credit repair online companies can help you dispute errors on your credit report and adopt responsible financial habits. However, it is important to evaluate the company’s upfront and monthly fees. Also, consider how many items it disputes each month.
A reputable credit repair service will check your reports for inaccurate information and then send it to the credit bureaus. It can also help you improve your scores by suggesting improvements.
Credit reports
The credit repair industry is a fierce, shrewd ally in your battle against inaccurate information on your credit report. Reputable companies aggressively challenge data that is unfair, unverifiable or incorrect and can remove these items from your report. They also educate consumers on how to manage their finances.
A good credit repair company will offer you a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with its services. However, be wary of a credit repair company that promises a specific increase in your credit score. These guarantees may be indicative of illegal practices or credit repair scams.
While credit repair companies can help you dispute errors, they cannot get accurate negative information removed from your credit report. Such information can only be removed once it has a certain amount of time on your report, typically seven years. You should also avoid any credit repair company that promises to create a new credit identity for you. This practice is against federal law and could lead to fraud and identity theft.
Disputes
The credit repair process involves disputing inaccurate items on your credit report. These errors can lower your credit score and make it difficult to qualify for loans, mortgages, and other accounts that require good credit. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to investigate and respond to your dispute within 30 days.
The best credit repair companies offer a comprehensive set of services and use proven strategies to help clients improve their credit scores. They also provide tools to generate dispute letters for submission to the credit bureaus, debt collection agencies, banks, and lenders. These letters are a vital tool for fighting frivolous claims by credit bureaus and debt collectors that can’t be verified.
The best credit repair services have a solid track record and a money-back guarantee. Lexington Law, for example, has removed more than 77 million items from clients’ reports since 2004. Its services are available for four to six months and include unlimited credit bureau disputes, hard inquiry validation, and credit counseling.
Fees
When choosing a credit repair company, consider customer reviews and ratings from sources like Google Reviews, the BBB and Yelp. Look for a company that offers a low startup fee and allows you to cancel monthly payments without incurring a penalty. Also, consider a company that is one of the oldest in the business and has lawyers on staff to handle credit disputes.
Credit repair companies go through your credit reports and dispute inaccuracies to get them removed. They may also give you advice on how to boost your score. This can include paying off and closing certain debts, keeping your credit utilization under a specific percentage, requesting goodwill letters from creditors and more.
It takes time to improve your credit, and a credit repair company can help you get there faster. However, you should never pay upfront fees for any service and be wary of any company that promises to improve your credit score by a specific amount. This is illegal and a sign of a scam.
The Credit People
Located in Utah, The Credit People has been helping customers repair their credit reports and scores for 15 years. Their experts study your credit report and find any errors or mistakes, then file disputes with the credit agencies. They also work on debt validation, which means negotiating with creditors to remove any unpaid items that are listed on your credit report.
The company says that most of their clients see results within 45 to 60 days, although every situation is unique. They also provide their customers with copies of their credit reports so they can track the progress.
The company offers a money-back guarantee and several different plans. You can choose a monthly plan, a six-month plan, or a flat fee. All of their plans include unlimited disputes and access to an online account. They also offer a free analysis of your credit report and score. The Credit People also helps with creditor interventions and debt and inquiry validations.