If you try to fix your credit alone it can be frustrating to say the least. Many times no matter how hard you work it will seem like you are not making any headway. The best thing to do if you feel that your best efforts have gained you nothing is to look into a credit repair service. Credit repair services have counselors that are trained and experienced in credit repair and have resources at hand that are not available to a typical consumer.
Credit repair services are not new but in this era of over-spending, and easy credit they have become more prominent is our society. There are many companies to choose from so you will have to do a little research to find the company that is right for you.
You will want to find a person or company with as much experience as possible to help you get your credit back on track. A good credit service will be able to get your credit back to where it was when you first started getting credit. One of the main things they do to help your credit is to have erroneous and outdated information removed from your credit report. Some of the items they can have removed are charge-offs, bankruptcy, judgments, liens and other items that are still showing on your report although the time has passed when they should have been removed.
In today's world your credit rating is the first thing that creditors and even employers look to judge you when you are looking to get a loan, a job or other products and services. The theory is that if you pay your bills and keep your credit score high you are reliable if you do not then you are not reliable. Therefore, if you have a low credit score you can be passed over for credit, jobs, and other services. Even if you are a good well-meaning person that got into trouble through no fault of your own a low credit score will reflect badly on you. This is why you need credit repair services to fix your credit report.
Many people can have erroneous or outdated information on their credit report and not even be aware of it. This is where a credit repair specialist can step in contact the credit bureaus and have the disputed information removed. It will take the bureaus 30 days to respond to the dispute. At this time, the information can be removed if it comes back in your favor if not the credit repair service will investigate the information and see why it cannot be removed.
You will need to divulge all of your financial history and records to the credit repair service so that they can do their job properly. When they have all the proper information it will make it faster and easier to have your credit history repaired.
Having bad information removed from your credit history is very effective and can have your credit score on the rebound shortly following the removal of the information. Everyone should check his or her credit report at least once a year to ensure that no erroneous information has been added to your credit history.
Negative Items From Credit Report
Negative information concerning your use of credit can be kept in your credit report for seven years. A bankruptcy can be kept for 10 years, and unpaid tax liens for 15 years. Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. Inquiries remain on your report for two years.
Anyone who denies you credit, housing, insurance, or a job as a result of a credit report must give you the name, address, and telephone number of the Credit Reporting Agency (CRA) that provided the report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to request a free report within 60 days if a company denies you credit based on the report.
If there is inaccurate or incomplete information in your credit report:
Contact both the credit reporting agency and the company that provided the information to the CRA.
Tell the CRA in writing what information you believe is inaccurate.
Under The Fair Credit Reporting Act, the information provider is required to investigate and report the results to the CRA. If the information is found to be incorrect, it must notify all nationwide CRAs to correct your file. If the investigation does not solve your dispute, ask that your statement concerning the dispute be included in your file. A notice of your dispute must be included anytime the CRA reports the negative item.
If the information is accurate, only time, hard work, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report. Credit repair companies advertise they can erase bad credit for a hefty fee. Don't believe it.
Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies can't require you to pay until they have completed promised services. They must also give you:
A copy of the "Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law" before you sign a contract
A written contract that spells out your rights and obligations
Three days to cancel without paying any fees
Some credit repair companies promise to help you establish a whole new credit identity.
You can be charged with fraud if you use the mail or telephone to apply for credit with false information. It is also a federal crime to make false statements on a loan or credit application, to give a false Social Security number, or to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretences.
If you have lost money to a credit repair scam, contact your state or local consumer affairs office or the National Fraud Information Center.
Both Joseph Feross & Lar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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