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Steps you can take for removing a late mark on your credit profile - The Bills.com Blog
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Steps you can take for removing a late mark on your credit profile
Question: My credit score was 677 only one month ago but due to a diagnoses of prostate cancer I fell behind (but soon caught up) on the payments that I missed. However Washington Mutual Bank reported me to a the credit agencies thus lowering my credit score. I tried to talk with them to get it removed as my First Mortgage is also with them and I have never misseda payment on the first and I am now current on the second. How do I go about to remove the credit information in regards to my second equity loan? Mike
Answer: Hi Mike, thank you for visiting Bills.com. Here is an answer to your Credit question.
I'd recommend contacting Washington Mutual ("WAMU") and ask them to "re-age" the account. Explain your history and the situation. Ask for them to send you a letter affirming that they have agreed to this status... if you can get them to accept it.
Then pull your credit and make certain that the update has taken effect.
Most credit bureaus update their files every 90 days, or approximately quarterly. This does not necessarily mean that what you are seeking will show up in the next reporting cycle, as there are frequent delays in reporting. Also, all items remain on your credit report for up to 7 years. A bankruptcy may remain on your credit report for up to 10 years.
According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act,
all trade lines can be reported on each of the credit bureaus. However, the reporting agencies must update and keep accurate data in their credit files. If there is erroneous information (like your collection account, that you believe is inaccurate), you must notify them (typically through a certified letter) and then wait one reporting cycle (90 days) for the errors to be removed.
There are three major credit bureaus that offer credit reports, if there is something that you want added or removed, you should contact them directly:
Equifax
1-800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
Experian
1-888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Trans Union
1-800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
Each bureau interprets your credit information differently, so you might want to get a report from all three. Bills.com has a link to get your "tri-
merge" credit report, or you can get it online for free at: www.annualcreditreport.com
Also, it might be important to understand how your credit score is calculated. Your credit rating is calculated based on several variables, including: your payment history (do you have any late payments, charge-offs, etc.), the amount and type of debt that you owe, if you have maxed out any of your trade lines, and then several other secondary factors like the length of your credit history and how many recent inquiries have been made to look at your credit history. Paying off delinquent or maxed out trade-lines will almost always help your credit score.
If you would like more information, please visit our credit resource page at:
http://www.bills.com/credit/
We hope that this helped you to Find, Learn, and Save!
Best
Bill
www.bills.com
Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!
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