Goodwill letter success! **UPDATE** new scores: EX 782; EQ 764; TU 769 no more baddies! (2024)

MyFico does it again!!

I have been on a rebuilding journey for over five years. Unfortunately, I didn't find this forum until about two years in, but I have received such great information on here --- just had to share this.

After divorce and my company's bankruptcy, I was literally starting from scratch. No money and my credit was in the toilet. About six years ago, I got a fabulous job and started that long rebuilding trek. I had only one derogatory left -- a paid charge-off from a credit union overdraft from January 2015. After reading and re-reading goodwill letters on here, I sent an email today to the corporate collections office at the credit union. I did as everyone suggested -- I gave a little bit of background history along with my current situation. I also printed up a hard copy to send via the post office as a follow-up.

Within an hour, I received a phone call from a collections coordinator at the credit union. She said that she and her supervisor were touched by my letter. They did a soft pull on my credit report and determined that everything I stated in my letter was true. She advised that she has requested that my account be removed from all credit bureaus and I should see the change within 30 to 60 days. Yippee!

I really would never have known to send that letter if not for the forum. Also, I'm going to attach my letter below as a guide for others who may be looking for ideas. I read many letters posted on here for guidance before sending my letter. And yay -- I saved a stamp!

Dear Sir or Madam:

Good morning! I am a former member of your credit union. After a divorce and my company's bankruptcy, I relocated to Ohio. During that time of unemployment, I created an overdraft of $300 on my checking account, which was subsequently closed and charged off in 2015. I got a great job in Ohio six years ago and have been working diligently to clean up my credit. My last negative was the $300 charge-off from your credit union, which I paid some time ago.

I'm in the process of trying to buy a house and this one derogatory account is causing a problem with obtaining a mortgage with a premium interest rate. I understand that it is possible for the credit union to process a "goodwill" removal of this account from my credit report (the charge-off will fall off on its own in January). I would appreciate your consideration in this matter. This is the final negative mark on my credit report and is my last reminder of that difficult time. I would be so grateful if this could be removed from the credit bureaus in order to enable me to purchase my home.

Thank you so much.

I will follow up and let you know what effect the removal has on my scores. They currently are as follows: TU 712; Experian 722; Equifax 734

Thanks again for all of your guidance. It has been immeasurable!

**Edit** I should add that the credit union did email a confirmation to me for my records. This is important insofar as I read a lot of instances here where people were told on the phone "we will remove it" but then they never do. The woman also provided her direct line in case I had any questions or if the account was not removed. All in all, a terrific experience.

****Update 6/11**** new scores FICO 8 -- EX 782; TU 769; EQ 764

5/12/2024. FICO 8 EX 806; EQ 794; TU 813. FICO 9 EX 815; EQ 805; TU 814 AMEX Platinum NPSL; AMEX Gold NPSL; AMEX Cash Magnet 29,800; AMEX Delta Reserve 20,200; PenFed PCR Visa 12,500; PenFed Pathfinder 15,000; PenFed Gold Visa 10,000; PenFed LOC 10,000; Macys AMEX 25,000; Home Depot 25,000; NFCU Plat Visa 30,000; NFCU Plat MC 15,000; USAA AMEX 6000; USAA Cash Rewards VISA 20,000; IKEA 19,200; Venmo VISA 20,000; SamsClub MC 20,000; Discover 22,600, Citibank Aadvantage Platinum Select World Elite MC 9800; Pottery Barn 29,700; Williams-Sonoma 15,000; FNBO VISA Signature 14,000; Sportsmans Guide VISA 12,400; Sephora VISA Signature 13,400; Target MC 7000; AAA Signature Visa 11,400. Total Credit Limit $512,900. Utilization less than 1% (approx. $400)

Goodwill letter success! **UPDATE** new scores: EX 782; EQ 764; TU 769 no more baddies! (2024)

FAQs

What is a goodwill letter for credit report? ›

A goodwill letter is a formal letter to a creditor or lender, such as a bank or credit card company, to request forgiveness for a late payment or other negative item on your credit report. In the letter, you typically: Explain the circumstances that led to the late payment or issue.

What is a goodwill deletion letter charge off? ›

This is a request to a creditor asking them to remove your negative mark since the debt has been paid. Again, this is up to your creditor. A goodwill letter has a higher probability of working if you have an otherwise pristine history of paying loans on time.

Do good faith letters work? ›

These letters don't often work because collection agencies have contracts with credit bureaus that prohibit removing collection accounts just because they've been paid. Also, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires lenders to report accurate credit information to the credit bureaus.

What is a goodwill letter to remove a closed account? ›

Goodwill letters are requests to have information removed from your credit report. You could ask for the closed account to be removed completely, or you could ask for the negative marks to be removed from that record. Goodwill requests may result in having a closed account removed, but there are no guarantees.

What is the 609 loophole? ›

2) What is the 609 loophole? The “609 loophole” is a misconception. Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows consumers to request their credit file information. It does not guarantee the removal of negative items but requires credit bureaus to verify the accuracy of disputed information.

How do you ask a creditor to remove negative information? ›

Simply write a letter to your creditor to explain why you made the late or missed the payment and take responsibility for it. In the letter, it may help to point out that you have previously made consistently on-time payments and plan to continue that payment pattern. Then, ask the creditor to remove the negative item.

Will debt collectors do pay for delete? ›

Since pay for delete technically skirts a legal line, debt collectors will rarely agree to it directly. If they do, they typically won't put it in writing. The reason is that if the credit bureaus were to find out that they were removing accounts that were legitimately incurred, it would violate the FCRA.

Can I ask for goodwill deletion with debt collectors? ›

If you have an otherwise blemish-free credit history, go ahead and ask the collection agency for a goodwill deletion. Removal after payment might be against their rules—but goodwill deletions might not be, and it never hurts to ask.

How to write a letter to remove negative credit? ›

Your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts, explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your credit report with the items in question circled.

Does good faith hold up in court? ›

Implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (often simplified to good faith) is a rule used by most courts in the United States that requires every party in a contract to implement the agreement as intended, not using means to undercut the purpose of the transaction.

What is the good faith adjustment? ›

Good Faith Adjustment means such number of Transferable Shares *** as determined by *** acting reasonably and in good faith; provided, however, that in no event shall the Good Faith Adjustment exceed the product of (I) the maximum ordinary income tax rate that could be applied to such Stockholder (federal and state ...

How do I ask for a goodwill adjustment? ›

How to write a goodwill letter
  1. Honesty. Be forthcoming about the circumstances surrounding your late payment and the request you're making. ...
  2. Modesty. Don't ask for too much. ...
  3. Your efforts to make payments. Explain that you've taken every possible step to make your payments on time.
  4. Basic information.
Jan 18, 2024

Do closed accounts hurt your credit? ›

Remember, the presence of this type of account on your credit report is a positive. As TransUnion and Experian note, a closed account that shows a positive history of payments is likely to help your credit score. Generally, a closed account with negative history can continue to hurt your credit score for seven years.

Can a goodwill letter remove late payments? ›

Even one late payment can negatively impact your credit score and make it harder to qualify for future loans and secure good interest rates. If you have a good record of managing your finances, some creditors may remove the late payment from your report if you write a goodwill letter.

How to ask for late payment forgiveness? ›

The process is easy: simply write a letter to your creditor explaining why you paid late. Ask them to forgive the late payment and assure them it won't happen again. If they do agree to forgive the late payment, your creditor should adjust your credit report accordingly.

What is the purpose of a goodwill letter? ›

A goodwill letter is a request sent to creditors to remove a negative mark they reported from your credit report. Creditors may not honor goodwill adjustment requests. Making on-time payments can help build up your credit score and payment history on credit reports.

Who usually goodwill letters are written to? ›

Answer: A goodwill letter is a self-written document you send to a lender after they've reported something negative to the credit bureaus/collection agencies under your name. Explanation: hope you may have the correct answer.

Can I get late payments removed from my credit report? ›

Late payments can't be removed from a credit report unless they were reported in error. So if a late payment is correctly reported, no one can remove it from a credit report. What is a goodwill letter? A goodwill letter is a note to a creditor asking to remove a negative item from credit reports.

What is an example of a goodwill message? ›

Such messages are all about the person you're congratulating. You could say, for instance, I really admire how you handled yourself with such grace and poise under such trying circumstances in the field today.

References

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