If you received a discharge in bankruptcy and believe that you had errors on your credit report, you could get benefits from a class action settlement.

A settlement has been proposed with Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax (“Defendants”) in a class action lawsuit about whether they violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state laws when reporting debts that had been discharged in bankruptcy as not discharged and whether consumers were damaged as a result of  this.

The settlement will provide payment of damage awards from a $45 Million Settlement Fund. The lawsuit alleges the the Defendants violated the FCRA and state laws by failing to employ reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy in reporting debts discharged in bankruptcy or by failing to properly investigate disputes from consumers regarding such debts.

You are a class member eligible for benefits if you received a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy order of discharge and your report issued by defendant between March 15, 2002 and May 11, 2009 (or for California residents in the case, of Trans Union between May 12, 2001 and May 11, 2009) reported debts as due and owing which were discharged in your bankruptcy.

To see if you qualify for benefits and to get more information, call toll free 1-866-237-3432 or visit www.BankruptcyDischargeSettlement.com. Claims are due by November 30, 2009.

This post has also been published on Examiner.com

After a bankruptcy filing many consumers feel that their credit is ruined. Consequently, they do not check their credit reports. There are two major issues with that train of thought. First, bankruptcy will hit your credit hard, but your credit can recover. Secondly, even though your credit score is typically lowered by a bankruptcy there are steps you can take to minimize the impact.

Steps To Take:

1. Get a copy of your credit report. You can obtain a free one by going to http://www.annualcreditreport.com (I suggest you do this 3-6 months after discharge).
2. Carefully review your credit report for errors.
3. Make sure any account listed in the bankruptcy is notated as “Zero” balance and “Included in bankruptcy”
4. Also review the public record section of your credit report to ensure that judgments included in the bankruptcy have been released and are notated “bankruptcy”
5. If you find errors on your credit report, send a letter of dispute to the 3 credit reporting agencies.

Be diligent in your efforts. Dealing with credit reporting agencies can be time consuming and frustrating. If you feel you would like to consult a professional please contact me at 317-410-4110 or email: info@intcredit.info.

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