Credit Score Repair – How To Improve A Poor Credit Rating

Restoring your credit isn’t as complicated as most people might assume. It can be done in a reasonable amount of time.

You need to get a copy of your credit report from all the major credit reporting agencies, which are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Find them on the Internet and ask them to give you a copy of your credit report.

The FACT Act that was passed by Congress permits all consumers one free copy of their credit report per year to find out credit score. You will need to visit different websites for more information. Sometimes one of the agencies will provide you with one report for free, but you are best off to visit Get Credit Healthy.

If you are serious about credit repair, you will need to obtain copies of all three credit reports. Creditors are not required to report to any of the credit reporting agencies, and often they will just report to one. Having all three credit reports on hand will help you make repair to your credit more thoroughly.

Here are more tips to improve your credit score: If you make all or most of your responsibilities in a timely manner, your credit score will improve. Lenders look at your credit score as a way to evaluate your credit worthiness. If your credit score is low, you will likely have trouble in obtain new credit.

Lenders also look at your income, your debt status, the amount of credit you have available to you, and the manner in which you do your monthly payments. By paying in a timely manner, you will keep you credit score at an average or above average level- a stable rating. If you have had credit problems, you may want to make an extra effort to repair your credit and elevate your credit score.

Your future and your financial stability and capacity greatly depend to a large extent on your credit report and your credit rating. Get a copy of your credit report each year to make it sure that the information is exact and that your accounts are listed appropriately. Your credit score is a substantial component of your life and you should make an effort to maintain it good.

Elizabeth Karwowski, the founder of Get Credit Healthy, has designed a 7-Step program to get you back to Credit Health. This program includes a one-on-one mentorship by one of their FCRA and FICO certified Credit Wellness Advisors.

Removing Negative Entries From Your Credit Report

Whenever a consumer misses required monthly payments or defaults on a loan, a negative entry detailing this information will appear on his credit report. The process of removing negative entries such as these is called “credit repair.”

There are many significant ways in which these negative entries can affect you. These negative entries will make it harder to be approved for any credit products, such as home loans and credit cards. You can be assured that the financial products for which you are approved will include a high annual percentage rate (APR) and associated monthly and annual fees and charges.

If this is the dilemma in which you find yourself, don’t despair! There are a multitude of online companies which, for a fee, will work to rebuild your credit. However, if you don’t want to pay the fee associated with these companies, you can venture into credit repair yourself.

You must first obtain a copy of your credit report, which may be done by contacting the three major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – and requesting a copy of your credit report. These three credit reporting bureaus are legally bound to provide one free copy of your credit report every twelve months. You can call (877) 322-8228 to obtain your free copy of your credit report. Alternately, you can request a copy of your credit report from the many online companies which offer this service.

Sit down and review your credit report once it arrives. All information should be carefully reviewed to confirm that all portions of the credit history are accurate. Do not skip over personal and employment information. Check everything!

A dispute letter should be written to the credit reporting agency if you find any false or inaccurate information. Your dispute letter should explain the reason you are writing and you should include any supporting documentation you may have. Retain copies of all correspondence and documentation to and from the credit reporting agency.

After receiving your dispute letter, the credit reporting agency has 30 days to verify your claim. The credit reporting agency must remove the entry if it cannot verify the claim within this time period. You should receive a letter from the credit reporting agency outlining the actions taken related to your credit report. If the credit reporting agency does not revise a negative or false entry, you should write a letter to the credit reporting agency requesting an explanation of how they came to this decision. When this is done, it is referred to as requesting a “method of verification.”

It is beneficial to follow this process in order to improve your credit, even though it may be time-consuming. By doing this, you will improve your credit score and improving your credit score will, in turn, lead to better opportunities for more desirable financial products.

Get your free 19 Page Collection Agency Deletion Guide at www.myncodebt.com

How Can I Remove Late Payments From My Credit Report?

For many people it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet all of their financial obligations. Each month that a consumer is late on a bill, the creditor reports this information to the credit reporting agencies. The credit reporting agencies then take this information and include it on your credit report. When a lender requests a copy of your credit report, all of your late payment entries will be reported for the lender to view.

Payments received after the due date are considered late, regardless of “how late” they may have been. If your payment was received the day after the due date or 30 days following the due date, it is still late. Most creditors however will not report a late payment until it is actually 30 days past the due date. But, if your payment is past the due date, you will probably find yourself with a hefty late payment penalty.

To begin the process of removing late penalties from your credit report, you will need to request a copy of your credit report. This is easily done by getting in touch with one of the three major credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You have the right to obtain one free copy of your credit report from these credit reporting agencies every twelve months.

Although the same kinds of information are reported on credit reports, the layout may be somewhat different. As you review your credit report, it should be fairly simple to determine how the credit reporting agency has reported late payments. In addition, the number of late payments you have made within a specific time period should also be shown on your credit report.

Although consumers understand that making late payments is not a good thing, they normally don’t understand the far-reaching consequences. Payment punctuality can count for over 30% of your total credit score. Because of this, late payments can severely affect credit applications which you submit to a lender.

The first thing you can try in order to remove late payments from your credit report is to contact the creditor directly and ask that it remove the late payments. This is often successful, however, if you habitually make late payments, it may be less likely.

If your creditor is unwilling to remove the late payments, you should contact the credit reporting agency by mail and request that they remove the late payments. Your letter should include copies of any supporting documentation that you have which corroborates your claim. You should always retain copies of any correspondence to or from the credit reporting agency. The credit reporting bureau has 30 days to verify your claim. If it cannot verify your claim within 30 days, it must remove the late payment from your credit report.

If at all possible, it is smart to keep this from happening in the first place. If you know you will be unable to make a payment on time, make a call to your creditor and explain your situation. It is often the case that creditors are more than happy to help you out by arranging a payment plan.

Did you know that late payments can be shown on your credit report for up to seven years? It’s true! This, of course, can severely damage your credit score and can cause you to be denied credit. Try to avoid late payments on your credit report by working with your creditor if you feel you will be late. You will be happy you did!

I Freed Myself from the NCO Collection Agency. See How I Did it at www.myncodebt.com

Will a Judgment Affect Me Adversely?

If you have a debt which is subsequently sent to collections, you will drastically damage your credit score. Your credit score will be damaged even more significantly if your creditor decides to seek a judgment.

If you are served with a Notice to Appear in court with regard to an unpaid debt, your creditor is through trying to work with you to collect the debt. After receipt of the Notice, you will have 30 days to object to the filing. If you can prove that the debt is invalid, you can have the case dismissed.

Some creditors may threaten to file a law suit but are not serious. However, going to court will be the kiss of death for your credit score and, therefore, should be avoided at all costs.

An “unpaid” judgment will be shown on your credit report for 10-12 years. At the end of this 10-12 year period, if the judgment remains unpaid, it can be renewed. A paid judgment can be shown on your credit report for up to 7 years from the date paid.

You should make an effort to contact your creditor to negotiate a settlement, provided the debt is valid, you would prefer this route to letting a judge decide your fate, and the debt is still within the statute of limitations (check your state’s statute of limitations laws). Be sure to check your state’s statute of limitations laws prior to doing this. The reason for this is that if your debt is outside of the statute of limitations, you no longer have a legal obligation to pay the debt and offering to pay may start the clock ticking again for payment purposes.

If the court issues an official court order for payment of the debt, your credit score will suffer drastically. This negative mark will not show up on your credit report if you contact your creditor and negotiate a settlement prior to the entry of judgment.

Offering to negotiate a settlement is the best solution for all parties. Typically, creditors do not want to go to court and will accept a portion of the amount owed just to bring the matter to a close. If you do not have a lump sum to offer as payment, you can always attempt to negotiate a payment plan. If your creditor is not “in the mood” to consider any offers, you might think about calling the lawyer handling the case for your creditor.

Your credit report will show the debt as “legally void” if the judgment is dismissed. This is much less damaging than a “paid judgment,” which can be shown on your credit report for seven years from the date paid.

The best outcome would be to negotiate a full deletion of all negative information. If you are successful in negotiating this, make sure you get the agreement in writing and that you obtain the signatures of both parties. Keep in mind that once the court becomes involved, your chances of negotiating a settlement are next to none.

An experienced credit attorney might be a good idea. You may, in the long run, save some money and lessen the damage to your credit score by employing a seasoned consumer credit attorney.

Free 19 Page Guide. Fast, Easy, and Free. Limited quantities available at www.MidlandCreditDebt.com.

Collection Agencies and Your Credit Report

Collections and Collection Agencies

A collection, also known as a charge-off, is an old debt the original creditor has given up trying to collect. At the point your debt becomes a charge-off, it is sold to a third party collection agency. collection agencies are hired because they are experts at getting you to pay.

Will My Credit Score Be Affected By a Collection?

Once a debt has been sold, the way it is reported on your credit record changes from bad (late bill) to terrible (collection). Collections may appear in various forms on your credit report including: unpaid collection, paid collection, or collection – paid or settled for less.

Lenders look for charge-offs, even if they are eventually paid, because this will alert them to the fact that you once defaulted. This type of credit activity will serve as a red flag to them.

Can Collections Be Removed?

The short answer is YES! Collections do not have to stay on your credit report for the next 7 years. Quite the opposite is true.

A collection can remain on your credit report for quite some time and credit bureaus and creditors have no reason to remove erroneous entries unless you dispute the information. As such, it remains up to you to contact and convince the relevant companies that they should erase the negative entry. Only you have a stake is cleaning up your credit.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to challenge any negative entries listed on your credit report. A copy of your credit report will need to be obtained in order to review the listed information and determine which collection agencies are present. You should not expect your credit reports to be the same as the credit bureaus maintain a separate file on your credit activities.

The general idea is that you must challenge each and every negative mark on your report. Quite often this process will remove several negative items without any further work.

If a Dispute is Denied, What Are My Options?

If you cannot convince a credit bureau to erase a negative collection from your credit report, you might want to consider obtaining some legal guidance as you move forward. An attorney who is knowledgeable in credit matters can be invaluable at this stage of the game.

See proof of our credit repair success at www.creditforcouples.com and get the truth about credit repair.