I need help finding a legitimate credit repair place?
ByI have horrible credit, I think at 435 or so. I was a stupid 18 year old and got credit cards and never paid them. Now I am more responsible but I can’t be approved for any kind of loan (home loan) because of my awful credit from a year ago. I have trouble believing the things that I see online and wondering if anyone has first hand experience with someone they can recommend to me. Thanks.
Sorry but no one can "fix" your credit except you. Those so-called credit doctors will just charge you for something you can do for yourself. Save your money and do it yourself !
1 – If you haven’t already get current copies of your credit reports from the 3 major bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Transunion)
2 – Take a photocopy of each and put the originals in a binder
3 – Get a highlighter and highlight any account that is negative (collections, written off, older than 7 yrs, etc…)
4 – Any inactive account that is older than 7 yrs should not be deleted from your report. Download a dispute letter from the credit bureaus website(s) and fill in the details
5 – For collection/overdue items, if they are greater than 7 yrs dispute them as well
6- If there are still valid debts, you need to contact the creditor and negotiate a ‘pay for delete’ in addition to a payment plan if you cannot pay in full. If they start hounding you send them a ‘cease and dessist’ letter stating they may only contact you in writing.
7 – Do not apply for any credit while you are doing this or for the next year (ideally 2)
8 – If you currently have any credit card or loan balances, pay them off or at least pay them down to bring them current
9 – If you need a credit card, get a secured card from Capital One for $500 (or more if you can)….use it sparingly for like only $25-50 and pay in full and on time every other month or so to establish good re-payment history.
A little patience and 2-3 months, you’ll be on your way.
4 Comments
December 9th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
this one is actually simple.. the hardest part will be to take the time doing it
get your reports from the 3 agents
go over them, see what is on them.
for all the credit cards that have balances, and in colections, you can call the credit card and offer a pay-off balance… I did this with discover, and paid them 1k on 2k debt..
you’ll need to be able to pay it in lump sum…
make payment plans on all accts .. dont miss payments.
some lending companies will use your basic credit, car payment, electric, water bills as a part of determining your responsibilty
I know time are tougher, but finding a forclosed home will have higher % rate due to the fact it is a second chance loan…
I live in sc… I bought my home going through a first time home buyers program … I recieved 32k in assistance that went towards downpayment… Its call LCDC lowcountry development corp.
google them, maybe they can help you find help too!
References :
experience
December 9th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Here’s a tip! These credit ‘repair’ places are a big farce! YOU can do exactly the same things that they can do. All they do is keep sending letters to credit bureaus stating that the record on your report is wrong – they keep harassing the credit bureau in hopes that some items from your credit report will get deleted. The credit bureaus usually don’t delete items from your report – they just request further documentation from you proving that the debt isn’t yours. If you truly have items on your credit report that are honestly yours, there isn’t much that you can do except wait it out. You can send letters to each credit bureau asking them to delete items from your report just as easily as these ‘repair’ places. If your balance is zero for a particular item, you may hit it lucky and have it deleted – but it’s not a sure thing. Don’t waste your money! Instead – keep current on all of your payments and never ever be late on anything again. Your credit score will only increase when your payments are current. Good luck!
References :
December 9th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Save your money. Before you sign up for any credit repair company check out this FTC info: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre13.shtm.
Derogatory items stay on your credit report for 7-1/2 years from the date of first deficiency. If you defaulted on these accounts last year, your credit is going to be bad for quite some time. Paying off these derogatory items won’t improve your score — damage is already done. However, you will never get a mortgage approved with unsettled derogatory items on your credit file.
Get a copy of your credit report (AnnualCreditReport.com) and work on cleaning up your bad debt. Start with the newest item and work back to the oldest. You may be able to negotiate settlement for less. As these debts are less than 2 years old, offer 75%. Lump sum gets the best deal. Payment plans have to be short.
Get any settlement agreement in writing and keep it, along with your payment proof, forever. Do not give the collector direct access to your bank account.
You should also start putting a set amount in a savings account earmarked as downpayment money. By the time your credit is good enough to get approved, you should have a nice downpayment ready.
References :
December 9th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Sorry but no one can "fix" your credit except you. Those so-called credit doctors will just charge you for something you can do for yourself. Save your money and do it yourself !
1 – If you haven’t already get current copies of your credit reports from the 3 major bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Transunion)
2 – Take a photocopy of each and put the originals in a binder
3 – Get a highlighter and highlight any account that is negative (collections, written off, older than 7 yrs, etc…)
4 – Any inactive account that is older than 7 yrs should not be deleted from your report. Download a dispute letter from the credit bureaus website(s) and fill in the details
5 – For collection/overdue items, if they are greater than 7 yrs dispute them as well
6- If there are still valid debts, you need to contact the creditor and negotiate a ‘pay for delete’ in addition to a payment plan if you cannot pay in full. If they start hounding you send them a ‘cease and dessist’ letter stating they may only contact you in writing.
7 – Do not apply for any credit while you are doing this or for the next year (ideally 2)
8 – If you currently have any credit card or loan balances, pay them off or at least pay them down to bring them current
9 – If you need a credit card, get a secured card from Capital One for $500 (or more if you can)….use it sparingly for like only $25-50 and pay in full and on time every other month or so to establish good re-payment history.
A little patience and 2-3 months, you’ll be on your way.
References :