credit report - How to Repair Bad Credit

Many businesses have sprung up to offer assistance to those who need credit repair help. There are credit repair specialists, credit repair lawyers, credit repair kits and credit repair counseling; the list goes on and on. Consumers who are confused about how to repair bad credit are even more confused by this vast array of services and items which are supposed to help. There are certain things that you can keep in mind which may help you choose between credit repair counseling and other products. Credit repair is a very individual thing. Everyone has different issues and therefore has different needs. The first stop in a "how to repair bad credit guide" should be at www.annualcreditreport.com. At this website the consumer can view his or her credit reports. This is the basis of your credit score. The FICO score is all that most lenders look at these days and many decisions are made by computer, but the information recorded on your credit report affects your FICO score. Before you get credit repair counseling or some other service, check your credit report for inaccurate information. The credit bureaus know how to repair bad credit, but they will not help you much. You must report any inaccurate information that you see to them. Even people who have excellent credit need to keep an eye on their credit reports. Identity theft is fairly common and can ruin a person's credit rating. If you believe that you may have been a victim of identity theft, then you should notify the credit bureaus immediately and have them put a "fraud alert" on your account. Many people get credit repair counseling and consumer credit counseling confused. They are not the same thing. Consumer Credit Counseling Services, which are non-profit organizations, do many things to help consumers create a workable budget and pay off their debt, but they do not provide information about how to repair bad credit. Some "for profit" companies have chosen names similar to "Consumer Credit Counseling Services" in order to attract business. So if you are in need of credit counseling, rather than credit repair counseling, it is recommended that you learn about their fees up front. Even the "non-profits" charge a fee, but it is far less than that charged by the "for profits". If a credit repair counseling service is not associated with a law firm, the consumer should get the details of what services they are offering; what is included in their "how to repair bad credit plan". Some credit repair counseling includes explaining what the consumer needs to do to repair his or her own credit; have negative items removed from the credit reports, make sure all information is accurate and up to date and include a consumer statement, sometimes called a "hundred word statement". This information is also available in books, software programs and so-called credit repair kits. People who want to know how to repair bad credit and do not have limited finances often choose to spend twenty dollars or so to buy the information and attempt the process themselves. This can be frustrating and time consuming, but it may pay off in the end. Credit repair counseling services that recommend "file segregation", changing social security numbers or using an employer ID number should be avoided because of the legality of these options. The Federal Trade Commission recommends that consumers beware of any credit repair counseling service that promises results in a very short period of time. You may want to know how to repair bad credit, but you do not want to waste money or end up with legal problems. For more information about how to repair bad credit, visit the Credit Repair Blog. For more information about credit repair counseling, visit the Credit Repair Blog at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patsy_Rose credit report - Credit Repair - It's All About Saving Money Why is credit repair important? It comes down to one simple thing - saving money. Everyone has a credit report. It turns out that about 70% of all credit reports contain inaccurate or untimely information. This can have an adverse effect on your credit score and that can cost you money. Credit repair is the process you undertake to remove or correct these errors on your credit report. The great thing about repairing your credit is it's not difficult to do. The first step is to obtain a copy of your credit report. If you have been turned down for a loan or credit, you are entitled to a free credit report within 60 days of the rejection. You are also entitled to 1 free report from each of the 3 credit reporting agencies each year. The next step is to let the credit reporting agency know in writing what information you think is inaccurate and request that it be removed or corrected. Make sure you send the letter by certified mail so you have a receipt with a record of when you sent it. Always keep copies of your letters. The credit reporting agencies have 30 days to investigate your dispute and get back to you. If they find the information under dispute to be inaccurate, they must notify all three credit reporting agencies and the creditor or organization that provided the information. All of them must correct the information in your file. When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting agency will provide you with the results and a copy of your updated credit report for your review. If the investigation does not resolve the issue, you can request to have a statement of the dispute added to your file and on future credit reports. Then you need to send a letter to the creditor or organization that provided the inaccurate information, telling them that you dispute their information. Include all documents that support your position. If the creditor reports the information to a credit reporting agency, it must also include a notice of the dispute. So why go through this exercise? Your credit score determines how much interest you pay on loans or credit. If you add up how much interest you pay on your car loan, home mortgage and insurance, you can see just how much money is at stake - it can be thousands, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It can even determine if you get a job or not. Credit repair is vital in making sure your credit report is accurate so you can save money - sometimes a great deal of money.