My credit report is outdated reflecting a negative score. Are there any companies to hire to help correct?

Question

I have a (really) bad credit score. I earned it in the late 90s (right after graduating college '97 - '99). Seven years have gone by but nothing has dropped off. I realize I need to start writing all the letters to the credit reporting agencies and get it updated and accurate. But I wanted to see if there were any companies out there that would write the letters and "fight the battle" to get my credit report updated and corrected. The normal credit repair companies are not really helpful as I am looking to have outdated items removed versus consolidation or payoffs.

Any advice?

Thank you!!

Answer 1

Don't waste your money on a company to clean up your credit report. They don't work very well.

Negatives actually stay on your credit report for 7 years plus 180 days -- so it's more like 7-1/2 years from the date of last activity (DOLA).

Get a copy of your report from each of the three credit bureaus. Follow the directions to dispute. Within 45 days, you should have a response. Some of your antique debt will come off right away and some won't. It depends on whether the creditor responds to the bureaus request for verification.

Wait about 3 months and send a dispute for any remaining antique debt.

If the bad debt is that old, it isn't really impacting our credit score that much anymore. If you've been paying all your bills on time, you should have a decent score in spite of the old negatives.

Answer 2

The best way to get that stuff removed is to buy your credit report for $10 from the major three, then use online disputes and say that every item that is old is outdated. If you get you report free they have 45 days to correct and investigate the item, but if you pay for it, they have 30 days. Most of the time, that stuff stays on until you say something. In my case, I started disputing stuff and raised my credit score 60+ points in about 3 months and immediately received credit offers and better interest rates. Even if there are legit items on your report. Dispute by saying that you have no knowledge of that account. This means that the credit company has to verify SSN, name, date of account, amount of account, etc. A lot of stuff. If you just dispute the amount or say it was paid, it is much easier for the credit company to come back and say they are right, they don't have to verify all that stuff. Don't hire a company, because you can do this easily without submitting a ton of paperwork. If there is stuff that just won't fall off, then get ready to dig for some paperwork to prove you are right. In my case, experian and transunion had my wrong birthdate, SSN variation and tons of wrong addresses. Check everything and dispute everything, all they can do is say no. Good luck.

Answer 3

I agree with every other post - keep in mind though, credit reports are never "outdated" - your credit report is "updated" constantly, every time you use credit. If there is an error on your credit report, you can file a dispute to have it removed.

Your best bet is to start paying off your old debts, and stay on time with your new ones. Rip up your credit cards and live within your means - the mountain will slowly become a hill, the hill will slowly become a mound, and soon enough that mound will be gone.

Answer 4

I have been to "many" different credit repair sites on the web. Some were pretty good and some were pretty bad. I refuse to use a websitemy rights and using them.Don't pay for information that you can find for free.

Answer 5

There is no such thing as a negative credit score.

You can have a LOW score, but not a negative.

A company cannot do anything you cannot do yourself....they are all scammers in my opinion.