Correcting Your Credit Report Errors



(June 14) -- Online data correction services, such as Scorepower.com, are giving prospective homebuyers the opportunity to check their credit files for errors and to make any necessary corrections.

Just 10 years ago, it was not uncommon for a loan officer and an applicant to routinely review a credit report; however, today's automated credit scoring leaves little room for a closer look. Consequently, mortgage lenders and brokers are signing up for services like Scorepower.com, seeing them as a solution to reviewing credit files in the high-speed, automated underwriting environment of today.

With Scorepower.com, most errors can be corrected within 72 hours of creditors receiving documentation of a mistake. Cleaning up credit mistakes is critical for prospective homebuyers, as an error in a credit file can artificially lower their credit scores and potentially lead to tens of thousands of dollars of higher monthly payments on a home loan.

Source: Newsday (NY) (06/14/02); Harney, Kenneth