The DIY path through credit repair has six steps.
1. Pull all three reports
Use AnnualCreditReport.com. Federal law gives you each bureau's report free at least once a year, and during periods of consumer-protection emergencies (which has been ongoing since 2020) the bureaus have voluntarily made it weekly.
2. Build a spreadsheet
One row per negative item. Columns for: bureau reporting it, original creditor, current collector (if different), reported balance, original delinquency date, status, and any inaccuracy you can spot.
3. Dispute under FCRA §611
Send disputes by certified mail with return receipt requested - not through the bureau's online portal. The mail trail preserves your evidence and prevents the bureau from claiming they never received the dispute. State the inaccuracy specifically; "this item is incomplete or inaccurate" is enough to trigger the bureau's investigation duty.
4. Wait 30 days
The bureau has 30 days to either verify the item with the data furnisher or delete it. Items that come back unverified get removed automatically.
5. Escalate verified items
For items the bureau says are verified, send a debt validation letter under FDCPA Section 809(b) directly to the collector. They have to produce documentation the debt is yours and the amount is correct. If they can't, the item has to come off.
6. Track the calendar
Most negative items drop off seven years from the original delinquency date. Don't let a collector "re-age" a debt by claiming a new delinquency date - that's an FCRA violation and you can complain to the CFPB.
For the longer guide on each step, the credit repair hub walks through the four-step process. The most common-case walkthrough - removing collections - is in our collections-removal guide.