How to Repair Bad Credit

Many businesses have sprung up to offer assistance to those who need credit repair help. There are credit repair specialists, credit repair lawyers, credit repair kits and credit repair counseling; the list goes on and on. Consumers who are confused about how to repair bad credit are even more confused by this vast array of services and items which are supposed to help. There are certain things that you can keep in mind which may help you choose between credit repair counseling and other products. Credit repair is a very individual thing. Everyone has different issues and therefore has different needs.The first stop in a “how to repair bad credit guide” At this website the consumer can view his or her credit reports. This is the basis of your credit score. The FICO score is all that most lenders look at these days and many decisions are made by computer, but the information recorded on your credit report affects your FICO score. Before you get credit repair counseling or some other service, check your credit report for inaccurate information.The credit bureaus know how to repair bad credit, but they will not help you much. You must report any inaccurate information that you see to them. Even people who have excellent credit need to keep an eye on their credit reports. Identity theft is fairly common and can ruin a person’s credit rating. If you believe that you may have been a victim of identity theft, then you should notify the credit bureaus immediately and have them put a “fraud alert” on your account.Many people get credit repair counseling and consumer credit counseling confused. They are not the same thing. Consumer Credit Counseling Services, which are non-profit organizations, do many things to help consumers create a workable budget and pay off their debt, but they do not provide information about how to repair bad credit. Some “for profit” companies have chosen names similar to “Consumer Credit Counseling Services” in order to attract business. So if you are in need of credit counseling, rather than credit repair counseling, it is recommended that you learn about their fees up front. Even the “non-profits” charge a fee, but it is far less than that charged by the “for profits”.If a credit repair counseling service is not associated with a law firm, the consumer should get the details of what services they are offering; what is included in their “how to repair bad credit plan”. Some credit repair counseling includes explaining what the consumer needs to do to repair his or her own credit; have negative items removed from the credit reports, make sure all information is accurate and up to date and include a consumer statement, sometimes called a “hundred word statement”. This information is also available in books, software programs and so-called credit repair kits. People who want to know how to repair bad credit and do not have limited finances often choose to spend twenty dollars or so to buy the information and attempt the process themselves. This can be frustrating and time consuming, but it may pay off in the end.Credit repair counseling services that recommend “file segregation”, changing social security numbers or using an employer ID number should be avoided because of the legality of these options. The Federal Trade Commission recommends that consumers beware of any credit repair counseling service that promises results in a very short period of time. You may want to know how to repair bad credit, but you do not want to waste money or end up with legal problems.