A 10-Step Take Action Plan: Part Four - Creating Your Take Action Plan Checklist

Let’s use the Home Inspection Analogy. When you want to sell your home, you hire an inspector. They make a detailed “fix it list” of the items in need of repair. The theory is that the more items completed on this list, the more you will maximize the value of your home. It’s the same with credit. Your goal is to go through your credit reports with a fine-tooth comb, make a list of the items that are negatively impacting your scores, and know that the more items you check off your list the better chance you have of maximizing your credit scores in the shortest period of time.

When most people look at their credit reports, they focus on repairing the negative items. It is critically important for you to remember that negative payment history only makes up 35% of your scores. There is another 65% of your scores that has nothing to do with negative payment history but still brings down the scores. It is essential that you make sure that all of your good credit is being reported and being reported accurately.

Create A Spreadsheet

Before making your TAP Checklist, you will want to create a workable spreadsheet that will organize the data and action plan in a way that will give you instant indication of what action needs to be taken. At minimum, your spreadsheet should include the following columns:

• Item Type (i.e. collection, late pay, wrong name, tax lien)
• Dispute Reason
• Account Status (open or closed)
• Original Creditor Name & Account #
• Collection Agency/Court Name and Account or Case #
• Open Date
• Date of Last Delinquency or Date Paid
• A column to list the Statute of Limitations
• A column to list the 7-Year Reporting Date
• Amount Due
• Limit
• Balance
• Action (Dispute, Negotiate, Wait)
• First Dispute/VOD Letter Date
• Reinvestigation Letter Date
• Formal No Response Complaint Date
• Letter of Intent to Sue Date

Make Your TAP Checklist

One of the columns in your spreadsheet will be the dispute reason. To help you get started, here’s a list of 30 of the most common dispute reasons. If any of these apply to the information being reported on your credit reports, you should consider the item negative and add that item to your TAP checklist:

1. This account does not belong to me.
2. I was not 30, 60, 90 or 120 days late on this account.
3. This is a duplicate account.
4. I never authorized this account.
5. The balance on this account is incorrect.
6. There is no past due balance on this account.
7. You are not reporting a positive account on my credit report.
8. This account is closed with a $ 0 balance and has a positive history.
9. This account was closed by me, not the creditor.
10. You are not reporting the correct limit on my account.
11. This account was included in a bankruptcy and should have a $ 0 balance.
12. This account was paid.
13. The open date on this account is incorrect.
14. This account is still open.
15. I am only an authorized user on this account. Please remove it.
16. You are reporting my home equity line of credit as a revolving account.
17. I never authorized this inquiry.
18. This public record has been satisfied/released/dismissed/vacated.
19. You are listing the wrong file/released/satisfied date on this public record.
20. This account was charged off in (date). No late pays should be reported after that date.
21. The date of last activity on this account is incorrect.
22. This account never went into foreclosure/repossession.
23. The 7-year reporting period has expired on this account.
24. The statute of limitations on this account expired. You cannot report it or re-insert it.
25. You are reporting someone else’s information on my credit report that has the same name that I do.
26. You are reporting the wrong social security number, birth date, spouse’s name, phone number on my credit report.
27. You are reporting wrong/expired/misspelled addresses on my credit report.
28. You are reporting misspelled/wrong names on my credit report.
29. You are reporting outdated/wrong employment information on my credit report.
30. This student loan account has been deferred.

The key is to make three separate TAP spreadsheets, one for each credit bureau, and to write down EVERYTHING that needs attention. Then, you can decide which action should be taken - Dispute, Negotiate, or Wait. In Part Five, you will receive some great tips to help you decide which option would be best for your situation. Be sure to keep an eye out for this important information.