New, repairing credit, need clarification.

I was hoping to find some answers in the FAQ's but the link is not working.
I have been scouring the net the last few weeks, trying to gather all the information i need to begin repairing my and my husband's credit. Different sites give different information/advice. And nearly every site has a "start here" section, that has so many off-shoots of info that i get overwhelmed and lost. lol. I really need a step 1, step 2, step 3 type of thing.

1. I was considering first clearing up old address and name discrepancies, in hopes that this will help future disputes turn out in my favor. I don't want extra info on my reports helping anyone track down my records. Is this a good first step? And to do it, can i do it online, by phone, or do i have to do a certified mail type of thing for each and every inquiry or request of the CRA's?

2. If i decide to use a goodwill letter for some of the minor things, should i still dispute with the CRA first, in order to secure my rights to sue later? Or is it okay to attempt a goodwill letter before an official dispute? will it ruin my ability to dispute later if they say no?

3. When i dispute or ask for verification with the CRA's, is it safe or smart to list several items in one letter, or should i send separate letters for each dispute, even to the same CRA? And should these be sent certified? and if i should send individual letters for each and every dispute, should i stagger the mailings so that they don't get 7 letters from me all on one day, thus defeating the purpose of sending separate letters in the first place?

4. my husband has an account that i didn't identify at first, because the name is completely different than the company we actually had credit thru. (we had credit thru CitiBank, it shows up as Chase). Have these companies always been the same? On one report it shows late, but another report shows on time payments, and lists it in the positive section, even though it says it was closed by the credit grantor. Should i dispute that? it isn't even in the derogatory section.

5. the worst thing of all is a chargeoff for an old credit card back in 04. It is scheduled to come off the report in October of next year, but i wouldn't mind finding a way to get it off now. it was never sent to a collection, and is still listed under the original account (Target National Bank, Target Store Visa Card). Is there any way to get this removed? Can you point me to some threads/ideas on that? Or should i just let it go and wait a year for it to come off?

6. His report shows an old DUMB collection from Pacific Bell. Here is the story on this, maybe someone can help me figure out the best way to proceed. Back in 2003 we had switched our phone service from Pac Bell to AT&T. Somehow, we were being charged by both companies for all services, for months. They were impossible to work with, so we told both companies to cut off our services so we could get it straightened out. Paid what we rightfully owed to each company, & eventually, we reconnected with PacBell no problem. Fast forward to March of 2007, my husband was having a background check done for a new job and the investigator asked him about a collection account still open on his CR. It was for $54 by a collection agency for Pac Bell. It had been sitting there, reporting unpaid for all these years. Even though we had service with the company and had NEVER received any notices or bills or phone calls! We were in a pickle with him trying to get this new job and just wanted it cleared up, so we contacted the collection agency and paid it. Now it will continue on our report until 2010. I am really stumped on who to contact, and with which letter, etc. Can anyone help? I don't want to screw up.

7. We had a personal loan in 2001 and as of 2003 they show our first late payment. We had this payment set up to automatically draft out of our bank account in order to get a break on the interest rate. At some point, they weren't drafting the payment, and declared us delinquent. I of course SHOULD have realized our account was over by this amount for many months, but living paycheck to paycheck, it's easy for me to overlook something like this. lol. We eventually cleared it up with them and they resumed the automatic draft until 2004 when the same thing happened AGAIN. after that we quickly paid off the loan and quit dealing with them. Same as above, what is the best method of disputing this?

I really appreciate any and all advice and imput. I am famous for second guessing myself, and even though i've been doing alot of reading and studying up on this, i just want to really make sure i handle it right for the best possible outcome.

 

Thank you for the reply.

I just want to quickly clarify that NONE of these accounts are open nor do i owe anything on them. These are all old, settled, closed and waiting for their 7 years to be up.

As for the collection account, that one should still have to come off in 2010 because that will be 7 years from the date i was "late". That is where the 7 years begins counting down.

 

forgot to add - one of the minor things for example is a Capital one Account, still open and in good standing save for a high balance to limit ratio. Years ago there were a few late payments that show up as a 30 and 60. This was during a move to another city, things got screwed up, but were immediately made right. Seeing as how the account is currently and since before and after that time always has been in good standing, i thought perhaps i should try a goodwill letter to Cap 1 directly rather than a dispute with the CRA first.