2008 December

Should I start a credit repair service?

On December 13, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

shai asked:

I have been aswering questions for people on and off of the Internet and I have gotten at least twelve people asking me to help them with their finances. I am thinking it might be worth it to start a credit repair company. Most people are willing to pay $50 -$70 a month for my services. What should I do?

Aida

Finding the Right Credit Repair Company

On December 13, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Christina Costa asked:

If you have decided to fix your bad credit, there are credit repair companies that can help. This is a big decision and not one you should take lightly. On average, a credit repair company will charge you a few hundred dollars and their program usually takes a year to complete.

You don’t want to pick the wrong company and find yourself deeper in debt and nowhere closer to improving your credit. On the other hand, if you find a great company to help you that might be one of the smartest financial decisions you can make!

Let’s first of all take a look at what you should hope a credit repair service will do for you. Take a look at your credit and ask yourself what you think needs to improve. Credit repair goes beyond disputes with your credit companies and the credit bureaus.

Credit repair has been seen as something that is repairing the credit report. Now, working to repair your bad credit can also help to fix your credit report. You have rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to dispute any items that you feel are inaccurate.

This part of repairing your credit has been very beneficial to people who have incomplete or inaccurate information on their credit reports. This will of course only help your credit score once you get the items corrected.

This is just the beginning, repairing your credit. Although some people are not satisfied with just working to correct their credit reports. If you find a reputable credit repair company then they should also work with your creditors to have them stop reporting negative accounts.

Another thing they should do for you is contact collection agencies to have them stop reporting negative accounts. Some credit repair companies will even dispute some debts reported and find out how legitimate those claims really are.

Now, it depends on each individual credit situation just how well a credit repair company can help you. Some people might only want to get help on fixing their credit reports, while others need more extensive help and look for a company that provides full credit repair service.

Here is an important question most people ask, how can you tell if this is a reputable credit repair company? There has been a bad rep given to this industry because of many scams that have taken place. Fortunately, the fraudulent companies have been shut down. I think it is still necessary that you take some precaution and figure out if you have found a legitimate company before working with them.

Familiarize yourself with some of the laws that surround credit repair companies. The Credit Repair Organizations Act was drafted to protect you, the consumer, from any credit repair scams. They also protect your right to get any help with credit repair for your report.

There is always the Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports, they keep all complaint on file made against companies. If there are multiple complaints against a company or a low rating, proceed with caution.

Also, if you come across a company that does not list “credit repair” in their services on the BBB then also be wary of them. The nice thing about the BBB is that they have high standards for credit repair companies. If you have found a company that is possibly fraudulent, the give away is that they have not listed “credit repair” with the BBB.

As with anything you do, concerning your finances and credit, take the time to do some research. There are many reputable companies available and thanks to the internet you can find them within minutes of searching! Credit repair is possible for everyone and good credit is definitely in your future.

Monica

Tagged with: Credit Help • Credit Situation

Easy Credit Repair Kit

On December 9, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Eddie Delgado asked:

pair products are on an all time high because this market is getting bigger and bigger every day. The fall in economy is making it hard for people to repay back on time, which deteriorates their credit reports. Hence, more and more people want to repair their credit reports. An easy credit repair kit is a good way to do this. Most of these products are claimed to be best and they come in different forms like videos, books, DVDs or CDs and even computer software. The credit repair books are most widely used method. These books can be a breath of relief for people with poor credit score. With the guidance from these books, an individual can come to know what he got to do and how he should do things to fix his bad credit.

The most widely read book regarding this is “The Credit Repair Kit” By John Ventura. It costs around $15 and is easily found on Amazon.com. You can even buy the used copy of book for $1 only. This book is considered as one of the front runners in improving credit scores and this is the reason it has received very good reviews too.

This book educates people about basics related to credit like how to solve the credit problems, it what are credit exposure agencies and also provide the detailed information on how to receive and read your credit report. Most readers are average people willing to improve the credit ratings and are surely not experts. Hence, this easy credit repair kit guides them well to fix their credit scores.

The Internet has opened new doors and possibilities are immense. Countless books on credit repair are easily available on the World Wide Web. The best thing is that you just need to download them and can read them from the comfort of your home.

Other most commonly used way in credit repair kit are the software tools for credit repair. They can be easily installed on the PC. Some of these softwares are so advanced that they have built in servers that automatically connect you to the credit reporting agencies and verify the information itself. These softwares make tracking your credit status easy

When you are thinking of purchasing an easy credit repair kit, keep the following pointers in mind. The kit should:

• Guide you to read the credit report.

• Explain the working of agencies and the ways by which they access and collect individual’s credit report information.

• Teach you many ways to fix your credit score.

• Teach you about the ways to approach credit reporting agency in case of any disputes or errors on your report.

• Teach you about the ways to handle identity theft issues.

• Teach you the ways to improve the credit ratings.

• Have tools that help you stay away from credit problems forever.

For easy tips and techniques visit Easy Credit Repair Kit.

Nadine

Tagged with: Credit Repair Books • People With Poor Credit

does anyone know any good credit repair services?

On December 8, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

helovesmeve asked:

i have really bad credit and i wanna fix my credit.i cannot get a cell phone with my bad credit or a loan.so does anyone know any good and low cost credit repair services.plz answer my question.

Garland

Tagged with: Credit Repair Services • Fix My Credit

Do credit repair programs really work?

On December 7, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

snwbrdr960 asked:

I came across some programs offered by, ex-bankers, ex-credit bureau agents that offer tactics and software that enable you to repair your credit. They claim to be able to create a new credit file. Anyone know if they work? What happens to your old credit file?

Brittney

Tagged with: Credit Bureau • Credit Repair Programs • New Credit File

5 Quick and Easy Steps to Do Credit Repair yourself

On December 6, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Alex Navas asked:

ough economy, when every dollar counts, it is crucial to learn how to do credit repair yourself. Each and every day, thousands of desperate people are needlessly running to credit repair agencies spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars trying to get their credit up to par.

But it really isn’t that difficult at all to repair credit yourself if you know the basic things that most credit repair services would otherwise do for you for a fee.

If you aren’t aware of those simple actions, here are 5 quick and easy steps to do credit repair yourself.

1. Access a copy of your credit report – you are entitled to a copy of your credit report for free once a year. You can access it in the mail, by phone, or even online. Although you get this free credit report, be sure to also get your credit scores along with your report, as this is the foundation for doing credit repair for yourself.

2. Check your credit report for errors – this is one of the biggest factors that credit repair agencies bank on – the mistakes that can you easy remove yourself while you’re in the process of credit repair. Look for wrong addresses, wrong social security numbers, accounts with balances that you’ve already paid off, and even accounts with late payments that were actually made on time.

3. Negotiate account payoffs – here’s another area that you are typically charged for by credit repair agencies which you can avoid by doing the credit repair yourself. All you have to do is call your creditors on collection or past due accounts and ask them to settle with you. Just let them know that you will pay off the balance, but that you are only able to pay a certain amount. If the creditor agrees, you have just saved a few hundred dollars and you now have a zero balance on that account.

4. Raise your credit limits – you may be asking yourself, “How can raising your credit limits help when you are doing credit repair yourself?” The magic about this is that 30 percent of your credit score is directly impacted by the balance on your account compared to the limit on that account. So there is only two ways to change this aspect of your credit score. Either you pay down the balance or you raise up the credit limit. Either can give you an equal result when doing credit repair yourself.

5. Continue monitoring your credit score – here’s where most people miss it big time. They take the initial actions to repair their credit themselves, but then they never follow up to be certain that those actions really helped their credit scores. That’s the pitfall of doing credit repair yourself; you may not have a good system for following through until you get the results in your credit that you are looking for. The best tool to use here is a calendar and simply putting reminders every one to two months to check your credit report and credit scores again.

As you can see, these are all simple steps that will guide you along the way to do the credit repair yourself. If you can do these 5 simple steps, then you have just saved yourself hundreds of dollars by not having others do it for you.

Victoria

Tagged with: Credit Check • Credit Repair Services • Creditors

Credit Repair Quick Start Guide

On December 6, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Jim Kemish asked:

Credit repair and Your Payments

You have decided to repair your credit. You need to make sure that all of your payments are made on time from now on. Make sure your finances are organized and that there is enough room in your budget for the occasional unexpected expense. Credit repair requires effort and you don’t want to slip backwards. Credit repair can transform your life; make the right effort and you will be richly rewarded.

Review Your Credit Reports

Get copies of all three of your credit reports. You can get them online at AnnualCreditReport.com for free one time each 12 months. This website is government mandated and is the only place where you can get your reports for free. All of the other websites that advertise free credit reports require you to join a monthly service; there is value in these monthly services, but make sure you know what you are buying. Once you have your reports it’s time to start your credit repair project.

Correct Your Account Limits

Credit repair can be daunting. I suggest you take one manageable step at a time. Begin by proofreading the credit limits on your revolving accounts. A significant part of your credit scores are based on the ratio of your current revolving balances to your credit limits. Many credit card issuers underreport these limits and inadvertently harm your credit scores. Put your credit repair plan into action. If you discover any underreported limits communicate the issue to the creditor and provide a copy of a credit card statement to the credit bureaus.

Eliminate Extraneous Accounts

Examine your reports for extraneous accounts. These can include closed and paid accounts that are reporting as open with balances. You should also look for duplicate accounts. Take your time. Credit repair requires a little patience. A duplicate account with no derogatory information may blend into the background, but can have a negative impact on your credit scores. Duplicate accounts are common occurrences and can be easily rectified with a bit of credit repair. The credit bureaus rather than the creditors most often cause these errors, so a letter to the offending bureau ought to do the trick.

Challenge Collections

The collection industry may be the largest single contributor to credit reporting errors and well worth your credit repair attention. The FTC has made it clear in their elucidation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act that when a collector sells debt to another collector or returns it to the original creditor they should withdraw their reporting of the item. Unfortunately, there is no incentive for compliance and so these erroneous collection accounts continue to report, often for years. Generally speaking, you would be well advised to challenge collections as part of your credit repair project; an easy credit repair task.

Use Debt Validation

If you get a collection letter in the mail open it right away and prepare to respond. For a thirty-day period following receipt of a collection letter you are in the legal drivers seat. Don’t miss this credit repair opportunity. If a stranger knocked on your door and asked for money would you hand it over? I hope not. Don’t give a penny to a collector without validating the debt. You have the right to demand proof from a collector that they have the legal right to collect, and an objective accounting of the amount claimed due; do this within thirty days, and do it in writing.

Know Your Statutes of Limitation

Debts are not collectable forever. If you are embarking on a credit repair effort this is one of the truly important facts to know. Statues of limitation vary based on state and debt type. This information can easily be found on the Internet. Once the statute of limitation has expired a collector can no longer sue you for the debt, and hence cannot get a judgment. Read this credit repair fact carefully. If a debt is beyond the statute of limitation a collector has absolutely no way to enforce collection. This gives you two wonderful credit repair options. You can send them a cease communication letter and you will never hear from them again, or you can contact them to negotiate payment. Once they know you understand your rights they should be happy to settle.

Save for the Future

With all of the effort you are putting into your credit repair project you will want to insure that nothing comes along to send you back to square one. The best credit repair insurance in the world is a healthy saving account. If unexpected expenses arise, and they will, you will not bust your budget if you have some money set aside. Saving also offers some amazing fringe benefits that transcend the obvious, like self-confidence and peace of mind, which can’t be measured, but are definitely priceless. Good luck!

Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Sabrina

Tagged with: Credit Card Statement • Unexpected Expense

What experience(s) has anyone had when using a credit repair/restoration company?

On December 5, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

nebula7693 asked:

I am conducting research on credit restoration/repair companies and scam artists. Anyone who reads my posts knows that I am a proponent of credit restoration. And I support using the three legitimate credit restoration companies in the US. But I would like to hear of any experiences people have had with others. I do not want to hear about Lexington Law. I already have mountains of data on them, and not much of it good. I want to hear about all the others out there. Let me know who you used and what the results were. People who only want to post that credit repair is a scam, please do waste my time with your uneducated claptrap, I want legitimate answers only please.
Thank you for your answer, Rose. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.

Lydia, I am in agreement with most of your answer, but I was just wondering what question are you answering? You posted it in the wrong place. Your answer has nothing to do with my question.

Clayton

what can a credit repair service do that i cant do myself?

On December 4, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Im listening asked:

What is it that credit repair agecies do to get things removed that i cant do myself. I have appt. with a repair agent but am on the ropes on wether i want to use the service or not. I mean he says it will take 45days to get things removed which sounds like he is just writing dispute letters.

Charles

Tagged with: Credit Repair Service • Dispute Letters

Undertaking Credit Repair On Your Own (What To Do And What Not To Do)

On December 4, 2008, in Credit Repair, by admin

Bobby Pavel asked:

If you have recently been turned down for a loan, or for a new credit card, you may be in need of credit repair. Being denied credit is often the result of a bad credit report, which can happen in two circumstances. You have either managed your credit poorly, which has reflected in your credit report; or your credit file has some erroneous items, thus negatively impacting your report. In either situation, it is vital that you undertake credit repair as soon as possible.

TO DO:

Here is a strategy to help with your credit repair. You can do this on your own and can thus repair your credit for free.

•Request a copy of your credit report from any one of the 3 credit bureaus. If this is your first request of the year, you will be given the report for free.

•Once you have your report, examine it closely. You have to study all the entries and mark all those which are incorrect and which are damaging your credit worthiness.

•After you have determined the wrong entries, you have to contact the credit reporting agencies and tell them to delete the erroneous entries from your report.

•Even if there are some correct entries in your credit report, but these are negative in nature, you could still get them removed. This would go a long way in ensuring credit repair. There is a certain time limit for which negative entries can stay on your report (usually between 7 and 10 years). If such time limit has passed, you should write to the credit bureaus to delete the negative items from your report.

•Ensure that all your correspondence with the credit companies and agencies is through registered mail. This way, you have proof of your requests and also when exactly you initiated the process of your credit repair. Keeping a record will also help you in case any deleted entry is re-included in your report anytime in the future.

•Within 30 days, some action should have been taken regarding the wrong items on your report. If the credit bureaus determine that the entries were in fact wrong, they will remove it from your report, thus bringing about the credit repair that you were after.

In case the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, you should continue challenging the items on your report till such time that credit repair has indeed occurred.

NOT TO DO:

People whose credit score is low or who have a bad credit report often try desperate means to repair credit and thus end up hurting their credit even more. Most of the information available on credit score repair and credit report repair tells you what to do to restore good credit. However, we will tell you about some of the things that you should NOT do in order to repair bad credit.

1.File Segregation: Many credit repair companies lure people with the false promises of bad credit repair by telling them that they can create a new credit file for them by issuing them a new identity. This is known as file segregation. However, you need to understand that such a process is not legal and can even put you behind bars if you try to segregate your credit file to repair bad credit. Thus, no matter what any credit repair company tells you – things like you will not be able to get any loans or even a credit card for the next few years, or that you will not be able to get a job etc; under no circumstances should you agree to the process of file segregation to repair bad credit.

2.Deleting accurate information from credit report: Some credit repair agencies make claims to people that they can repair credit by getting accurate information of a negative nature deleted from their credit reports, thus improving their credit rating. However, this simply cannot be done. Only inaccurate information can be removed from a credit report and not accurate data, unless such data is older than 7 to 10 years. Thus, you should not trust anyone who tells you that they can repair bad credit by removing negative items from your credit report.

3.Advance Payments: No credit repair agency is legally allowed to ask for advance payments. They can only charge for services that have already been given and not beforehand. Thus, you should NOT be taken in by any company who wants high advance payments.

Marcie

Tagged with: Credit Repair • Credit Report

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