Many consumers have the mistaken idea that credit bureaus are federally supported organizations backed by a vast array of laws meant to protect creditors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Aside from the government simply recognizing the need for credit reporting, credit bureaus have absolutely nothing to do with the government. Credit bureaus are simply huge bureaucratic companies which exist for the soul purpose of making money by selling information about you-information they never bothered to verify.

Because of the vast potential for error in the credit reporting system, the United States Congress has enacted laws to protect the consumer from being victimized by the credit bureaus. It is your right and responsibility to make use of these laws.

The Law versus Practical Reality

As the credit bureaus computerized their processes and greatly expanded their reach and influence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, consumer complaints began to mount at the FTC and state attorney general offices. The credit reporting agencies quickly became huge bureaucracies second only in size to the federal government. The credit bureaus expressly served only the needs of their clients, the credit grantors. Many consumers were negatively affected by the credit bureaus, but they had no way to correct or change their credit information.

The American consumer lay completely at the mercy of the credit bureaus. The United States Congress enacted the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in 1971 to insure that the credit bureaus investigate the credit items disputed by consumers. This federal law set procedural guidelines, which gave the consumer the right to challenge the accuracy, validity, and verifiability of the credit listings appearing in their consumer credit report. It also required that the credit bureau delete any credit listing if it was inaccurate or could not be verified. Learn More.

In theory, the FCRA charges the credit bureaus with responsibility to the consumer as well as the credit grantor. In reality, the credit bureaus resist, resent, and reject consumer disputes. The credit bureaus would rather be left alone to make a profit. And, each time a consumer challenges his credit, profit is lost.

The credit bureaus first defend their profits by erecting walls of stall tactics, including requests for more information, further clarification, and additional identification. The vast majority of consumers give up before they even receive copies of their credit reports. If a consumer manages to get a credit report, decipher the codified information, write a coherent dispute, and mail it, the bureaus may still find some reason to disregard the challenge. The entire dispute system is designed to frustrate and discourage the consumer.

Many consumers have the idea that the credit bureaus must complete their investigation within thirty days or be forced to remove all disputed information. They threaten to sue the credit bureaus if they don't conclude their investigation in time. In practice, such thinking is delusional. Nobody forces the credit bureaus to do anything. However, if you manage to submit a valid dispute letter, and the credit bureau investigates your dispute, the chances of success are good.

If a credit bureau cannot verify an item before completing its investigation, that item will be removed. Many creditor grantors are simply reluctant to take the time to verify the data. While the credit bureaus are in the business of reporting credit histories, creditor grantors are not. Click Here.

The three main credit bureaus are: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Lenders judge your credit worthiness using the FICO scoring system. Your FICO score is calculate with information from these credit bureaus by using the amount you owe on non-mortgage-related accounts such as credit cards, your payment history, and your credit history. The FICO score ranges from 300 to 850. The higher your FICO score, the lower your interest rate will be. Since it’s possible the information from the credit bureaus is inaccurate, it is very important you check your credit report on a regular basis. Since a high FICO score can save you thousands of dollars on your home mortgage or car loan, it is very important that you repair your credit immediately if your FICO score is below 680.

What is your FICO Score?

Will you get the best rate on your next loan?

FICO Score	Rating	Best Interest Rate
780+	Perfect	Yes
720-780	Excellent	Yes
675-720	Average	No
620-690	Fair	No
Below 620	Low	No

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“There is no time like the present for a good thing.”
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Seize the moment!

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Content on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. We accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with the relevant authorities.

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WashingtonDC Legal Services

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to have inaccurate, untimely, misleading, or unverified information deleted from your credit report!

While you have the legal right to work out your credit disputes with the credit agencies, you may want to consider utilizing a trained staff of lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants, all using state of the art technology. Raising your credit score can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your mortgage. You should start by obtaining your free credit report & scores today.

In the city, you can find a diverse selection of legal services and legal service professionals. Land-use attorneys and real estate lawyers can help you settle disputes over zoning and other property-related laws and regulations. Accident and injury attorneys can ensure that you get rightful compensation in the event of an accident-related injury. Tax attorneys and finance lawyers can help you with questions regarding your legal rights when it comes to bankruptcies, liens against personal property, debt consolidation, credit problems, and banking and securities law. Criminal attorneys can help in cases involving fraud, theft, and violence and ensure that your civil and legal rights are adhered to. Attorneys skilled in family law can help with prenuptial agreements, legal separations, visitation privileges, alimony, child custody, and child support issues. There are also attorneys that specialize in DUI, DWI, and other traffic law offences that might be able to help with violations you received while operating a motor vehicle. Proper legal representation is not only a wise choice; it’s also your right as a U.S. citizen. So whatever your legal need, you are likely to find whatever assistance you need right here in the city.

On top of being our nation’s capital, which is one great reason to visit to begin with, Washington, D.C. is one of the most intriguing, interesting, and significant places in the world, let alone the United States. It is the paragon of democracy the world over, wherein the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of government reside and convene, along with our country’s president, members of his cabinet, and those who held those ranks before them and will continue to do so in the future. A stroll along Independence or Constitution avenues past the historic, majestic, white marble buildings is sure to inspire a sense of patriotism and nationalism for our great country and those who have fought for it and given their lives to protect it. To read the words etched in stone on the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials echoes the foundation of what our forefathers truly envisioned as the potential of our great nation. To climb the steps of the capital, to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and to read the names on the Vietnam Memorial further bolsters the founding fathers’ vision and serves as evidence of our unity as a people and a testament to our nation’s tenacity to overcome. Visitors’ wanting a bird’s eye view of the Capital and its surroundings will enjoy a trip to the top of the Washington Monument, and a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House might even offer a glimpse of the President and First Lady. And don’t forget the Smithsonian, the Holocaust Museum, and other points of interest. Of course, there’s more to D.C. than history alone. It’s also a metropolitan city full of shopping, entertainment, and nightlife all its own.

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