory answer within 14 days, they then remove the item from their records and send you a new copy with this item removed. They will send you an updated copy of your credit report and if you request, a copy of this new report will also be furnished to any creditor who has seen your report in the previous six months. However, if you want this done, ask the bureau to do so – they will not do this unless you ask.

If the item is over a year old or amounts to less than $500, many creditors will see it as not worth their time and will not respond to the credit reporting bureau. Fixing a credit report can be done, even if the items contained are accurate. Even if you can’t have an item removed the first time you try, you are allowed to dispute it again after 30 days have passed.

If it is impossible to remove an item that you have disputed, you are permitted to add a brief explanation, which will be visible to anyone who pulls your credit report. This explanation will be viewable to any prospective creditor who looks at your credit report.

If there is a long history of late payments and defaults, fixing your credit score can be a long term project. However, you can correct some of the problems and provide an explanation for others. This kind of effort will go along way in helping to fixing your credit report .