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It warns that legitimate credit repair companies cannot remove accurate, current negative information, while describing limited exceptions when older data may appear. The guide also outlines how to obtain free credit reports from major bureaus, how to handle adverse actions, and how to dispute errors using free dispute processes and sample letters.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/fixing-your-credit-faqs-federal-trade-commission-2022-credit-repair-safety-tips/278318/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/fixing-your-credit-faqs-federal-trade-commission-2022-credit-repair-safety-tips/278318.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Skyler","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":15},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"Can a credit repair company legally remove accurate negative information from your credit report?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"No. If the information is accurate and current, companies that promise to repair credit generally cannot remove it—though it will usually age off over time.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How can you get your free credit reports each year?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"You can request free reports from nationwide credit bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone, or by mail. 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Use the document’s sample letters to help write dispute letters.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},278318,1790484126,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":15,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":8,"language":135,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":139,"read_time":79},2336464648746,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Fixing Your Credit FAQs  \nFederal [Trade Commission |](Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov)[ consumer.ftc.gov](Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov)  \nIs information on your credit report correct—just not so good? Noone promising to repair your credit can legally remove information if it’s both accurate and current. But there are steps you can take to fix mistakes and improve your credit.  \nMaybe you’ve heard about credit repair companies and are wondering if they can help? Be careful: many are scams. Here’s what you need to know about fixing your credit.  \nYour Credit History   \nWhat makes my credit good or bad?  \nWhether you have “good” or “bad” credit is based on your credit history. Find out what your credit history looks like by checking your credit report. Your credit report has information about whether you pay your bills on time, what loans and credit cards you have (and the amounts you owe), and whether you’ve filed for bankruptcy. The more positive information you have in your credit report, like timely payments and low credit card balances, the better your credit will be.  \nWhat happens if there’s negative information in my credit report?  \nCredit bureaus sell the information in your report to businesses that use it to decide whether to loan you money, give you credit, offer you insurance, or rent or sell you a home. Some employers use credit reports to decide whether to hire you. The strength of your credit history also affects how much you’ll have to pay to borrow money. If there’s a lot of negative information in your report, you might have to pay more in interest.  \nCan I get negative information removed from my credit report if it’s true?  \nNot usually. Most negative information will stay on your report for seven years, and bankruptcy information will stay on for 10 years. Companies that promise to repair your credit can’t remove truthful information—it takes time to go away.  \nThere are exceptions. In certain situations—like when you’re being considered for a job paying more than $75,000 a year, or you’re trying to get a loan or insurance valued at more than $150,000—a credit bureau may include older negative information on your report that wouldn’t show up otherwise.  \nYour Free Credit Reports  \nHow do I know what’s in my credit report?  \nEach of the nationwide credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—is required to give you a free copy of  \nyour credit report once every 12 months if you ask for it at [AnnualCreditReport.com](AnnualCreditReport.com), or by calling 1-877-322-8228, or using the mail-in form (see p. 7) . Otherwise, a credit bureau may charge you a reasonable amount for another copy of your report within a 12-month period.  \nConsider getting your reports at least once a year. You can get your free reports from each of the credit bureaus at once, or you can spread them out throughout the year. Some financial advisors say staggering your requests during a 12-month period may bea good way to keep an eye on whether the information in your reports is accurate and complete. But since each credit bureau gets its information from different sources, the information in one credit bureau’s report may not be completely the same as information in your reports from the other two credit bureaus.  \nAlso, everyone in the U.S. can get six free credit reports per year from Equifax through [2026 by visiting](2026 by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com)[ ](2026 by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com)[AnnualCreditReport.com](2026 by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com)[ ](2026 by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com)[or by calling 1-866-349-5191. That](or by calling 1-866-349-5191. That)’[s](s) in addition to the one free Equifax report (plus your Experian and TransUnion reports) that you can [get annually at](get annually at AnnualCreditReport.com)[ ](get annually at AnnualCreditReport.com)[AnnualCreditReport.com](get annually at AnnualCreditReport.com).  \nYou’re also entitled to another free report each year if  \n● you’re une","cbCaigKmRvP96w0X","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigKmRvP96w0X","pdf",369129,"English","# Fixing Your Credit FAQs\n## Your Credit History\n## Can Negative Information Be Removed?\n## Your Free Credit Reports\n## Disputing Mistakes and Taking Action","[{\"question\":\"Can a credit repair company legally remove accurate negative information from your credit report?\",\"answer\":\"No. If the information is accurate and current, companies that promise to repair credit generally cannot remove it—though it will usually age off over time.\"},{\"question\":\"How can you get your free credit reports each year?\",\"answer\":\"You can request free reports from nationwide credit bureaus through AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone, or by mail. Options also exist for additional free reports under specific circumstances.\"},{\"question\":\"What should you do if you see an error on your credit report?\",\"answer\":\"Dispute the mistake for free with both the credit bureau and the business that provided the information. Use the document’s sample letters to help write dispute letters.\"}]","Fixing Your Credit FAQs - Federal Trade Commission - 2022 Credit Repair Safety Tips | PDF",1789509028]