I need to repair my credit?

Question

My credit is really bad!!! I want to get it back together but i dont know where to start. I have noticed that there are some things that are on my report that should not be (ie medical bills,a phone bill i know nothing about, and wrong addresses and employment information) I dont want to be scammed!!! I also dont want to pay anything for this as i was told there are sites that help you.

Also is there a site that i can go to that has letters i can use to contact theses agencys?

Answer 1

Use the websites of each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and EquiFax) to find out how to dispute something in your credit report - they will indicate how to submit documentation, and what needs to be included. Working directly with the credit bureaus will eliminate possibility of scams. (If you have not requested your free annual credit report from the three credit bureaus, do so from www.annualcreditreport.com.

After correcting errors in the credit bureau, the best way to fix your credit is to make sure you pay everything on time. Any late payment will hurt you. Also, your credit score is partially based on what percentage of your total credit you use -- do not cancel or close credit cards after you pay them off until your credit score is over 800. If you do not have a credit card, talk with your bank/credit union about getting a low limit card to get started. As long as you manage it properly (pay it off every month), they wll raise your credit limit either automatically annually, or when you request, asl ong as the request is reasonable.

Good luck. It will probably take at least 6 months, and likely a year before you see significant changes in your credit rating/score.

Answer 2

First, get your credit report from at least one of the three credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax). You can obtain 1 free report from each of the 3 credit bureaus every 12 months. For your free report, go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. From there, you can determine which items are legitimate or not. If they are not your accounts, you need to have the collection agencies verify that debt. Go to http://www.creditinfocenter.com/rebuild/debt_validation.shtml. This site has a lot of good advice and letter templates. This is something you can do by yourself. Just make sure you keep a written record of everything, and remember to get everything in writing from the collection agencies.

Answer 3

Suzy....right here's a short and straightforward attempt to work out if it is a official corporation. Ask them to signal a freelance retaining they are going to thoroughly fix your credit. placed it in writing what your objective is and in the experience that they are going to assure they could do it. It appears like you're searching to purchase a house, and also you've a pair adverse products? Will that state IN WRITING that they are going to get those bumped off? i will wager they gained't do it. Why? because see you later because the thoughts on your credit document is "honest and precise" it ought to no longer legally be bumped off. There are purely 2 thoughts you'll get a adverse merchandise deleted from a credit document. a million) The creditor ought to delete it. 2) The creditor fails to respond to a credit bureau analyze request. A credit restoration corporation can no longer get it bumped off. A criminal professional can no longer do it both. each little thing a credit restoration corporation does, that is person-friendly to do your self. It purely takes a touch preparation. yet in case you truly want a credit restoration corporation to do it, it really is tremendous. purely bypass into this manage your eyes open, and understand you're paying them to do something with out assure it is going to artwork (and maximum in all probability gained't). look on the links i have presented....coach your self.

Answer 4

I agree with all of the previous posters. They offer very good advice. However, there are a lot of scams out there with regard to credit repair so I am going to post here what I have posted in other threads.

This topic is a really hot one right now. People are falling victim to so many scam artists out there who are taking people's money and offering false hope. There ARE legitimate credit restoration companies out there. But that is the key right there; restoration versus repair.

Generally speaking, credit repair is a scam and credit restoration is legit. Does this mean all credit repair offers are scams and all
credit restoration offers are legit? NO! It is up to you to do the
research. If you can't do the bare minimum to protect yourself, then don't come crying to me if you are taken for all of your money. But, to help you determine the scams from the legits, here are 10 tips on how to tell the difference:

1: If they advertise that they will repair your credit in anything
less than 18 months, you are not dealing with a legal company. The LAW requires that any credit restoration agency cannot advertise or represent that they can restore or repair your credit in less than 18 months. (Remember this number, it is going to come up again later.)

2: Check on how long the company has been in business. If they have been around for more than 10 years, you are probably dealing with a reputable company. (Honestly, there are really only three that are recognised as legitimate in the United States.)

3: Do your due dilligence. Check with the BBB. The BBB will provide an unbiased report of how many complaints have been filed against the company in the previous three years. There are two things that you want to consider here. First, if there are more than a dozen complaints over the previous three year period, then this company has serious issues and you should be concerned. Also, if the BBB has no file at all on the business, just walk away from the business. Anyone who is hiding from the BBB should be looked upon with suspicion.

4: Ask for pricing when talking to one of their reps. If they hem and haw about what they charge, or say that it depends on how much they have to remove from your report, they are hiding something from you. A good rule of thumb, if the rep is unwilling to answer any question of yours up front and with honesty, you are not dealing with a legitimate company. This does not mean that if the rep states that they will answer the question in a moment, that they are hiding something. It just means that they are getting there and just need to lay a little groundwork first. Remember, reps are all salespersons. They are there to sell you their service. This is good, believe it or not. This encourages competition in the business and keeps costs down. (Which reminds me: DON'T PAY MORE THAN $1000 PER PERSON FOR THE SERVICE.)

5: Ask if the company is licensed, bonded and insurred. Ask for
proof. If they will not show you their business license (which can
only be obtained AFTER they have purchased their bond and insurance) this should raise alarm bells.

6: Ask for examples of successes the company has had. A legitimate company will have copies of investigation results (with personal information blacked out of course) that will show you how successful they can be.

7: How long are they going to work for you? Yes, that's right,
remember that these companies work FOR you. If they are just going to maintain a business relationship with you for the length of time it takes to repair your credit, beware. What often happens in these cases is that after the company has cleared negative information from your credit report they sever their relationship with you and a couple of months later the information returns to your credit report. Now what are you going to do? Your options are to leave the negative information and suffer for 7-10 years or hire someone, again, to remove the information, again. A reputable company will stay with you for the FULL 18 months (I told you this number would come up again). This allows them to continuously monitor your credit reports and remove any negative that may re-insert itself after the initial sanitizing.

8: What other services do they offer? If they are a legitimate
company, they will have rescources that will help you to re-establish yourself in the financial world. Things like the ability to help obtain a debit card even if you can't open a checking or savings account. (Yes, believe it or not, it can be done!) Can you call their credit advisors any time for advice? Is legal representation available if you have to go to court against the credit reporting agencies? ASK! If the company is letgitimate, they will have a team of lawyers that will handle these kinds of legal matters for the duration of your contract.

9: Does their contract advise you of your rights? If not, why?
Because they don't know the laws! And if they don't know the laws that are designed to protect you, how can you expect them to know the complexities of the Fair Credit Reporting Act which has 340 different laws?

10: Is there a money back guarantee? In this business refunds are usually prorated. In other words, if you have 50 negative things on your reports and they can only have 30 removed, you are refunded 40% of your money since they were able to get 60% of the information removed. If there is no money back offer, run away! A company that has faith in their services will offer to refund the money if they can't do the work.

I hope this information helps people out there who are confused about credit restoration programs.

If you have any questions regarding your credit, you may email me at [e-mail]

Answer 5

You need to try a credit repair company to help you. It does cost money, but it's worth it. This company helped my husband when we were looking for a house. http://creditrepair.divinfo.com/