Cleaning up a messy credit report (especially if some of the mess isn’t yours to begin with) is essential to a loan approval, you know this. But what you may not probably know is that you have to clear it up with all three credit bureaus in order for it to be considered free from nicks and scratches. If you only clear your report with one bureau, this won’t have an effect on your record on the other two, and your creditor will very likely pull out your status from all three of them.

The first obvious step is to get a copy of your current merged report, one which details the assessment of Experian, Equifax, and Trans-Union, as your lender will also base the loan approval partly from the details of these reports (though there are portfolio lenders who may review just one report). Check for accuracy, but especially look for something significant to dispute. If there is such a detail; you can do two things: first, call the creditor associated with the entry, report the error, and request that they erase the item. Be sure to keep your composure even if they insist not to; this is a standard tactic to cut off as much riffraff as possible. Just restate your claim over and over, but if the request is getting nowhere, request that their supervisor be put on the line. Ensure that you have the conversation duly noted, including its date, time, the people you spoke with, and what you talked about. Persistence works in most cases.

Sometimes (or oftentimes) the creditor won’t budge, and the negative entry stays in your report. If you’re adamant that the item is erroneous, then call the credit bureaus as soon as possible, with the exception of Equifax (they only entertain requests sent through mail). While on the line, avoid discussing negative entries which are correct nonetheless; also, don’t complain about entries which are largely accurate in spite of minor errors – you can dispute this through mail. Take note that confirmed accuracies on the phone cannot be disputed later on via mail. For mailed complaints, ensure that you address them to the concerned bureau, and provide the basic particulars (your name, current address, your social security and account number, and the disputed accounts). Explicitly state that you dispute the information as it is detailed on your credit report, and sign the letter.

If the first measure works for you, don’t forget to request for a written confirmation via mail or fax, one which shows that your creditor is indeed correcting the erroneous entry. You’ll need this for two purposes; if the creditor does not make the changes, you can make a direct appeal to the credit bureau using this as supporting proof, and the latter will correct it with less fuss. Also, if you are waiting for a mortgage approval during the period wherein the changes will be made, the lender will also require it for documentation. Don’t go directly to the credit bureaus by bypassing your creditor, sometimes you can sort things out within reason, and you won’t have to wait for weeks before the actual changes are made.