Before I dive in, if you want these 5 proven dispute letter templates for FREE, go to www.creditrepaircloud.com/dispute-letter-templates
Now, most credit repair companies only use a handful of letters for about 95% of their clients, so those are the letters I’ll focus on today.
However, if you’re in a situation where you need more advanced letters, just log into your Credit Repair Cloud account and use the Letter Finder feature to access over 100 different letters that cover just about every possible scenario.
All you’ll do is answer a couple of simple questions, and the letter finder feature will guide you directly to the letter you need.
So, if you haven’t tried it yet, check it out right after this podcast! And if you don’t have an account, go to creditrepaircloud.com for a free 30 day trial.
Now, when you work to repair credit - it all boils down to legally harnessing the power of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and not taking no for an answer.
And the best way to fight the bureaus and WIN is with these 5 proven letters.
- The “Round 1 Letter”. This has been used thousands of times and for good reason, it works! This is a very simple letter that lets you list a bunch of items along with the reason for removal as well as instructions for the credit bureau.
The Round 1 Letter should always be the first letter you send, and it should always be sent to the credit bureaus. Why? Well, you can dispute as many items as you like, the bureaus will contact each furnisher for you and if they don't respond within 30 days, it’s an automatic deletion.
This is by far the most widely used and effective letter to use to go after the low hanging fruit and again should be your very first move when going after items on a credit report.
- The next dispute letter that every credit repair business owner needs is the “Reinvestigation Letter”. So you’ve already disputed items with a credit bureau at least once or twice and didnt get the response you wanted. The reinvestigation letter is a good way to let the credit bureau know you are not giving up! It's amazing to me how much a little bit of patience and persistence can get results and this letter is exactly that - persistent! So, when they say no - what do you do? You ask again and again and again. The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
- The next and very, very effective letter you need to have is called the “Method of Verification Letter”. This is usually called M.O.V. for short. This letter is generally used when an item you know to be inaccurate is verified.
You see, the bureaus conduct very basic investigations and they are all electronic. They contact the furnisher and wait for an electronic response to verify the item is or is not verifiable. When you get a response saying the item was verified with no evidence, you can always ask how they went about verifying the item and sometimes that leads to a deletion.
The bureaus are not required to provide proof (signatures, documents, evidence etc..) but they are required to provide their method of verification. (who they contacted, what information was transmitted etc) .... so sending a MOV letter is a good way to put pressure on them and push for a deletion.
- Next on the list is the “Warning Letter”. How many times have you received an inappropriate response, or no response at all? Probably way too many times! When this happens, it may be time to fire a warning shot. The credit bureaus will all too often play games by ignoring you or responding completely inappropriately. They may accuse you of utilizing a credit repair company - which by the way is entirely up to you and 100% legal. In some cases they may simply deem your request frivolous or ignore it all together.
When this happens, you must remain persistent and not take it personally. However, you should absolutely fight back. One of the best ways to do this is with a well crafted warning letter. In the letter, you remind the credit bureau of your rights as a consumer, state the facts, include previous correspondence and/or any proof you may have - and most importantly, make it crystal clear that you mean business.
You can step up your game in push even harder by filing a complaint with the CFPB and including a screenshot of the complaint in your warning letter. Either way, it’s one of the most dominant and important letters in your arsenal.
- The fifth and final dispute letter every credit repair business owner should have and use is the “Validation Demand Letter”. This is not a credit repair letter per se, but it can be very helpful when you have a client facing aggressive debt collectors, harassment or if they’re attempting to collect an invalid or expired debt.
Validation harnesses the power of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. It can be very powerful and can pause collection efforts, stop harassment, and deter debt collectors who simply aren’t playing by the rules.
Also, if your client intends on paying the debt, by demanding validation this letter can help verify they are paying the right collector for the right debt.
Remember, when you use these templates - they are not set in stone. Think of them as a base for whatever point you’d like to get across.
You can easily make some slight changes to the content of the letters based on your client’s individual situation.
For example, when using Round 1, if you want to dispute with a creditor instead of a bureau - you simply need to edit the recipient name and address.
Or, if you’re sending out a warning letter - instead of just using the template as written, take a minute to explain how frustrated you are and really show how this error is impacting your client.
Let them know if you plan on filing additional complaints with the FTC, or the state Attorney General or if you plan on filing a lawsuit, this is your chance to vent and make your intentions clear.
In the end, to have success, model what works - and these letters are proven to WORK!
Plus, if you want to use our proven and effective methods we teach in our Basic Disputing Course for verification, disputing accounts, sending warnings, being persistent with reinvestigations, doing interventions, filing complaints, demanding validation and a ton of other real strategies that actually get you results...
I’m offering that certification course for FREE inside our 14-day Credit Hero Challenge, where we walk you by the hand as you launch your very own credit repair business in just a couple of weeks AND for less than it costs to bring your family to McDonald’s for dinner.
To join the challenge and get the Basic Disputing certification course for free, go to creditherochallenge.com.
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