Goodwill Adjustment
A goodwill adjustment is a creditor's discretionary removal of an accurate negative mark — often an isolated late payment — as a courtesy, usually requested by a consumer with an otherwise strong payment history.
Why it matters in credit repair
Because the underlying late payment is accurate, a goodwill adjustment cannot be compelled through an FCRA dispute. It depends entirely on the creditor's discretion and is never guaranteed.
How it appears on a credit report
If granted, the creditor updates or removes the late-payment notation on the tradeline; the consumer then sees the change on their report.
Example
A long-time cardholder with one isolated late payment requests a goodwill adjustment, and the issuer agrees to remove the single notation.
Common misunderstanding
Consumers expect goodwill requests to work like disputes. They are courtesy requests about accurate items, granted only at the creditor's choice.
Related terms
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Pinnacle Credit Repair does not guarantee the removal of accurate, timely, and verifiable information. Results vary based on the facts of each credit file, creditor responses, bureau investigations, documentation, and applicable law.
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