Introduction     1
The Basics of Credit Reporting, Part I: The Agencies and the Laws     3
Credit Reporting Agencies     4
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)     5
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act)     9
The Basics of Credit Reporting, Part II: The Data     11
Where Does Credit Report Information Come From?     12
What Is a Credit Score and Why Should U Care?     14
The Basics of Credit Reporting, Part III: Who Is Entitled to See Your Credit File     19
Permissible Purpose     20
Employers     33
Illegal Requests for Your Credit Report     34
Your Credit Report: Getting a Free Copy - For Real!     37
AnnualCreditReport.com     38
Annual Credit Report by Mail or Phone     39
FTC Facts for Consumers Brochure     42
Understanding Your Credit Report: How to Read the Big Three     49
Personal Information     50
Employment Information     50
Scoring (Credit Score)     51
Public Records     51
Collections     52
Revolving Accounts     52
Installment Accounts     53
Mortgage Accounts     53
Inquiries     53
Repairing Your Credit Report, Part I: The Dispute Process     55
FCRA Section 611     56
Inaccurate or Incomplete Information     66
FCRA Section 605     69
Outdated Negative Information     74
Negative Items That Do Not Belong to You     76
Repairing Your Credit Report, Part II: The Dispute Letter     79
Verification Forms Used by CRAs     80
Fill-In Dispute Forms     82
Picking Your Battles     83
Writing Your Own Dispute Letter     84
Sample Dispute Letters     85
Sending Your Dispute Letter     90
What's Included in a CRA's Response to a Dispute     91
Repairing Your Credit Report, Part III: When Things Don't Go Your Way     93
Sending a Second Dispute Letter     94
100-Word Consumer Statement     97
Speak to a Professional If Necessary     99
The Reality of Suing a Credit Reporting Agency     100
Collection Agencies: How to Deal with These Bad Guys     103
How a Collection Agency Operates     104
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)     104
Validation of the Alleged Debt     109
Drafting a Verification Request Letter     110
Stop Calling Me     116
Stop Calling My Employer     118
How to Settle with a Collection Agency     120
How to Deal with Secured Accounts: Plus Student Loans & Tax Liens     131
Repossession     132
Foreclosure     134
Student Loans     136
Tax Liens     138
Bankruptcy: The Pros and Cons of Filing     141
The Term "Bankruptcy"     142
Chapters 7, 11 and 13     142
Hiring a Bankruptcy Attorney     145
How Bankruptcy Affects Your Credit Report     145
Raising Your Credit Score in 10 Days: Fast Fixes When Applying for a Mortgage     147
The Rapid Re-Score     148
Determining the Factors That Are Affecting Your Score     149
Assembling Your Evidence     150
Fast Fixes That Do Not Require Money     151
Fast Fixes That Require Money     156
Marriage, Divorce and Credit: Being Prepared     161
Before You Get Married     162
During the Marriage     164
Planning for the Divorce     165
How to Handle Your Accounts and Creditors     166
You've Been Served: What to Do When a Creditor Sues You      171
The Makeup of a Lawsuit     172
Service of Process     173
Your First Reaction     174
The Type of Court     178
Attorneys' Fees     179
How to Establish or Re-Establish Credit: The Building Blocks     181
Gasoline and Department Store Cards     182
Visiting Your Neighborhood Banker     182
Secured Credit Cards     182
Using a Co-Signer     184
Becoming an Authorized User     184
Maintaining Your Credit     185
Conclusion     189
The FCRA: Fair Credit Reporting Act     191
The FACT Act: Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act     277
The FDCPA: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act     341
Bonus CD-ROM: The American Credit Repair Resource Center     365
Installation Instructions     365
Index     367