When I began searching for a house, I bit the bullet and finally reviewed my credit scores. I’m glad I did. There were two collections reported that were news to me. One was a long-ago disputed medical claim, the other was the result of a good deed gone wrong (I’d given an old car to neighbors in distress with the provision they do the paperwork. They didn’t, and when it was impounded, the bills came in my name to the old address, and the neighbors just tossed them out. You can imagine what learning about THAT was like five years later!) In addition, there were addresses listed under my name I’d never had, and some other, smaller errors.

I read the community boards at myfico.com, which provide advice on how to contact the credit agencies and creditors, what to say, sample letters to use, and cautions about common mistakes people make. I followed the advice they provided and was persistent in making my case. Within two months the collections were off my report entirely and my scores has jumped 100 points, taking me from average to excellent credit status.

It took some diligence, but given how much I’ll save in interest as a result, it was well worth the time!