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If you need to write a dispute letter to credit agencies, the Federal Trade Commission has a very good example of one posted on their website that you can use as a template. If you write a poor letter, it does not mean that you won’t get some results, however, with a well-written letter you will likely see your intended results quicker.

Forget Extraneous Details

A credit dispute letter should be precise and to the point. It is not necessary to include additional personal information or irrelevant explanations. It is best to simply state the error that you have found and provide a copy of your credit report with the location of the error highlighted by a yellow magic marker.

Business Letter Model

Your letter should follow the business letter model, which is normally a one-page letter. You can write the letter with an ink pen, however, because you want to make sure there are no issues of legibility it is preferred that the business letter be typed. You need to make sure that the letter is signed in ink. It is also important that you never use all caps in your dispute letter to try to add extra emphasis. This is never appropriate in a business letter and is the equivalent of yelling at a person in print.

Follow Instructions

The major credit reporting bureaus specify very clearly how to go about disputing errors on your credit report. Occasionally, an error can be disputed with a call to the reporting agency. However, for most errors the dispute process involves writing a letter and sending it to the appropriate public claims address. When you make contact with the credit reporting agency they will provide all this necessary information for you so you don’t have to go looking for it on your own.

The credit reporting agencies will not be able to correct errors for you if you do not follow their instructions exactly. For example, if TransUnion has incorrectly transcribed your social security number on your credit report, they will require a correct copy of your social security card or a copy of your W-2 in order to correct the mistake. If you fail to send a copy of your social security card or W-2 but instead just send a dispute letter, they will not be able to correct your record. You will probably receive a letter asking you to comply with the previous instructions they had sent to you. Don’t waste your time or theirs and simply just follow the instructions and provide the information they requested initially. Additionally, always send copies of documents and not send the originals when the credit reporting agencies request information from you.

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