A 609 letter is a formal document that consumers use to request more information about account details listed on their credit reports that they believe to be erroneous and to request the removal or correction of this inaccurate information. It is named after Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which gives consumers the right to request information about the items listed on their credit reports. However, Section 609 does not specifically address the right to dispute information on credit reports or a credit reporting agencys obligations to perform investigations into disputes.
A 609 letter is not a dispute but is simply a way of requesting that the credit bureaus provide you with certain documentation that substantiates the authenticity of the bureaus’ reporting. If the credit bureaus are unable to provide the requested documentation, it could indicate that the item may be inaccurate. A 609 letter can be useful in different situations, such as correcting your credit report or responding to a debt collection lawsuit.
There is nothing proprietary about the format or wording of a 609 letter, although it should be carefully written and requires quite a bit of your own documentation. Some companies sell 609 sample letter templates to consumers, but there is no evidence suggesting they are any more effective than other credit reporting dispute letter templates. Below are some things a 609 letter can and cannot do:
What a 609 Letter Can Do:
- Request more information about account details listed on credit reports that consumers believe to be erroneous
- Request the removal or correction of inaccurate information
- Force credit reporting agencies to provide documentation that substantiates the authenticity of their reporting
What a 609 Letter Cannot Do:
- Dispute information on credit reports
- Guarantee that credit scores will change
- Mark the end of negative information being recorded in credit reports if it can be validated
