There are millions of people in the world that have poor credit, so first and foremost, realize you are not alone! However, having bad credit is not beneficial to your financial future. I intend on explaining to you the reasoning for this, as well as helping you find the right solution for your credit problems. There is light at the end of the tunnel! There is a way to free yourself and your family from financial burden, read on to find out.

Credit is an ongoing problem in the United States, and to help rectify the situation, several types of debt consolidation companies and law firms have become available. According to Trinity Credit Services, "The average American with less than perfect credit spends an extra 30-40% per month in higher interest rates."1 Do you want to be the average American? I would hope not! An alternative resource to using a credit repair agency is a debt relief attorney. Keep in mind, all of the services offered by credit repair agencies and attorneys are steps you can take yourself, if you make the time to do so. The process is simple, however also time consuming. Your first step would be to search online for your credit report. You will discover there are several avenues to take to obtaining a free report covering all three of the major agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Any way you choose to go, here are some questions to keep in mind:

Is the company/firm licensed and bonded?

What is their Better Business Bureau rating?

How long have they been in business?

Can you physically go to their office and arrange a consultation?

Do they charge for a consultation?

Do they use a multi-stage process or the single process of letter writing?

If you choose to use a debt attorney rather than an agency, several options can be

located on the internet, just type "debt repair attorney" in the search box. What you will find is that there are many firms offering the same services, so you will begin to wonder why you should choose one over the other. The previously mentioned food for thought will help you figure out which service best fits your needs. Good credit goes a very long way in today's economy. Just think about a few reasons you would like to have good credit. Would you feel more financially secure? How about more disciplined with your spending?

Words from the mouth of Steven Covey have stuck with me through the years of credit woes, and through my journey to financial freedom. Covey, author of the book, "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," identifies the first three habits as lessons to improve your self-discipline. Covey emphasizes a change in one's personal habits as the start of the journey to success. So, I will recommend the same. Sit down with a spreadsheet and map your spending. Plug those values into a budget calculator, and try to cut back in areas that are not necessary. For example, if you're spending $100 on dry cleaning, become more disciplined in changing and hanging your work clothes when you get home so they can be worn again before needing to be cleaned. Simple tasks like this will begin to save you a good chunk of money before you realize it. When the end of the month comes, and you have only spent $40 on dry cleaning, put the other $60 into a savings account for your children's college education, or a nice vacation for yourself. You will see the money grow at a rate you cannot even fathom! The three major credit bureaus are:

Equifax:

Experian:

TransUnion:

3-in-1 Report:

Here's to unleashing the path to your financial success! Good luck!