The truth of the matter is that it's not okay. Having poor credit can devastate your life style. In today's society, your credit speaks for you. It is how you are viewed and judged.



Whether you are trying to buy a home, refinance a home, apply for a credit card, even a cell phone, it will be necessary to have satisfactory credit. However, there are some legitimate companies that specialize in working with individuals with poor credit.

The down fall to this is that you suffer from extremely high interest rates and low lending amounts. Most individuals with poor credit opt to take advantage of these opportunities, which usually result in more debt and credit beyond repair.

Managing your credit is the key to your financial success. There are various programs available to help you understand, manage and repair your credit. However, these programs come at an expense.

You may opt to pursue this goal yourself, with out the help of a professional. This option will save you money and help you gain ample knowledge about your credit and how to manage it.

In all honesty, there is nothing that a credit repair agency can do to repair your credit; that you can't do yourself.

Here are a few basic steps to repairing your credit:

* 1. The first step to repairing your credit is to order a copy of your credit report. You can obtain a copy of your credit report, by contacting the three major credit bureaus:

Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc

P.O. Box 740241

Atlanta, GA 30374

1-800-685-1111

www.equifax.com

Experian Credit Information

P.O. Box 9532

Allen, TX 75013

1-888 397 3742

www.experian.com

TransUnion

P.O. Box 2000

Chester, PA 19022

1-800-916-8800

www.transunion.com

* 2. The second step is to check your credit report for inaccurate information; such as: Collections or debts which have been paid and never updated.

You may also check for inaccurate charge amounts and duplicate items. These are common mistakes made by the credit agency and or the creditor. If you are aware of any mistakes, dispute the information with the credit bureau immediately. They will perform an investigation and have the information updated.

* 3. The third step is to avoid more debt. It is important not to over exceed your budget. Your total debt should not over exceed 45% of your income. This will include, current living expenses, credit cards, car loans and personal expenses, such as: cell phones, pagers, etc.

This list contains just a few of the many steps you can take to repair your credit. The wise scenario to take is to manage your credit and not let it become damaged.

The fact is that repairing your credit will take time and effort. However, getting back on track will make all of your hard work and time spent worth it.