Late Payment Removal and Credit Repair
A single late payment can weigh on your credit profile, especially when you're planning to buy a home or apply for a loan. But late payments aren't always reported correctly.
At Ignite Credit Group, we look for reporting errors on your late payments and challenge the ones that shouldn't be there. Every plan is built around your report and your goals, not a template.
When Can a Late Payment Be Removed?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to dispute information that is inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or can't be verified. If a credit bureau can't verify a late payment, it must correct or delete it.
An accurate late payment can't be legally removed through a dispute. Accurate negative information can generally stay on your report for up to 7 years. Creditors typically report a payment as late once it is at least 30 days past due.
Common Late Payment Reporting Errors
We go through your reports line by line. Errors we look for include:
A payment marked late that you made on time
The wrong month or the wrong number of days late, such as 60 days instead of 30
A late payment reported during an approved deferment, forbearance, or hardship arrangement
An account that isn't yours, or late payments from an account opened through identity theft
The same late payment reported differently across Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
Late payments older than the reporting period allows
When something appears inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or unverifiable, we dispute it and track the responses in your client portal. Results depend on what the bureaus and creditors find.
Steps You Can Take Yourself, for Free
You don't need a credit repair company to fix errors. You can dispute inaccurate information directly with the credit bureaus or with the creditor at no cost. You can get free copies of your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
If a late payment is accurate, you can write a goodwill letter to the creditor yourself. A goodwill letter explains what happened, such as a medical emergency or job loss, and politely asks the creditor to consider updating how the payment is reported. Creditors aren't required to agree, and many won't, but it costs nothing to ask.
Setting up autopay or payment reminders can help you avoid new late payments going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disputing a late payment hurt my credit score?
No. Disputing information on your credit reports does not lower your scores. Reviewing your reports through a monitoring service is a soft inquiry.
Will a late payment fall off my report on its own?
Generally, yes. Accurate late payments can be reported for up to 7 years, and their impact on your scores often lessens as they age.
How long does a late payment dispute take?
We can't promise a timeline. Credit bureaus generally must investigate a dispute within about 30 days, and in some cases up to 45. How many rounds you need depends on your reports and on how bureaus and creditors respond.
Take the Next Step
Wondering whether the late payments on your reports are accurate? Start with your free credit snapshot from MyFreeScoreNow. It's a soft inquiry with no credit card required. Then send us a message on our Contact page (/contact) to talk about a personalized plan.
No company can guarantee specific results. We do not charge for credit repair until the promised results are achieved and shown on a credit report issued more than six months later. Required credit monitoring ($29.95/month) is billed separately by MyFreeScoreNow; Ignite Credit Group receives a $12.80 referral payment when you enroll.