The FCRA:

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was enacted in 1970 to promote fairness, accuracy and the privacy of personal information reported to credit bureaus by creditors and others.

The FCRA allows a consumer to challenge the information on his or her credit report on the basis of "completeness and accuracy."

The credit bureaus are required to complete the investigation within a "reasonable period of time." This time period has been set at thirty days.

If, after an investigation by the credit bureau, the disputed information "is found to be inaccurate or can no longer be verified, the [credit bureau] shall promptly delete such information."

In theory, the disputation process should be simple, but many consumers quickly discover that creditors and debt collectors can make the process more difficult than they imagined.

Creditors routinely charge higher rates of interest to those with negative credit histories, so sloppy credit reporting may serve to maximize their profits, a circumstance that can make the process of credit repair a difficult and frustrating experience for most consumers.

Stage 1: Forward your credit reports.

After signing up, you will begin by forwarding to us your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. If you do not have your reports, we can help you purchase one instantly. With each cycle, you should receive updated reports from the bureaus. It is important to forward each updated report to us so we can track which questionable items were deleted.

Stage 2: Choose which items to question.

Once your credit reports are received, our staff enters the information into our database. Using our online Case Valet, you then choose how to challenge your questionable listings. Sound complicated? Not to worry, our easy-to-use wizard makes this step a simple matter of pointing and clicking with your mouse.

Stage 3: Lexington works your case.

We begin the dispute process by drawing upon our vast arsenal of credit report repair strategies to challenge questionable items directly with the credit bureaus. Depending on the number of questionable items on your credit reports, this step will be repeated for each subsequent cycle. (Clients who have selected an upgraded level of service will receive additional legal interventions.)

Stage 4: Sit back and relax.

The credit bureaus have 30 days to investigate your dispute. After that, they must inform you of their results and send you a copy of your updated report. It usually takes 60 days from the day we send a dispute to the day you receive an updated report. When you receive a response from a bureau, make a copy of the updated report for your records then send the original to Lexington Law. The cycle begins anew, this time hopefully with fewer questionable items on your credit reports.