Online credit reports are an easy way to learn what potential lenders will see about us, before we apply for a loan or credit. All too often, our early mismanagement of credit, like during our irresponsible youth, winds up hurting us for years. We get negative information on a credit report that could ruin our chances of getting additional credit long after we have begun managing credit more wisely.
So, if you’re considering making a major financial move it’s a good idea to check your credit report to know where you stand. That way you can be aware of problems before they derail your plans. And once you are aware of these problems, you can take steps to rebuild damaged credit and clean up that record.
If you’ve made mistakes in paying previous loans, bouncing checks, making late payments or other problems, you may still be able to reduce the amount of damage they will do to your credit with explanations or some basic repair. The first step is getting copies of your credit reports. Luckily, obtaining an online credit reports is easy. There are many companies on the Internet that will provide you with a copy of your credit report free of charge. Visit to learn more about getting your free copy of your credit report.
You can also get a copy of your credit report by requesting a copy directly from each of the three major national credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Checking your credit through the credit bureaus directly can cost you as much as $9 per report, although it differs from state to state. You can request that the report be mailed to you or obtain it online. But with so many options available for a free credit report - why pay for the same information that you can get without having to spend a dime?
But regardless of how you obtain a copy of your credit report, the most important thing is that you get a copy for yourself, review it and make sure that it is the best it can be. Then begin working to resolve any activity that can be repaired. The sooner you get a copy of your credit report, the sooner you can begin improving your credit.
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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.
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This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To get your free credit report and to learn more about credit reports please visit: http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com today!

Your personal credit report is an electronic record of your credit activities. These activities include borrowing money to buy a car, applying for a loan or credit card and your payment history of the loans you have taken. Every time you apply for credit or a loan, potential lenders use this report to see how you use credit and how much of it you have available.

According to TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus, there are four main areas of content in your personal credit report: Identifying information, credit history, public records, and credit inquiries. Your credit report also shows any current credit that you have. This includes amounts owed, amounts available, like on a credit card or other form of revolving credit and payment amounts on installment loans.

When lenders evaluate your loan request they use the information on this report to generate your credit rating. The higher this rating, the more likely you will receive the loan and at more favorable terms. If you are planning on applying for credit anytime soon, it’s a good idea to take a look at your credit report before the people reviewing your application do. This will ensure that you aren’t caught off guard by any unpleasant surprises that may be on your credit report. Many people have found errors on their credit report that were bringing down their credit score.

Luckily, getting a copy of your credit report is easy and if you request it from the right place it can also be free! A quick Internet search will direct you to many reputable companies that will provide you with a copy of your credit report free of charge. We recommend visiting www.credit-report-credit-score.com to learn more about credit and to obtain a free copy of your credit report.

If you find errors or false information on your credit report, they can be disputed and corrected. However, correcting these mistakes can sometimes be a lengthy process. That is why it is the best idea to keep a watchful eye on your credit report activity at all times in addition to checking it before you plan to apply for credit or a loan. That way, if any errors ever do make their way on to your credit report you can save valuable time by correcting them before you are ready to apply for your next loan.

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Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.

This article was written by Beth Pardue who has over 10 years of experience in the financial industry assisting clients with assorted financial needs. To get your free credit report and to learn more about credit reports please visit: http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com

Inaccuracies on credit reports cost consumers thousands of dollars every year. Approximately 80% of Americans have inaccuracies on their credit reports. What causes these inaccuracies? How do they affect your ability to purchase with credit or obtain a job? What can you do about these inaccurate items?

A recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, for example, found that four out of every five credit reports contained errors, and one in four “contained errors serious enough to result in the denial of credit or denial of an employment application.”

Among the major credit report accuracy findings of the survey:

Twenty-nine percent (29%) of the credit reports contained serious errors - false delinquencies or accounts that did not belong to the consumer - that could result in the denial of credit;

Forty-one percent (41%) of the credit reports contained personal demographic identifying information that was misspelled, long-outdated, belonged to a stranger, or was otherwise incorrect;

Twenty percent (20%) of the credit reports were missing major credit, loan, mortgage, or other consumer accounts that demonstrate the creditworthiness of the consumer;

Twenty-six percent (26%) of the credit reports contained credit accounts that had been closed by the consumer but incorrectly remained listed as open;

Altogether, 70% of the credit reports contained either serious errors or other mistakes of some kind. Among the survey’s major access to credit report findings:

Of the consumers that did obtain their credit reports, at least 14% of them were forced to call back 3 or more times after receiving busy signals or had to write a letter in order to receive their report; and 12% of the consumers waited two weeks or longer to receive their report once they finished requesting it. It took more than a month for one California man to receive his report.

Overall, 15% of consumers who attempted to participate in the survey either made at least 3 phone calls and never got through or requested their reports but never received them.

According to a study by the Consumer Federation of America and the National Credit Reporting Association four percent of the cases showed that consumers had a margin of at least 100 points between the three credit bureau scores. The causes of these errors are many: typographical, merging of consumer information by creditors, similar names or residences of consumers, or incomplete information provided by lenders.

Doug Parker, CEO
RMCN Credit Services, Inc.
888.469.7372
http://RepairMyCreditNow.com

1. Deleting Errors in 48 Hours

This is the absolute fastest way to correct errors on your credit
report and raise your credit score. However, it can only be done
through a mortgage company or a bank. If you apply for a home
loan and find errors on your credit report, request the loan
officer to conduct a Rapid Rescore. But don’t mistake it for the
credit clinic tactic of multiple dispute letters.

The Rapid Rescore strategy requires proper paperwork. You need
proof that the item is incorrect. It must come from the creditor
directly. For example, a letter stating the account is not your
account, a letter stating the account was paid satisfactorily,
a release of lien, a satisfaction of judgment, a bankruptcy
discharge, a letter for deletion of collection account or any
relevant evidence.

This is the same documentation a bank or mortgage company would
require for the credit accounts anyways. The difference is, now
you can improve your credit score and receive a lower interest
rate. The results are not guaranteed and will run you about $50
per account.

2. Deleting Negative Credit

This is the infamous area where you’ve heard of all the scams.
credit repair clinics charge “an arm and a leg” and promise a
clean credit report. Sometimes even a new credit profile! People
spending hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for something
they can do themselves.

Removing errors is simple. Deleting negative credit that is
accurate requires advanced methods. But that is not the scope
of this report. So I’ll focus on the deleting the negative
errors.

Credit report errors easily disappear by using a simple dispute
letter. If you have the paperwork proving the error as mentioned
above in Rapid Rescore, send copies of that along with the
dispute letter. This will make the credit bureau’s job easier and
you will get faster results.

If you don’t have the documentation to prove the error(s), send
the dispute letter anyway. According to federal law, the credit
bureau’s have a “reasonable time” to validate your claim. They
will contact the creditor for verification of your dispute. Then
the account will be reported accurately - or deleted. It has been
generally accepted the “reasonable time” to complete this task is
30 days.

If you’re not the do-it-yourself kind of person. Or don’t have
the time. You could hire someone who is very economical.

3. PiggyBack Someone’s Credit

This is a fast and great little credit score booster. But it
requires a very trusting relationship. Simply put, someone else
adds you to their credit account. For example, when applying for
a credit card, you may have seen the section to add a card holder.
If your trusting person adds you, their payment history is now
reported on your credit report too. If they have perfect credit,
now you have a perfect account.

To make this more effective, use an aged account. Imagine if your
trusted person has a 10 year old credit card account with a
perfect payment history and a balance of only 50% of the credit
limit. Wouldn’t you love to have this on your credit report? The
easy part is your trusted person just calls the credit card
company and requests a form to add a cardholder. Once completed
and activated, their entire account history and future is now
firmly planted on your account. Imagine if you secured 3-5 of
these accounts - especially installment accounts. Your credit
score could sky-rocket!

The challenging part? Finding the trusted person. Since you already
have a low credit score and bad credit, how eager will someone be
to make you a cardholder? Even your parents don’t want you to
damage their credit. But, no one says you need to possess the card!
In other words, your trusted person could add you as a card holder
and never give you the card or PIN or any information. Since the
bills and all account information is still mailed to the trusted
person’s address, you won’t know anything about the account. This
scenario could land you many trusted persons. And you still benefit
with a higher credit score.

4. Playing Round Robin

This strategy is one of the oldest credit building techniques
around. It used to be accomplished with secured savings accounts.
But now, it’s much easier with secured credit cards. In fact,
I’ve used this method myself.

Here’s how it works: Take ,000 (or what you can afford) and get
a secured credit card. Once received, get a cash advance of 70%
of your credit limit. Get a second secured credit card. Once
received, get a cash advance of 70% of your credit limit. Get a
third secured credit card. Once received, get a cash advance of
70% of your credit limit.

Open a new checking account with the final cash advance. Use this
account only for making payments on your three new credit cards.
If you make your payments on time every month, your credit score
will increase because you now have three new perfect payment
credit cards. (Initially, your credit score might drop a few
points due to the rapid, multiple accounts being opened. However,
be patient because within 4 months of no new accounts or any
delinquencies of any account, you will see your credit score
increase. Mine increased 60 points in 60 days!!)

5. Pay on Time

This one is quite obvious. But after 12.5 years in the mortgage
business, I discovered it still needs repeating. Your creditors
were gracious enough to loan you money. Now pay your damn bills!
If you don’t, your credit score decreases. EVEN IF ONLY 30 DAYS
LATE!

That’s right folks. For some reason people think, “I’m only a
few weeks late. What’s the big deal?” Well, for the loan company,
if you pay late but consistent, they make a lot more money with
late fees and more interest (if a simple interest loan). For you,
your credit score is damaged. If you think long-term and credit
score, I’m certain you would not have a cavalier attitude.

6. Pay Down Debts

This seems like an obvious method, doesn’t it? But it is not as
transparent as you might think. Remember, we’re playing with
high-level statistics and probabilities which evaluates and
forecasts trends in your behavior. Here’s what you do…

Never pay off your revolving debt in it’s entirety! Isn’t that a
surprise? Think about it. Your credit score is a reflection of
your ability to manage your credit. Paying off your debt is not
managing your debt. If you have a zero balance, how can you manage
it? You don’t. It no longer exists. And you cannot manage what
does not exist, right? Therefore, in terms of credit score, you
have demonstrated your ability to swiftly pay off accounts to
avoid managing them. Thus, slightly decreasing your credit score.

One exception, of course, is if you’re over extended to begin
with. Pay off what’s necessary to make your credit profile look
great. Then manage the remaining credit.

7. Don’t Close Accounts

Even if you pay off revolving debts, do not close the account.
The longer an account is open with no negative reports, the
better it reflects in your overall credit score. This is due to
the weighted-average in the credit score formula. Many credit
experts suggest a balance of 30% of your credit limit. That’s
ideal. But you can go as high as 70% and still maintain a
healthy credit score.

8. No New Credit

You must be vigilant in your credit behavior if you want the best
credit score. Therefore, do not get any new credit unless it is
absolutely necessary. Each time you apply for credit, an inquiry
is added to your report. This usually drops your credit score
slightly. When you have fresh credit, there is no track record
how you will manage (or pay) this account. Therefore, it’s a
higher risk which results in a minor drop in your credit score.
Remember, your credit score is about risk assessment.

Here’s what you do: obtain credit for your housing, transportation,
college or continued education and 3-5 credit cards. That’s really
all you need for personal credit. If you want more credit, request
a credit limit increase on your current cards rather than apply
for new ones.

9. Maintain A Mix of Credit Types

If you show you can handle different types of credit at the same
time, you are rewarded with a great credit score. In other words,
get installment loans like vehicle, personal loan or mortgage.
Get revolving credit like credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Sears,
Sunoco Gas, Costco. By mixing it up, you demonstrate you can
manage your credit because you will have short term and long term
credit with a fixed payment. As well as a “variable” monthly
payment on your credit cards.

Keep these accounts open with a balance of 70% or less and paid
on time and you will witness your credit score climb to great
heights.

10. Don’t File Bankruptcy or Foreclosure

Here’s the most obvious advice: Don’t file for bankruptcy or
foreclosure. These stay on your credit report for 10 years and
always decrease your credit score. The older the bankruptcy or
foreclosure account becomes, coupled with re-built credit
history, the less of an impact they play on your credit score.

Contrary to popular beliefs, you can legally delete a bankruptcy
and foreclosure. It’s not easy. But it’s possible. See the
advanced methods for that solution.

To quickly rebuild your credit history after a bankruptcy or
foreclosure, use the Round Robin strategy above and get secured
credit cards. Now you can even get a car loan or mortgage right
after bankruptcy.

Jeffrey Cash
http://www.mrquickcash.com/

It seems to be common knowledge today that we are living in a society overwhelmed with debt. Credit card balances are hitting all time highs and in return, people are running into more and more problems with their credit ratings. These circumstances have led to decreased credit scores which lead to increased fees for credit cards, auto insurance, and can even affect you getting a job!

A recent study has shown that nearly 70% of credit reports carry some type of error on them. 70%! Statistics like this is one factor which has resulted in the government allowing Americans the ability to receive a free credit report every year. Americans need to become more aware of what is reported on their credit reports to help decrease these errors.

One business that has begun to flood the web is “credit repair Companies”. There are several different websites, many of them claiming to be law firms, which will charge you numerous fees to clean your credit report for you. Typical tactics used by these credit repair companies are bombarding collection agencies with letters, asking them to remove your negative items. What consumers need to know is that these tactics, which give the credit repair company’s the nickname “Dispute mills”, are not effective in removing negative items! Typically it does nothing more then raise red flags at the collection agency’s and can even make it nearly impossible in the future for you to try to re-dispute an item on your own. Collection Agency’s will see these as what it is, a mass mailing to get negative items removed, and take it as ungrounded reasons to have items removed.

Their tactics and fees are on thing to consider but one previously unmentioned thought may be even more important, identity theft! Identity theft is one of the highest crimes in the country today. When you hire a credit repair company on the internet you may know nothing more about the company then its website address. There first step will be to charge you all kinds of fees, secondly they will want a copy of your credit report so that they can fix your negative items or errors. Now if this is a legitimate law firm or credit repair company, there may be nothing to fear, but what if their not? You just gave someone access to all your personal information including not only your credit card numbers, loan numbers, but your social security number, address and everything that legally makes you�YOU!

For those few reasons you need to understand that you do not need to hire anyone to fix your credit report. You can accomplish the same thins even the best credit repair company can accomplish, by doing it yourself! The people at creditrepairplan.com help you to learn how you can fix your credit effectively, legally and simply. They provide you with a simple step-by-step calendar to follow, sample letters to send to collection companies or creditors, and maybe even more importantly, empower the consumer by informing them of their legal rights when it comes to credit repair.

We shouldn’t become overwhelmed by the process or frustrated by the creditors games. Become informed, learn your rights and regain your credit freedom!

Kimberly Kellish has been involved in the financial market for years. She has taken her years of knoweldge and community involvement and begun a campaign to empower the consumer by educating them about financial issues so they will be able to make more informed decisions about the financial future!

It is no coincidence the recent push by the government and businesses to help you gain access to your credit report. The government has made it law that you are able to view your credit report once a year, free of charge to help consumers repair their credit reports. A recent study has shown that nearly 70% of credit reports carry some type of error on them. This number has led companies to try to persuade the public to take advantage of their free credit report to clear up errors, prevent identity theft and allow them to help improve their overall credit image. Consumers need to take advantage of this and realize, as overwhelming as it may seem, that you need to repair or fix errors on their credit report, avoiding it will in the end be more costly.

One of today’s highest rising crimes is identity theft. Identity theft criminal can take all your personal information use it to gain credit under your name and ruin your financial future for years without you even knowing it. Consumers to need to become aware of their rights to help prevent this from happening to them. Even in taking advantage of your free credit report it may not be enough. You need to learn how you can repair errors if you do find them so they don’t cost you in the future. Take into consideration all the different types of companies that now look at your credit report when considering you, auto or life insurance companies, mortgage companies, rental applications, bank accounts, credit card applications, and even employment hiring practices in many fields now look at your credit score and use that as a portrayal of you as a person. Pretty scary if you don’t even know what is on it.

When you apply for any type of credit card and for some reason are not approved, you are entitled to a copy of the credit report that the company pulled and looked at in consideration of your application. Here is another often missed chance at a free glimpse at your credit report.

If you are unfortunate enough to find errors or negative items on your report you need to become educated on how to effectively and simply get the items removed or at least reported in a more positive manner on your report. This process may initially seem overwhelming and just plain too much work, but if you take advantage of others experience in this area you can fix your credit report yourself not only saving you money in the future, but earning a sense of pride that you did it yourself. Consumers need to beware of some tactics out their. Credit repair companies are popping up all over the internet claiming they can fix your credit report in 30 days, or they charge you huge initial fees, monthly fees and more to do it for you.

As tempting as it might be to let someone else fix your credit for you you’ll need to be cautious. Remember you may know nothing more about the credit repair company then their web address, and you will be divulging all your personal information, account numbers, social security number and pretty much everything that legally makes you, YOU! Pretty scary for a company you know nothing about? The federal government agrees, the best, safest way to fix your credit is to do it yourself. There are many sources out there that will provide you with information on how to accomplish this. Creditrepairplan.com will give you a step by step plan on how to fix your credit yourself and take away the frustration of trying to organize everything and keep you on track to an ensure you have an accurate credit report. Don’t let your financial future be determined by others, be aware of what is on your credit report, and don’t be scared to fix what is not accurate. Don’t pay out higher fees or interest rates, fix your credit today.

Kimberly has been involved in the financial industry for over a decade. Her knowledgea and expertise in the area has allowed her to launch a campaign to help empower and educate consumers in many financial topics so that they can regain control of their finances and make better informed financial decisions in the future.

Identity Theft & Your Credit Report
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Identity theft is a type of fraud in which financial
information is illegally obtained for the purpose of making
unauthorized purchases and transactions with credit cards or
funds from financial accounts. A thief can use your personal
information such as your name, drivers license, Social
Security number, health insurance, or bank account number,
to make purchases as if they were you. If this happens, it
could be the beginning of a financial disaster that could
linger for years and cause you to lose job opportunities, be
turned down for credit or loans, and in some cases, ruin
your reputation.

There are a lot of thing you can do to minimize the risk of
becoming a victim of identity theft. This article focuses on
obtaining and reviewing your credit report, quite similar to
what we do when we perform network security assessments,
believe it or not.

What Is A Credit Report
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There are three major credit bureaus that collect, maintain,
an distribute credit information about you. These companies
are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Some of the
information you will find in your credit report is; personal
information such as your legal name, alias names, addresses,
current and previous employers, and date of birth; your
credit summary such as current and past credit status, total
number of open and closed accounts, the balances of
accounts, if they are current or delinquent; public record
information such as federal bankruptcy records, local
government court records, liens, judgments, and child
support records (information that can stay in your record
for up to 10 years); credit inquires - when you apply for a
credit card or loan, the institution will make an inquiry to
one or more of the credit bureaus; detailed account history
- very up to date information about your loan payments,
credit card debt and payment history, and this information
stays on your report indefinitely; credit score - a number
ranging from 330 to 830, the higher the number the better
your credit is and increases the chance of you obtaining a
loan or credit account.

Why Should You Check Your Credit Report Frequently
————————————————–
If someone gets your Social Security number, it only takes a
few additional pieces of information, which is quite easily
obtained, to assume your identity. The Internet makes it
even easier than ever because most of this information the
criminal needs to get his hands on is out there. It is not
my purpose to scare anyone, but I must tell you that if you
think you are not at risk, you need to think again.

The most common forms of identity theft include; credit card
fraud, bank fraud, communications services, and fraudulent
loans. The bad thing is that this type of fraud can
negatively impact your life, the good thing is there are
ways of monitoring what other people do with your identity.

Do you know, that nearly all of the security assessments we
perform, we find personal and financial information on work
computers. What ever you do, do not store this kind
information at your workplace. This is a sure fire way of
becoming a victim of identity theft. If I had more room in
this article I could tell you stories about identity theft
and fraud that would make your hair stand on end. And,
everyone of us are potential victims.

Things You Can Do To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
—————————-
I’ve written other articles about identity theft, and I am
sure I will write more. The bottom line is this is one of
the worst things that can happen to you financially, and the
risk of it happening is quite high. Some of the things you
can do to minimize this risk besides regularly checking and
monitoring your credit report is:

Shred all of those pre-approved credit cards you get in the
mail. This includes any document or item you receive that
contains your Social Security number, date of birth, or any
other personal identity information.

Never print your Social Security number, phone number, date
of birth, or credit card information on your checks. If a
merchant ask you for this information so they can write it
on your check, do not give it to them. Even if they tell you
you cannot make the purchase without it, go somewhere else.

Secure your mail and email. Did you know that a common
tactic for thieves is to divert your mail by filing a change
of address at the post office. Of course, there is the
typical method of just reaching into your mailbox and taking
checks, utility bills, and so on. Because people use email
as a substitute for snail-mail (normal paper mail), you
should be careful what you email to people as well.

Monitor your credit by obtaining a credit report from one of
the three, if not all three, credit bureaus. They may be
able to provide you with a consolidated report from all
three companies. And, most of them have inexpensive monthly
services that monitor your report for you and send you
alerts when things change or inquiries are made on your
account.

Conclusion
———-
As a consumer, you need to take this issue of fraud and
identity theft very seriously. Not only should this be
important to you, but if you have a family, you should see
it as an obligation to protect their future. As with any
type of security issue, there is nothing 100% secure.
However, you can take steps to minimize your risk and
exposure. Remember, it is typically the easy target
criminals focus their attention and efforts on.

Obtain your credit report and review it thoroughly, you
might be surprised by what you find. If you happen to see
something that is not right, take immediate steps to clear
it up.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as
long as the bylines are included.

Original URL (The Web version of the article)
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/CheckYourCreditReportRegularly.htm

About The Author
——————
Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with
over sixteen years experience. He has written many
technology & security articles, some of which have been
published in nationally circulated magazines & periodicals.
If you would like to contact Darren you can e-mail him at
Darren.Miller@ParaLogic.Net. If you would like to know
more about computer security please
visit us at http://www.defendingthenet.com

Repairing your credit report can seem like a daunting task if you try to do so without having the proper knowledge and information you need to get it done effectively and legally. You need to use all the expert resources out there so that when you go to talk with credit agencies, you know your rights, you know what to do and maybe even more importantly, what not to do. If you do the wrong things, you may cause negative items to remain on your credit report when you could have had them removed or re-reported in a more positive light. Creditors can be tricky and without you knowing it, a simple request for more information can turn into a new updated mark on your credit report that will begin another seven year mark on your credit! Beware of such tactics, become an informed consumer and learn that you can fix your credit yourself, effectively as long as you approach the process well prepared.

1. Avoid sending out ALL of your dispute letters to your creditors at once.

This is often done by many “credit repair companies” that are popping up on the internet. They may claim to be helping you, they may even claim to be law firms, but always do you research so you know what type of company you are dealing with. Sending out multiple complaints at once will “Red Flag” your account. What this means is that credit companies will see that you have multiple complaints all at once and therefore just assume you are frivolously attempting to change your credit report with no true grounds to do so. This may be done accidentally, by not being aware that this would happen, but once your report has been red flagged, you have caused an up hill battle to fix errors on your report, it will take twice the work to convince them that your claims are real and you may become so frustrated over their stall tactics, you may give up before you really get started.

2. Never submit a statement to a creditor to prove your side of the case.

This may seem like an easy solution, �Here’s my statement, now fix it on my credit report” but this tactic by the creditors can backfire on you. Upon you submitting you statement you are also confirming the account, if the item doesn’t get removed, you may then have to begin your 7 year negative mark on your credit report all over again. Credit agency’s have many of these tactics that sound good to a uniformed consumer, but in the end they are only working towards their advantage, don’t fall into their taps!

3. Dispute the accuracy not the validity.

When talking with the creditor to get an item removed don’t simply say “It’s not mine”. This give s the creditor an easy out to keep your item on your report. You want to approach it more in a way that you are disputing an inaccurate component. By saying it is simply “it’s not mine”, a creditor can easily confirm an account as truly being your credit. If you approach it as an inaccuracy, there will be more information they need to verify and the likelihood of being able to verify the smaller details will be much harder for them to do. This can in turn help you to get the item removed or at least be re-reported in a more positive manner.

4. Don’t attempt to create a separate credit identity to get around your flawed credit report.

There are many credit repair companies out there that will suggest you try to backdoor the system by getting a separate tax id number to begin a new credit report. This method is not only unethical, it is illegal! The idea is out there to get a corporate tax id number so that you can in turn use that tax id number to gain personal credit. This is not the best course of action because it is fraudulent to use a corporate tax id number to gain personal credit. Plus corporate tax id numbers are different from personal social security numbers and are easily picked up by the creditor. To get around this some firms will tell you to continuously apply for tax id numbers until you get one that resembles a legitimate social security number. This is fraudulent behavior and is illegal.

5. Don’t be belligerent!

Credit bureaus are bureaucracies, but you still have real people looking at your dispute letters. If you just rant and rave about how this is an injustice and call them nasty names you will get nothing accomplished and the checker will most likely just disregard the letter as frivolous or irrelevant. Mistakes happen and be understanding to that and frame the situation as nicely as possible, you do catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. We know how easy it is to lose your temper to a big company that seems to not care, but reframe from this behavior as it will get you no where.

These five ideas are just to start making you think and become more aware of how to repair your credit most effectively. In today day you are surrounded with lots of information to help you through this process in the simplest manner possible. Creditrepairplan.com will show you a step by step process of how to get your credit repair done in a manner that will not have you ready to pull your hair out. Their sample dispute letters, easy organization and negotiating techniques will help you approach creditors with confidence and the knowledge you need to get the job done!

Kimberly has been involved in the financial industry for over a decade. Her gained knoweldge and experience has allowed her to help inform consumers about different financial issues so that they may make more informed financial decisions in the future.

When we talk about credit repair, most of us believe that repairing our credit rating is directly related to our mismanagement of our finances, and in most cases that is true!

However, many of us don’t realize that thousands of men and women every year find out they have bad credit due to credit fraud, and if you’re not 100% sure on how this happens, it’s a method by criminal organizations that are stealing your identity and using it for financial criminal activities. Criminals do this by obtaining your credit information which can be as simple as getting their hands on your credit card or debit card numbers and your security access codes.

Now you may be wondering how they do this, and some methods that are common are as simple as getting a duplicate copy of your credit card copies out of your home or business garbage bin, or another method that is taking the Internet by storm, called Phishing.

This is where they send you an email to visit their site, and it looks exactly like your financial institution or membership’s website. They request that you enter your personal data to update your credit accounts, and when you try to sign into the site by entering your personal information, the site will come up with error messages, but in the backend they captured all the personal information from you to start doing some financial damage!

Yes, mistakes with accounts do happen on occasion, but if you don’t already know this, there are absolutely no companies that I know of out there that will contact you via your email address to correct personal information.

Talk to any banking institution or reputable online business that holds your personal data, and they will tell you they never contact customers for personal updates via the Internet. What they do in this case is contact you with a written letter, and have you contact them directly to verify personal information before making any updates or changes.

Why Are So Many People Trying To Repair Negative Score Reports When They Shouldn’t Have To?

Many individuals that never had their identity stolen before probably scratch their heads and wonder how this can happen, and it occurs more often than you actually think. What it comes down to is that many people don’t monitor all their credit cards, and they don’t check their statement balances for errors as often as they should.

Also you can believe this or not, but when you move, how many times have you forgotten to forward your new mailing addresses to the credit card companies? Even if you do contact credit and banking institutions after you move into your new home, your card statements or new credit cards may already be sent out without you knowing, and you may not catch them in time.

I see it all the time, and in my home I still get old mail from the previous owners! I shake my head, because this is what the criminal organizations target every day, and you heard right, EVERY DAY! This is their livelihood, and they check for this type of mismanaged mail every day just like when you go to your office and check your work emails.

Once they come across an envelope that is sitting on your condo or apartment counter, as well as your home mailbox that is addressed “Return to Sender”, or “Recipient has Moved”, the thieves target this type of mail quickly, and they know what the credit card and debit card envelopes look like.

Before you know it, they have all your information, and they have won half the battle by stealing your personal identity, and eventually destroying your credit rating. Even though many credit companies, banks, and retail stores have security procedures, they’re not always prepared for criminal activities such as phishing, and it is becoming a real concern, because this method can fool even the smartest people out there!

What Happens Once My Identity Has Been Stolen, And My Credit Is Abused?

When your identity has been taken by thieves and used for criminal activity, it will all come down to how you monitor your credit spending, and also how you often you check your “Bureau Reports” from companies like Equifax. If it’s not caught in time, your credit can be abused, and you may have accounts cancelled without you even knowing it’s happening until it’s too late!

If You Don’t Periodically Check Your Credit Bureau Reports, You May Find A Surprise!

One of the major reasons why many people are surprised about their bad credit rating when they know they didn’t do anything wrong, is when you don’t check your credit activity reports periodically with your credit bureaus, this is why serious financial situations are not caught in time.

You are responsible in checking often with these bureaus, because if there are any reported credit issues, this is where you will find them. If you happen to detect any fraudulent activity, you must report it immediately. The quicker you catch the problems, the better chance you will be fixing them, rather than repairing your credit with creditors down the line.

At least every 6 to 12 months you should request by letter a complete report so you can go through it thoroughly, and not only catch fraud discrepancies, but also any errors that may have been issued by past creditors. If you feel you just don’t have the time to monitor your reports, then there are many reputable credit-monitoring services out there that will do this for you for a monthly, or annual fee.

What Are The Main Steps To Prevent Me From Becoming An Identity Fraud Victim?

There are many steps to take to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of Identity Fraud, and the chance of having your credit rating damaged. Below I will list some of the most important ones, but there are many more steps that you should look into by contacting the local credit bureaus and government fraud protection agencies.

� Make sure you destroy all carbon copies of credit card and debit card transactions.

� Do not respond to any suspicious emails claiming to be your banking institution, or credit card companies. Even if you feel it’s a legitimate email, contact the company by phone, and make sure they follow all security features, and then find out if there were any updates or personal information corrections.

� If you’re planning to move, ensure that you contact all your banking and credit/debit card institutions you have an account with and change your address. It’s also recommended to contact the mail service to have them re-route all your mail for a period of time they allow, so you will have enough time to contact everyone on your list.

� When you make your phone calls to change addresses, if any institution claims they have already sent out a card statement, or a new card, it may be your best interest to have them cancel that card, and re-issue a new one with a different card number. This is your choice if you feel that your information and credit is in jeopardy.

� Last point that I would like to express is that you should always be on top of your monthly transactions, and have a complete inventory of all your cards on when they expire. If you have several credit cards that you don’t use, but you keep for certain reasons, then please make certain you check with the companies on occasion to see if there has been any activity without your authorization.

The end result is that you are responsible for all transactions on every card issued in your name, and if you happen to be a victim of credit theft or identity fraud, the bottom line is that you will have to prove to each company that you have outstanding debt with that it was not you making these transactions.

You may eventually get cleared of the problem accounts, but it could take years of your valuable time and frustrating effort. So be careful, and remember that preventative maintenance on your credit rating is far less stressful and time consuming than damage control after the fact!

William is the Author and owner of “Free Credit Repair Information” available at Free-Credit-Repair-Information.com Your source for Debt Repair Information! Our site provides free information to help you become informed about your credit rating, and learn valuable tips on how to avoid being a victim of identity fraud. If you happen to be in debt, and are looking for various options, or resourcs to obtain Debt Consolidation, we can guide you in the right direction to get the answers.

If you find an error on your credit report and you recognize the lender, contact them directly and ask for an explanation. For a minor error, they may just ask for an explanation. Some errors are just a communication issue, but don’t count on it. That’s why you need to check your credit report on a regular basis, once a year for sure.

When dealing with a credit report problem, always keep notes, any papers or other communication about the problem. If they don’t deliver as promised, you need to follow up. Once the credit bureau receives adequate information, that meets their reporting standards, they have 30 days to update the information and make the correction. It is your responsibility to make sure it happens. After all it’s your credit rating.

If you and the credit bureau do not come to a resolution of the issue, you are allowed to add an explanation, of up to 100 words, to your credit report file. An explanation like this can make a huge difference in whether or not your lender approves you or not.

A proactive approach to managing your credit is mandatory when considering the advantages good credit and good debts can do for your life. When I speak of good debts I refer to those debts you accumulate that will earn you money in the long term such as real estate mortgages. You will want to be very proactive with your credit score so that you can enjoy the fruits of good credit and great debts.

Please feel free to reprint this article provided the following author’s credit and live URL link remains intact.

About the Author;
Ryan Atkinson is the founder of http://www.money-management-info.com/debt-management.html. Helping others understand the fundamentals of managing money. Click here to learn more about Debt Management through Debt consolidation & Debt Consolidation Loans.

The quest to repair your credit rating can often be compared to the holy grail� it’s unlikely to happen ! But there are steps you can take to help your credit rating and also do some some self credit repair if your credit score takes a hit due to circumstances.

One of the main reasons for bad credit ratings is missed payments so you need to get organized and make sure your finances are in order. If you know that you are going to miss a payment then contact the company involved and arrange a payment plan.

Even if you are making a smaller payment each month it will help to repair your credit rating if finance providers can see you are making an attempt to contribute to your payments.

Remember if you miss a payment ( example mortgage payment ) then this could effect your credit rating for many years to come, it’s better to be honest and find a solution to your problem and keep your payment provider updated on your situation.

Another common mistake many people can make when thinking of doing self credit repair is to close all their outstanding credit cards and consolidate them with a loan or even another credit card.

You may have many years of good credit history with some of your credit card providers and it may be better to keep these accounts open providing they have offered you a suitable payment solution.

Finally another common mistake when attempting to do self credit repair is to contact many finance providers looking for quotes to consolidate credit. Every time you apply for credit your credit score may be adversely effected so if you are looking to repair your credit rating it is not recommended to make 20-30 credit applications every day as this will create a red flag to your credit score!

Walter Patrick offers a directory of credit repair and finance websites at
Self Credit Repair

http://www.credit-repair-recovery-help.info

You should review a copy of your credit report, annually. Although credit-reporting agencies make every effort of ensure the information included in your credit report is accurate, mistakes do occur and will affect your credit rating. If you check your credit report annually, you will be able to have the wrong information corrected before it becomes a problem.

If you find a mistake in your credit report, bring the error to their attention. A number of credit reporting problems are from someone else’s information showing up on your credit report. If you don’t recognize the creditor doing the reporting, contact the credit bureau and get the contact information, so you can follow up with them.

Creditors make mistakes too. It’s not the credit bureau that corrects these errors; you must contact the creditor directly to have any erroneous information on your credit report, corrected.

If you are turned down for a loan or for rental housing because of negative information on your credit report, you may need to repair credit score. Credit bureaus make an effort to provide accurate information but it’s up to you to check your credit annually and make an effort to repair credit score so you can get a loan or housing when you need it. Effective money management means taking a proactive stance on managing your credit. You may be able to get a free credit report from your lender.

Repair credit score so you can have access to money when you need it. When applying for a mortgage or other major loan most lenders will give you a free copy of credit report. Utilize this free credit report to correct any erroneous derogatory information on your record. Remember to ask for your free credit report otherwise you may have to pay for one to find out what’s on it.

If you don’t recognize information for lenders on your free credit report and you have a need to repair credit score based on their reporting, ask the credit bureau for more information on that lender so you can contact them directly and find out what the derogatory report, applies to.

Please feel free to reprint this article provided the following author’s credit and live URL link remains intact.

About the Author:
Ryan Atkinson is the founder of http://www.money-management-info.com/debt-management.html. Helping others understand the fundamentals of managing money. Click here to learn more about Debt Management through Debt consolidation & Debt Consolidation Loans.

When a person suffers from a bad credit history, you become a victim to heartless scammers who will offer credit repair services. They might say that they will clean up your credit files for a fee, and eliminate your poor credit history; but they are breaking the law.

It doesn’t seem fair. Scams like these hurt people who need the help most. Scammers only want your money and they don’t care who they hurt in the process.

That’s why we compile free information like this on our website FindHow2.com, to help others pull themselves up out of the cycle of painful debt and poor credit. It can be done! It takes time, effort, and followup. But by falling victim to illegal credit repair scams, you might make your financial situation even worse!

Credit repair scams can usually be uncovered if you hear anything resembling the following false promises:
(1) you are advised to invent a “new” credit identity so as to obtain a new credit report for future borrowing purposes, by getting a business employer identification number (EIN) that will hide your own bad credit attached to your Social Security number.
(2) you are not informed as to your legal rights or the things that you can do by yourself at no cost at all.
(3) those companies that ask to be paid for credit repair services before any service is done at all.
(4) you are advised not to contact a credit reporting company directly.

If you think having bad credit is a hassle, you ain’t seen nothing yet! You’re tempting the Furies by following any such advice.

Actually, you might even be prosecuted for mail or wire fraud if you use the mail or the telephone following such a scam, to apply for credit and provide false information. That’s because it’s a federal crime to lie on a loan or credit application. It’s a lie to misrepresent your Social Security number. And it’s a crime to get an Employer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service under false pretenses (i.e., to hide your bad credit from lenders, instead of starting a real small business or starting a corporation that would need such an ID number for its tax returns).

And as to asking for payment for credit repair services BEFORE the services are completed, now that’s a clearly worded violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act, and you need to stay clear of lawbreakers, in my opinion.

Don’t let anyone mislead you: accurate negative information will stay on your credit report, so if harmful information on your report is keeping you from a loan, you’ll need to work hard to overcome this. You can’t simply try to eliminate the truth from your report.

As we’ve written all through our web sites and blogs, there is plenty of legal options available. You have the right to ask for an investigation of the information appearing in your file that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete. You will not be charged for this if you follow simple, easy to complete steps. There is no need for you to pay a dime to a credit repair clinic to fix your credit report. You can do everything they can do, and since you’ll have a vested interest in getting the work done right as soon as possible, I’d bet you’ll do a better job than a complete stranger.

Steve Johnson offers free advice to help people fix their own credit report at http://www.findhow2.com/repair-credit.html. He can be contacted via email at fixyourcreditreport@gmail.com.

Many consumers understand the value of regularly monitoring their
credit reports. Identity theft affects millions annually. Furthermore,
credit report errors can result in credit card or loan denials. Sadly, many
people do not take the necessary precautions to safeguard their credit.
There are many ways to protect our credit. To begin, you should make a
habit of checking your report every six months.

The Purpose of Personal Credit Reports

A consumer’s credit worthiness is judged by information included in
their credit report. When applying for any type of credit, lenders will
review your credit score or full report. Credit scores are often reviewed
by retailers and lenders that offer instant credit. However, if you are
hoping to obtain a major credit card, auto loan, or mortgage, the
lender will request a detail copy of your report.

Credit reports include information such as number of credit accounts,
balances, past due accounts, judgments, collection accounts, etc. Based
on the information, a lender will determine whether you qualify for a
loan. Individuals with several negative remarks, or credit report
errors, have a lower chance of getting approved.

Why Check Your Credit Report Online?

Checking your free credit report online is the first step to protecting
your credit rating. It does not take long for someone to steal your
identity. Within a few weeks, a crook may have attained several credit
accounts in your name; and these accounts will appear on your credit
report.

Moreover, creditors make mistakes. For example, a creditor may have
failed to report a past due balance that was paid in full. By checking
your credit report every six months, you will be able to detect suspicious
activity and resolve inaccuracies. For double credit protection,
subscribe to a credit monitoring service. For a low monthly fee, these
services notify consumers whenever new credit accounts are opened in their
name.

Conveniently Reviewing Your Online Credit Report

Checking your credit report online is free and convenient. Various
websites offer free credit reports. Simply verify information such as your
name, address, social security number, and within minutes you are able
to gain access to your report. Reports are easy to read and viewable
for a month.

Get a
Free
Credit Report online.

View our recommended sources for
Credit Repair.

Big banks, mortgage brokers, credit repair companies, web sites and blogs… seems like everyone is giving advice on how to fix your credit. But what advice is real, and how can you trust it?

This is a difficult question to answer.. after all, I am one of those writers that gives advice. How can you trust my advice?

In this article, I am not going to tell you HOW to fix your credit. Rather I will share WHO to talk to and WHY.

When discussing your credit issues, talk to those that have a history of working with that type of credit. For example, if you walk into one of the “big banks” out there (you know the ones I am talking about) you must keep in mind that the loans they make are to people with excellent credit. They do not go out of their way to help the credit challenged. So when you ask the “advisor” there, the advice you most likely will get is to “clean up your credit and come back to see me.” How? Since they don’t really know how, they may advise speaking to a credit “repair” company. They “must” know what they are doing.

Credit repair companies are shady at best. I have yet to find one that offered anything beyond what you could do yourself for free… yet they will charge you upwards to $1000 to help you “fix” your credit. Even Fannie Mae says to steer clear of them. (Fannie Mae is the largest lender of preferred credit mortgage loans in America.)

What about the mortgage “brokers?” Well, I must admit right now that this is my field. I am a broker in the mortgage industry. Where I feel you have an advantage here is that a broker can take the time to see what your history really is, and if the broker is experienced in “sub-prime” or “credit issue” loans, chances are they work with credit challenges everyday. This is my profession in a nut shell. I work with people on a daily basis that have major credit issues. Through this experience, I have learned what CHANGES credit and improves scores.. and not by old tricks that don’t work.

The best advice I can give to someone seeking advice is to weigh the “expert’s” experience in actually helping to turn things around. Ask for referrals… ask for proof that they can make a difference. Their advice might not be the conventional advice, but do you want cookie cutter advice for you?

Good luck in your search. It can be tricky out there, but there are still good professionals out there that can make a difference for you.

About the author:

Ed Nailor is a webmaster, writer and works in the financial and credit fields. His websites, BestNewCreditCards.com, OrchardBankApproval.com and PlasticPlatinum.com have the most current credit card offers online. Each card has a comprehensive review, details about each offer, and a link to the site for instant online applications. For more information on home mortgages in North and South Carolina, or to contact Ed Nailor directly, visit his website at DropRent.com

Your credit report is information about you which is used by lending agencies in their determination as to whether or not to extend you more credit. Your credit report will including personal information, employment information, and credit information. There are three credit report agencies which regularly gather information and update their reports. Due to discrepancies in collection and reporting, the three credit report agencies may have slightly different information about you. Regular monitoring of your credit report is important in maintaining good credit.

Inside the credit report

Your credit report contains information about you as a person, you as an employee and you as a borrower. The personal information on your credit report is gathered from your previous credit applications. This credit report information includes your full name, mailing and residential addresses, social security number, and birth date. Information on your employment history, earning status and current employer will also be in the credit report.

Perhaps more important than this basic information is the information in the credit report which describes you as a borrower. Any financial problems which are of public record, including any bankruptcy filing, home foreclosures, automobile repossessions and court judgments against you which deal with finances are all potential for inclusion in the credit report. The credit report will also show your history of credit applications and inquiries. Frequent applications are considered negative by most lenders.

Credit report agencies

There are three major credit report agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. When a lender receives a loan application from you, the lender will obtain your credit report from one of these three agencies. The three agencies usually have the same information about you; however, discrepancies in information gathering and reporting may lead to slight differences in the information in each credit report.

Monitor your credit report

Your credit report is the major factor used in determining whether or not you qualify for a credit card or loan. For this reason, it is important to regularly monitor your credit report, checking for errors including delays in clearing problems. For example, if you have paid off a loan which shows as outstanding on the credit report, you should contact the credit report agency and repair the report to reflect your better credit. Everyone is entitled to receive one free credit report each year from each of the three agencies, available on request to the credit report agency. Any time that you are denied for a loan application, you are also entitled to a free credit report. Checking the credit report can improve your credibility as a borrower and increase the likelihood of being able to borrow when you need to do so.

Martin Lukac, represents http://www.RateEmpire.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies! Visit http://www.RateEmpire.com today.

The basics of “do it yourself” credit repair are very simple. The idea is to remove inaccurate information from your credit report. The information that many companies charge for or include as “free reports” attached to some other report that they are charging for can be found easily. Free credit repair information is available from various organizations. Real free credit repair services do not exist.

Do it yourself credit repair software is being sold on the internet. Do it yourself credit repair information is being sold in the form of conventional and e-books. Sometimes free credit repair information is used as “bait” to attract interest in subscriptions to “credit info” magazines and newsletters. Often this information that companies are charging for is worthless. Free credit repair information is available from the Federal Trade Commission.

Do it yourself credit repair is possible if you have three things to invest; time, patience and know-how. Step one is to obtain personal credit reports from the three major credit bureaus. At one time this was a time consuming process in and of itself, but a recently enacted law has made at least this part easier. Consumers can now obtain copies of their credit reports from all three major credit bureaus at one website; www.annualcreditreport.com. This is free credit repair information that anyone can use, but misspellings will lead to impostor sites that are only trying to sell more stuff. It is understandable that companies want to make money, but to purposely mislead consumers seems wrong somehow.

The next step to do it yourself credit repair is to evaluate the information on those credit reports. Beware, they are not easy to read, they may be several pages long and the company names that are listed may be unfamiliar. At this point, those who are easily overwhelmed give up, but the hardy keep going. They start writing the necessary letters or contacting the credit bureaus over the internet when possible. Even do it yourself credit repair is not free credit repair. It costs valuable time for one thing. In those situations where letters are necessary, it costs postage, of course. And, other than the annual free report, the credit bureau will charge for each subsequent report that is needed to verify that items have been removed.

If your credit is not that bad and you only have a couple of items to be removed, then do it yourself credit repair may work for you. If, on the other hand, you have numerous items causing you problems, then do it yourself credit repair will be frustrating, time consuming and possibly ineffective. The credit bureaus may ignore requests that are not “worded” correctly and although they are required to investigate within thirty days, they sometimes ask for more information. Once that information is received, they have another thirty days to investigate. What at first seems like a free credit repair solution may turn into a nightmare.

There are reasonably priced options to do it yourself credit repair. This may not be free credit repair, but it will be effective credit repair. Although there are many companies which offer credit repair services, a legal firm, specializing in credit repair issues can offer the most effective services. If you choose a company that does not consist of a legal team familiar with credit law, then you may still end up disappointed. If you choose to try do it yourself credit repair, you may be disappointed. If you choose the right credit repair service, the only thing you will end up with is a better credit score. For more free credit repair information, visit the Credit Repair Blog.

The writers and editors of the Credit Repair Blog are committed to providing accurate information about bad credit repair. Visit us at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com

If you’ve ever applied for a loan or credit card, chances are your lender acquired and examined a copy of your credit report before deciding whether or not to grant you credit.

Your “Credit Report” is a record of your credit history and it’s prepared by agencies called “Credit Bureaus”, or “Consumer Reporting Agencies.” These are private organizations and have no affiliation with the United States (or any) government. There are 3 major credit bureaus in the United States (2 in Canada) and their names are Experian, EquiFax, and Trans Union.

Did you know that credit reporting is a multi-billion dollar a year industry? It’s true! The credit bureaus are for-profit organizations that generate billions of dollars in revenue each year from selling copies of credit reports to creditors and mailing lists.

Your credit report affects more than your financial life. It could affect your education, career, and even your relationships. Your credit report is used not only by lenders and creditors, but also by auto, life, and home insurers, future employers, and even some educational institutions. It affects the interest rates you’ll pay on everything!

So as you can see, your credit report can have a critical impact on many facets of your life. For example, because of a bad credit report you could be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars MORE in loan interest over the life of your home mortgage. This is no exaggeration!

Since the credit bureaus prepare and distribute your credit report to lenders, they clearly wield a great deal of power over both your financial and personal life. But it would be a grave mistake to be intimidated by them, or to think that you have no choice but to live with the negative effects of a bad credit report.

In fact, there’s plenty you can do!

Always remember; Knowledge is power! There’re a few facts the credit bureaus would rather you don’t know. Let’s take a look at them, and you’ll see why.

1. Credit reports are filled with errors!

It will probably astonish you to learn the percentage of credit reports that contain errors. While there seems to be some disagreement, estimates range from 1 out of every 3 (on the low end) to as high as 90%! Here’s a “run down” on error estimates.

Percentage of Credit Reports Than Contain Mistakes

Attorney General of NY 1/3
Consumers Union 48%
US Congress 1/2
Charles Givens Organization 90%

So no matter who you believe, it’s clear that way too many credit reports have errors. So even if you think you have good credit, it might be well worth your while to get a copy of your credit report and take a careful look at it.

2. The law is on your side!

In 1972 Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to curb abuses by the credit bureaus. The FCRA is the governing federal law on the issue of credit reporting.

Under the FCRA, you have the right to dispute negative information in your credit report. The credit bureaus then have 30 days to verify the disputed information with the creditor. If they cannot (or do not) verify the disputed information within 30 days, it must be deleted from your credit report.

3. Even accurate data in your credit report must be deleted if it’s not verified.

If you’ve done any research into credit repair you’ve no doubt run across statements to the effect of “Negative data in your credit report that is accurate cannot be removed.” As stated above, the FCRA stipulates that any disputed information must be verified within 30 days, or it must be deleted. The “burden of proof” (in a manner of speaking), is on the credit bureaus.

4. Credit repair DOES WORK in most cases!

You’ll hear all kinds of opinions as to whether “credit repair” (i.e. efforts to improve your credit report) can be successful. The truth is, credit repair doesn’t always work perfectly. But in almost every case the process of credit repair will result in at least SOME improvement in your credit score, and most often that improvement is substantial. So credit repair does work!

Now you may be wondering why repairing your credit score would be of any concern to the credit bureaus. After all, don’t they make money by compiling and distributing credit reports regardless of whether those reports are negative or positive?

Well, yes they do, BUT…they also make money (a GREAT DEAL of money) selling names of people with poor credit, to creditors who have a specific interest in those people.

So why would some creditors want to bother with people who have poor credit? Because they know they can charge higher interest rates to those people, because the “bad credit risks” have no choice but to pay those exorbitant rates or forgo credit altogether!

Besides, investigating disputed information costs the credit bureaus time, manpower, and money. They have nothing to gain, and plenty to lose, when people take the initiative and dispute negative information on their credit report.

5. It’s perfectly legal to hire third party help to repair your credit.

There are plenty of “Credit Repair Agencies” who will help you repair your credit. But if a credit bureau even suspects you’re using such an agency, it’s likely they’ll try to discourage you from doing so. In some cases they’ll even go so far as to send you a letter stating that use of such agencies is illegal.

Such statements are (to put it as politely as possible) garbage! In fact there are laws that regulate such agencies. Now laws don’t exist to regulate illegal activity, except to ban it! When was the last time you saw laws that regulate what cocaine dealers must do to operate within the law?

Once again, repairing a bad credit report just isn’t in the best interest of the major credit bureaus. But unless you happen to be the CEO of one of those bureaus, the most important question as far as you’re concerned is “What’s in MY best interest?”

First of all, get a copy of your credit report and examine it. You can get a free copy of your report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com.

Secondly, take steps to improve your credit report. You can go about it in one of two ways.

1. Hire third party help.

If repairing your own credit report sounds too intimidating, there are plenty of credit repair agencies that will do it for you. But if you take this approach, there are three things you need to know.

First, they’re not cheap. Expect to pay from $2,500 to $5,000 for an attorney or $795 to $2,000 or more for a credit repair agency. Secondly, they don’t always do it right! Some will manage to get the negative data on your credit report removed while actually doing damage to your “credit score” (a calculated number used by creditors to evaluate you credit worthiness.) Finally, many are outright scams!

That’s not to say you shouldn’t hire third party help. If you do your “home work,” ask for references, and carefully select a reputable credit repair agency, you’ll be much better off than if you had done nothing. Still, if you’re willing to do a little work, there’s a much better alternative.

2. Repair you own credit report.

Anyone can fix their own credit report. If you can write a few letters, address, stamp, and mail them you can repair your own credit. There’re plenty of good books available that can walk you thought the whole procedure, and once you’re done a little study, you’ll be surprised at how simple the process is.

Bad credit will cost you many thousands of dollars and limitless anxiety. Even if you have fair credit, fixing you credit could still save you thousands in interest payments over the years.

Get a good book on the topic of credit repair, and get started fixing your credit report today! And don’t be intimidated by the credit bureaus. Remember, the law is on YOUR side!

Jim Eastman is support contact for ErasingBadCredit.com, a site dedicated to helping people repair their bad credit. If you have bad credit, visit ErasingBadCredit.com and sign up for free mini-course on repairing your credit report.

If you have been denied credit, a credit repair company may be able to help you. If you do not qualify for “special low interest rates” because of your credit score, a credit repair company may be able to help you. If you cannot buy a house or purchase a car, because you have bad credit, then bad credit repair may be the answer.

A credit repair company specializes in removing inaccurate, misleading or questionable items from your credit report. No one knows exactly how your individual credit score is calculated. It is a well guarded secret. Companies are vague about the criteria that are used to determine an individual’s credit score, but one thing is definite, negative items on one or all of your credit reports will lead to a lower score. Professionals that specialize in bad credit repair are aware of this. The credit bureaus are aware of this. The government is aware of this. But of these, the only one that can help you correct the problem is a credit repair company.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services can help you plan a budget and pay off your lenders. They can even negotiate with credit card companies and sometimes stop late fees and lower interest rates. They do not do bad credit repair. Once you have straightened out your credit problems and gotten yourself out of whatever situation created the bad credit issues, then it is time to contact a credit repair company.

All credit repair companies are not the same. Fees vary. Services vary. And, regretfully, competence varies. Some companies that advertise bad credit repair will only give you information. Often, this is information that is free, if you know where to look. The Federal Trade Commission provides consumer credit information, free of charge. They can not help you repair bad credit; in fact they will tell you that the only thing that will repair bad credit is time. This is not exactly true.

A legitimate credit repair company with legal professionals who specialize in credit issues can request that damaging information be removed from your credit report. If you only have a couple of items that are causing you problems, then you may be able to accomplish this on your own. It really depends on how much time and patience you have to devote to bad credit repair. Sometimes it is just a matter of knowing how to ask. The credit bureaus will ignore requests that are incorrectly worded. The credit bureaus are not government agencies, they receive hundreds of requests every day and the easiest way for them to shuffle through the paper work is to disregard requests that are improperly worded. They do have a tendency to pay more attention to requests that come from a law firm.

Not every credit repair company is also a law firm. Even the thought of contacting a law firm scares some people. They think it will be expensive. Bad credit is expensive. Bad credit repair is priceless. The difference between good credit and bad credit can be the difference between owning your own home and renting for years, as you wait for the bad credit issues to correct themselves. And, they do not always “go away” on their own. Sometimes information that needs to be removed is simply outdated.

If a credit repair company does not consist of a group of lawyers who specialize in bad credit repair, then they may not have the expertise needed to correct your problems in a timely and effective manner. A reputable credit repair company consisting of lawyers specializing in credit repair issues will have that expertise.

The writers and editors of the Credit Repair Blog are committed to providing accurate information about bad credit repair. Visit us at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com

Thanks to a new federal law put into place in September of 2005, everyone is entitled to one free credit report each year. This is so that you can verify that your report does not contain any false information, and so you can see how your credit rates.

Getting your annual free report is as easy as going to the authorized source, http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ and requesting one.

Once you have your free report, what in the world do all those abbreviations, numbers and codes mean?! The most widely used system for scoring is the FICO score, developed by The Fair Isaac Corporation, and the number determines the risk to extend credit to an individual. Credit reports are usually divided into sections; identifying information, public records, credit history, and inquiries to your credit report from creditors looking to extend you credit based on your credit score.

The identifying information includes your name, address, and social security number. Make sure they are all correct. Usually this section will also include a list of your previous addresses, your date of birth, phone number, spouse’s name, employers information.

The public records section is the section you hope has no information. This is where a bankruptcy or judgment would show up on your report, and it will harm your rating more than anything else on the report, and take longer to repair.

The credit history section is the most confusing. It will list every creditor you’ve ever had business with, including accounts that have been closed and those that remain open with no balances, and accounts that you are currently making payments on. Depending on which credit reporting agency you get your report from, this section will actually be displayed differently on each report. Experian’s report displays it in “english”, and states everything in common sense terms, like “pays on time”, “pays 30 days late”, etc. Reports from other agencies might use numerical codes in a table that you have to refer to another page to find out what each code means. Either way, make sure you agree with each creditors reporting of you since this is how your score is determined. If you have accounts that you don’t have the credit cards for anymore, or a loan that has been paid off but remains on your report as a revolving credit (money available to you as you pay it down), call and write each company to ask them to close the account completely and report that to the credit agencies. Otherwise, it appears that you have all of that money available to you, and that goes against your debt to income ratio.

The section called “inquiries”, and it includes a list of everyone who has ever looked at your report. This will include credit companies you’ve contacted to request a credit card or loan, but it will also include what is considered “soft” inquiries. Soft inquiries are any promotional offers, such as a retail store checking into your credit history to determine whether or not to mail you an offer for their credit card. Soft inquiries do not harm your overall credit score.

You can also get a copy of a credit report any time you’ve been denied credit. This is because there is always the possibility that there are errors in your report, which prevented you from obtaining the credit you applied for. Regardless of how you get your report, take the time to look it over and find any discrepancies (immediately call the creditors in question and straighten it out) and close out any accounts that you no longer use but are showing open and available to you on your credit report. Having your report will show you where you stand if you’re considering going for a mortgage, new vehicle, or other loan.

This article has been provided courtesy of Creditor Web, http://www.creditorweb.com .