Better credit starts with knowledge.
The more you know about what constitutes good or bad credit, the more you can do to improve and maintain your good credit. As part of our program, we will not only improve your credit, but teach you tips and techniques for everyday money management that will keep you from heading down that road again.
We focus on helping individuals and families change adverse behaviors that are affecting their financial and credit health. Below are some frequently asked questions that you should understand before becoming our client.
Can credit repair companies be trusted?
Working within the credit bureau maze requires substantial background knowledge—the knowledge it takes credit repair consultants years to learn. Our team of qualified professionals are intimately familiar with the credit business and how to correct your score when things go wrong.
Why can’t I repair my credit on my own?
Disputing the credit report is easy. Getting results from the credit bureaus can be amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating. It is not a coincidence that the Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints against credit bureaus than any other type of business. Remember, the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits. Investigating your challenge consumes these profits. The credit bureaus can actually—legally—ignore your dispute for a number of reasons. In our experience, most dispute letters sent directly from consumers are rejected under one pretext or another.
Does good credit offset any bad credit?
Any amount of bad credit is devastating to your chances of being approved by a credit grantor. Most credit grantors never actually look at your credit report. A computer pulls your credit report, rates your credit standing, income, indebtedness, and stability, and then spits out an acceptance or denial.
Even 1 or 2 late payments will usually trigger a credit card or personal loan denial. The slightest amount of negative credit will cause the interest on an auto loan to skyrocket. You will probably find that even a little bad credit, regardless of how much good credit you have, is an unacceptable barrier to credit approval.
Do negative items remain listed on my credit reports for at least 7 years?
When you speak with credit grantors, collection agencies, or credit bureaus, their typically under-trained staff may tell you all manner of such pseudo-legal nonsense. The law demands that negative listings appear on your credit report for no longer than 7 years. The credit grantor or the credit bureau can choose to delete the negative credit listing whenever they see fit.