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100 Word Statement on a Credit Report - Should You Give One or Not?

Last Updated: July 7, 2011

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires credit bureaus to accept and to publish a statement from consumers in the event a negative item on their credit report has been disputed and verified by a creditor. In simple terms, you have disputed a negative item with the creditor and they come back to you and say "verified". You are then permitted to submit a 100 word statment explaining this negative item.

Is a 100 Word Statement a Good Thing?

According to a recent article in MSN Money, "Consumers can always place a 100-word consumer statement on their credit reports to explain special circumstances. However, this will not change any impact such an item may have on the credit score. It will simply provide some additional context for a lender/creditor/other reviewing the consumer's file in the future."

In our humble opinion, this statement is NOT a good thing. Lenders do not consider these statements when evaluating your credit history and quite honestly, they just may use this information agaist you because people unintentionally make themselves look worse. Also, this letter is also drawing attention to something that may otherwise be overlooked and now you have them wondering about all your other minor infractions.

Alternatives to 100 Word Statements

Why not use the 100 word statement as a weapon against the credit reporting agencies that are violating your rights by not investigating your disputes properly? As we have pointed out in many articles on our website, there are many was to "fry a fish" and why not use your energy and letter writing skills in a more productive manner - say getting those negative items permanently OFF your credit report.

Here are some helpful articles and letters found right here on our site:

• Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair Guide
• Form Letters to Send to Creditors
• How to Dispute a Negative with the Original Creditor
• Our Credit Repair Kit Containing All You Need to Fix Your Credit

Remove Negative Items Once and For All

You might be saying, "But I did send them a letter and they wrote me back saying it was verified". Well, write them back asking them to SEND you the verification and to actually prove their case. That is where the creditors lose their steam and they are usually not able to send it to you and then they have no choice but to remove it from your report.

Instead of explaining away these negative items with a 100-word statement, let's work on removing them for good. Here are some helpful tips:

• Be Persistant. Ok, so you got back a letter saying "verified" - don't let that stop you. Send out another letter using another reason for them to look into this item. Don't forget, they get bombarded with letters and they only have 30 days to respond to yours. If they don't, it has to come off.
• Be Creative. When sending out your second, third, or fourth letter, get creative with your reason for them to investigate. Remember, you need to use a different reason with every dispute.
• Be Assertive. If you feel the credit bureau is not handling this matter in compliance with FCRA regulations, let them know you are going to seek legal counsel. This usually gets some paper pusher in their office to take notice.

Removing negative items is something you can do yourself. Our bookstore has eBooks and form letters you can purchase to help you remove these items for good. So forget about the 100-word statement, use your energy in writing dispute letters and getting these negatives off your credit report permanently.