You have powerful legal rights over your credit reports, and you can exercise every one of them yourself, for free. This page explains those rights in plain language, along with the rules that govern companies like ours. We publish it because an informed client is exactly the client we want.
Your Rights Under the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)
- You have the right to dispute inaccurate information on your credit report directly with the credit bureaus, for free, and they must investigate, generally within 30 days.
- You have the right to a free copy of your credit report from each bureau at least once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com, and the bureaus currently offer free weekly access online.
- Most negative information must come off your report after 7 years. Most bankruptcies must come off after 10 years.
- If you are denied credit, housing, insurance, or employment because of a consumer report, you have the right to an adverse action notice naming the report used and to a free copy of that report.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act)
- You have the right to demand that a debt collector validate a debt in writing.
- Collectors may not harass you, lie about what you owe, or threaten actions they cannot take.
- You have the right to tell a collector, in writing, to stop contacting you.
Your Rights Under CROA (Credit Repair Organizations Act) When You Hire Any Credit Repair Company
- No credit repair organization may charge you before its services are fully performed. Upfront “setup” or “audit” fees at signup violate federal law.
- You must receive a written contract stating the services, the total price, and the estimated time to perform, plus the separate disclosure titled “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you sign.
- You may cancel the contract without penalty or obligation at any time before midnight of the third business day after signing.
- No one can legally remove accurate, current, verifiable information from your credit report, and no one can lawfully advise you to make false statements or change your identity to hide your credit history.
- These rights cannot be waived. A contract that violates CROA is void.
Your Rights Under South Carolina Law
- Credit counseling organizations serving South Carolina consumers must be licensed by the SC Department of Consumer Affairs (S.C. Code 37-7-101 et seq.) and must maintain a surety bond of at least $25,000.
- South Carolina contracts must carry their own conspicuous cancellation notice, and you may cancel at any time.
- Permissible LLC license: Bond: $25,000 surety bond on file.
How to Dispute Your Reports Yourself, Free
- Get your reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Identify items that are inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable.
- Write to each bureau reporting the item, identify the item, state why it is wrong, and include copies (never originals) of supporting documents.
- The bureau generally has 30 days to investigate and must send you the results in writing.
- If the item is verified but still wrong, you can add a statement of dispute to your file and dispute directly with the furnisher.
If you would rather have an experienced, licensed team handle the tracking, the letters, and the follow-through, that is the service we sell. But the rights above are yours either way, and hiring us never costs you any of them.
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