Late payments are the heaviest item in a credit score and the hardest to remove legitimately. Inaccurate lates (you paid on time, the creditor misapplied a payment, the dates are wrong) are disputed with evidence. Accurate lates get a goodwill request to the creditor and a rebuilding plan around them, because no letter removes an accurate late and anyone who says otherwise is not being honest.
Who it's for
People with one or a few late marks on otherwise solid accounts, people whose lates were a creditor's error, and people whose lates are accurate and who want the fastest honest path to recovery.
Two kinds of late, two strategies
Inaccurate
You have a statement showing the payment posted on time. The creditor reported a 60-day late when it was 30. A payment plan was in place and the creditor reported lates anyway. Your account was included in a bankruptcy and is still reporting lates afterward. These are disputes, sent with the proof, to the bureau and directly to the creditor.
Accurate
You missed it. The creditor reported it correctly. Here the tools are a goodwill letter to the creditor’s executive office (which works more often on a single isolated late with good history since), and time: a late loses most of its weight after about two years of clean payments, and falls off at seven.
What we do
- Sort every late on your file into inaccurate or accurate, with the evidence we’d need for each.
- Dispute the inaccurate ones with the bureaus and the furnisher.
- Draft and send goodwill requests where the history supports them.
- Build the positive-side plan: autopay, utilization timing, no new inquiries until the plan is done.
- Tell you plainly when a late is accurate and staying.
What we won’t do
Dispute an accurate late as “not mine” or “never late.” It’s a false statement to a credit bureau, it rarely works, and it flags your future disputes as frivolous.
Want it handled?
You can do everything on this page yourself. If you'd rather have Laura build the strategy and run the rounds, start with a free consultation.
Request a Free ConsultationRead the DIY guide →Related questions
How much does one late payment hurt?
A first 30-day late on a clean file can cost 60 to 110 points. The impact fades steadily and is minor after about two years of on-time payments.
How long do late payments stay on a credit report?
Seven years from the date of the missed payment. See our full answer page.
Does a goodwill letter really work?
Sometimes. It works best on a single late with a long, otherwise clean history at that creditor. Some lenders refuse all goodwill requests on policy.
Can I do this myself?
Yes. Dispute and goodwill templates are in our free DIY guide.
Free consultation
Not sure what this means for your file?
The consultation is free and it's a conversation, not a pitch. A house, a car, a fresh start, or just being done feeling embarrassed when someone pulls your credit: whatever it is, you'll leave knowing what your file needs, even if the answer is "do it yourself."
Month-to-month. No long-term contract. Cancel anytime.