Section 609 Dispute Letter: What Is It and Does It Work In 2022?

If you discover false information on your credit report that’s negatively affecting your credit score, it is quite upsetting. When push comes to shove, you may use a 609 dispute letter to refute incorrect statements.

Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act stipulates that you may use a 609 letter to ask credit reporting agencies to remove derogatory marks from your credit report, even if it’s true.

To raise your credit score, many are tempted to seek out a simple, but questionable, remedy in the shape of a 609 letter. However, is it even effective? Here is critical information.

What does section 609 dispute include?

A consumer’s ability to request a copy of their credit report and see the information included within it is outlined in Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Although Section 609 doesn’t state directly that you have the right to challenge information that is incorrect, it does acknowledge your ability to see all of the information in your credit report.

Section 609 grants you the privilege of making a request, including:

• Everything your consumer credit reports include.
• Where that information originated.
• Anyone who has looked at your credit record in the previous two years will be considered a potential employer (unless it was to complete an investigation).
• Organizations that have made inquiries that are not of a hard nature in the previous year.

What a 609 Letter Is and Isn’t Able to Do

When the credit reporting agency gets your Section 609 dispute letter, it will either reply by providing you the contract with your signature on it that supports the furnisher’s claim or inform you that the original contract is not available.

The agency may remove the information from your credit report without your intervention. However, if the erroneous information persists, you will need to take the next step and dispute it with the credit reporting agency once again. On the dispute form, state unequivocally that the information cannot be confirmed by you or the credit reporting agency and must be deleted. That should be all it takes!

If the credit reporting agency is able to provide the original contract with your signature, the information will stay on your credit report until it falls off your credit record after the timeout period has expired. Records of late payments, defaults, charge-offs, and debts transferred to collection agencies may only remain on a credit report for seven years. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 10 years from the date of filing.

Know that section 609 provides you the ability to seek information, but not expressly to dispute, on the things included on your credit reports. Sections 611 and 623 of the FCRA deal with such issues. However, several customers have discovered that after they sent the Section 609 dispute letter, the credit reporting companies removed the unverifiable material.

Even if the data on the bad credit report is accurate, don’t spend your time writing and sending the letters. Even with all the hype about 609 dispute letters, they are not a free pass out of debt. They must be utilized truthfully and with consideration. It is unreasonable to expect anything else to occur.

How Is a 609 Dispute Letter Legal?

Your rights under the FCRA allow you to request a 609 letter to assist correct any inaccurate or incomplete information in your credit report. Unfortunately, even if the furnisher verifies the information’s correctness, it may still be re-added to your credit report.

Even if the credit bureaus remove information from your credit report, you’re still responsible to settle any valid obligations.

If the facts are accurate, it is likely that your credit report will still include this information. However, you may also seek information from the credit agency under Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

609 Letter Template

A 609 dispute letter contains no information that’s private, but it does require your own paperwork.

For instance, here’s a sample of a common 609 letter:

Regarding the Credit Bureau (Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax),

By requesting information about an item that appears on my consumer credit report, I am exercising my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Section 609.

[The following is a list of account names and numbers]

In accordance with section 609, I have the right to inspect the original contract that contains my signature.

I’ve attached copies of my birth certificate, Social Security card, passport, driver’s license, W-2, rental agreement, and mobile phone bill as confirmation of my identification. With the circled and highlighted account, I’ve also attached a copy of my credit report.

My credit report information should be erased within 30 days if you are unable to confirm the account with the original contract.

Thank you,

[Your Adress]

[Your Date of Birth]

[Copy of Your I.D.] 

[Copy of Your SSN]

_________________________________
Signature

STATE OF
COUNTY OF

I HEREBY CERTIFY that on this day before me, an officer duly qualified to take acknowledgments, personally appeared [Your Name], who is personally known to me or who has produced _____________________________________________ as identification and who executed the foregoing instrument and he/she acknowledged before me that he/she executed the same.

WITNESS my hand and official seal in the County and State aforesaid this _____ day of ____________________ 2021.

___________________________________
Notary Public
Printed Name:
My commission expires:

Should I Hire a Credit Repair Company If I Know How To Dispute?

A 609 dispute letter has several phases, as you can see, and it’s vital to be comprehensive and exact. Do not hesitate to ask for aid if you are in a hurry to get a credit card or a loan, or if you are just irritated with the procedure and need assistance.

You may theoretically tackle these issues on your own, but it may be worth it to hire a reputable credit repair service.

When you’re looking for a credit repair service, search for a company with a good reputation that will check your credit reports and provide you a free consultation call to discuss your credit concerns. You can opt to have the agency deal with the matter for you if you’d like.

Credit repair fees can vary depending on what services you’re interested in and what state law allows, we currently charge small a $89 monthly fee to dispute all of your derogatory marks at once.

The credit restoration agency will handle all your verification and dispute needs, from drafting letters to making follow-ups. In essence, it will operate as a liaison with the credit reporting bureaus on your behalf.

If the credit repair business manages to fix the error in your credit report, the incorrect information will be removed. The next step is when you’ll get updated copies of your credit reports, and that’s when the process is complete.

To ensure that all information is accurate, monitor your credit reports in the future. Check your credit scores on AnnualCreditReport.com annually to be sure that there are no inaccuracies before they impact your credit.

The Section 609 Dispute Letter Was Created to Keep You Safe.

You can rest certain that the FCRA shields you from unverifiable credit report material that could harm your credit history and scores. Take charge and use a Section 609 dispute letter if you have the time and resources.

You are protected by the FCRA from credit report information that cannot be verified, which may damage your credit history and ratings. If you have the time and resources to utilize a Section 609 letter, you should.

If you’re in a hurry to increase your credit scores but don’t have the time to put in the work, credit repair companies may assist you with reducing worry and frustration, so they may be worth considering. The key is to ensure that your credit reports include accurate and up-to-date information. It is crucial that you do not wait to take action. You have the privilege and obligation.