How a credit score is built
How a credit score is built, when a balance is reported, and how a United States dispute works under the FCRA.
9 guides · about 73 minutes
- What makes up your credit score
What makes up a credit score: FICO lists five components, led by payment history. Those weights are not a formula for an exact point change.
8 min - Credit card statement date vs due date
Credit card statement date vs due date: the closing date is the balance a bureau usually sees. The due date is when the payment must arrive.
8 min - How to dispute a credit report error
How to dispute a credit report error under FCRA §611, and what a 609 letter asks a bureau to disclose. Neither request guarantees a deletion.
9 min - How to freeze your credit for free
How to freeze your credit for free at Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. A freeze blocks most new credit. It does not delete what is already on the report.
8 min - What is a goodwill letter?
A goodwill letter asks a creditor to remove an accurate late payment as a courtesy. It is not a dispute. The creditor can say no.
8 min - I paid a collection. Will it come off my credit report?
Paying a collection updates the status to paid. It does not take the item off a United States credit report. Pay-for-delete is a side deal before you pay.
8 min - What a debt validation letter actually asks
A debt validation letter asks a United States collector to verify a debt under 15 U.S.C. §1692g. It is not an acknowledgment that you owe it.
8 min - What a cease-contact letter does
A cease-contact letter tells a United States collector to stop contacting you under 15 U.S.C. §1692c(c). It does not stop a lawsuit.
8 min - What a hardship letter to a credit card company is
A hardship letter asks a creditor for a reduced payment, a pause, or a program. It is a request. They can refuse. It is not a dispute.
8 min