Credit Repair in the News

Credit repair is more important than ever. In a recent interview with MarketWatch, a Wall Street Journal website, the Consumer Operations manager for the MyFICO division of Fair Isaac spoke out about the importance of checking your credit reports. In the words of the article, “There may be some surprises waiting for you.”

A New Credit Repair Landscape

Creditors everywhere have tightened their guidelines. This new credit environment has made credit repair more important than ever before. And to make things even more difficult in these already challenging times, creditors have begun to reduce and close credit cards in order to limit their own risk exposure.

The Limit Reduction Problem

This action is doubly hard for consumers. First, these limit reductions are happening unexpectedly, even to those who have never made a late payment. And second, and even more damaging, is the snowball effect that follows. A major part of your credit score is based on the relationship between your current balance and your credit limit. When a creditor cuts your limit your balance-to-limit ratio increases and your credit score will fall, through no fault of your own.

The Snowball Effect

And the snowball starts rolling. Once the first creditor drops a limit and your scores fall, other creditors are likely to drop your limits as well. And the lower your scores the more prone you will be to this perfect storm of credit repair trouble. What to do?

Good Credit Repair Advice

The Consumer Operations Manager for MyFICO suggests that you do everything in your power to insure that your credit report is as clean as possible and your scores are optimized. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that paying your bills on time (as important as it is) is you need to do. Credit repair knowledge is power. Here is a summary of his credit repair tips, and our extrapolation.

Check Your Credit Reports

Look for changes in your account limits. And while you’re at it, check for errors. Errors come in many shapes. Derogatory information should cease reporting, generally, after seven years. You should know that the seven year reporting period clock starts on the date of the original default with the original creditor. The original default was the first reported late payment in the sequence that led to the charge off or collection status. Collectors cannot reset the clock with subsequent reporting. And while we are on the subject of collectors, you should know that if a collector no longer owns the debt, he is supposed to remove the account entirely from your credit report. When in doubt, challenge the item with the credit bureaus or hire a credit repair professional to manage the process for you.

Don’t Get Close to Your Credit Card Limits

A significant percentage of your credit score is based on your balance-to-limit ratio. Reduce your balances as much as possible. Less than 20% of your limit is the optimal balance. Many people are blindsided by precipitous drops in the scores when they max out a card, even when they have never been late on a payment.

Keep Accounts Active

Use your cards to keep them alive. Dormant cards are in danger of being closed by creditors and unless you have plenty of open accounts this could cause a drop in your scores and send you in search of credit repair solutions.

Pay Your Bills on Time



This seems like a no-brainer, but it is so important. Make sure you understand the impact your purchases will have on your budget. Try not to let yourself get spread too thin. A single late payment can have a big effect on your scores, and may even trigger adverse action, such as limit reduction, by your creditors.

Don’t Apply for New Credit Cards

We have warned against store cards for years, and MyFICO agrees. Store cards can be credit repair suicide as they often present a triple threat. First, you will have an inquiry. Second, you will have a new account which will weigh down your credit scores for several months. And last, and worst, is the fact that most store cards offer a credit limit only marginally over the amount of your purchase. Put these together and you get credit repair trouble.

Call for Credit Repair Help

If you are confused by all of the components of credit report and score management, or don’t have the time to handle the task on your own, don’t give up. Call a credit repair professional for help. A credit repair professional will manage the process for you and insure that everything possible is done to optimize your credit. Good luck! Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Credit Repair Works

Credit repair works. And the results will have a dramatic impact on your financial life. Lenders everywhere have tightened their credit requirements. Every single point on your credit score matters. Credit blemishes can quickly translate into higher interest rates and even loan denials. You cannot afford to ignore the potential of credit repair. Do it yourself, or for a small investment you can hire a professional credit repair service to manage the process for you. Either way, now is the time to take action.

The Great Liberation

Free yourself from the illusion of authority. Many people make the mistake of giving too much credibility to the content of their credit reports. The power of the credit bureaus can be intimidating; we might believe our eyes against our better judgment. The credit bureaus play an important role in our world, but they are not without flaw. Over half of all credit reports include errors that are significant enough for the victims to pay premium interest rates, and, in many cases, to face loan denial. The credit bureaus maintain files on over 200 million Americans. That means that over 100 million Americans are victims of credit reporting errors.

The Credit Repair Plot Thickens



There is an unfortunate and unjust credit reporting anomaly that is virtually guaranteed to handicap those who can afford it the least. If you have had legitimate credit problems in the past you are more than twice as likely to be a victim of reporting errors as someone who has not had issues. There are two primary reasons for this; when you default on a debt the creditor is apt to move your account into another reporting category increasing the likelihood of duplicates and errors, and secondly, if an account is sent to a collector the lax reporting conformity of the collection industry can harm your credit needlessly for years to come.

And There is More

An informed examination of your credit report by a credit repair professional may turn up errors in many categories. Some of these errors are pure compliance violations that you are not likely to spot without training. If you are going to manage your own credit repair project make sure to do your homework before getting started. Educate yourself about reporting period limits for all categories of credit, make sure you understand the operation of statute of limitations, and peruse the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The little details can make the difference between success and failure.

The Credit Repair Solution



Understanding your rights and the compliance requirements of the credit bureaus will give you the legal leverage you need for your credit repair effort to succeed. Your credit bureau disputes are the cornerstone of your credit repair project, but there is more. True credit repair success should be measured by the improvement in your FICO credit scores. You must carry out your credit bureau disputes with an understanding of the impact every change in your credit report will have on your FICO scores. When you put it all together you will be thrilled with the results.

Help is Near

You are not alone. Many people don’t have the time to manage their credit repair project as carefully as necessary. If you feel that you can’t give it the attention it deserves, hire a credit repair professional. A professional will insure that every issue is identified, and will address your problems in an informed and careful manner designed to produce the best results. In addition, truly effective credit repair services will assist you in rebuilding and reshaping your credit to meet future lenders guidelines so that you will be left with genuinely useable credit. Whichever route you take, I urge you to act now. It’s your credit, and it matters.

Copyright © 2009 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Credit Repair is a very debated topic on the net right now as to whether it’s legal, effective, ethical and an avenue worth pursuing for individuals with negative, inaccurate or unverifiable information on their credit reports. No matter where you search, you will find varying opinions in regard the legitimacy of the credit repair industry, from the FTC and Attorney General, to debt consolidation companies and law firms practicing credit repair companies.

First off to answer the question “is credit repair and its practitioners legal,” the answer is yes! There is a specific body of legislation, the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) that outlines how credit repair companies may legally operate. This Federal regulation is proof that the industry as a whole is legal and not a scam. I think the negative overtones are more likely a case of a few hundred bad apples taking advantage of people.

The second most debated topic in many of the popular credit forums is whether or not one should even use a credit repair company, or give it a go themselves? The art of credit repair or credit restoration is not necessarily a difficult one to grasp and despite what a lot of the credit repair companies and lawyers would like you to believe, there is no “magical, proprietary dispute letter.” Remember, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was set up so that consumers could fix errors on their credit reports on their own. It was not set up so consumers could fix errors If they had the magic letter. It really is almost as simple as saying…

“Hey this is not my account, please verify the information and remove from my report”

So why would you consider hiring a company to improve your credit score if it is so easy? The art of credit repair is not perfectly written letter, but more of knowing the little tricks credit bureaus and collection agents use to avoid eliminating the debt.

As much bad press credit repair agencies have received, bureaus and collection agencies are no angels either. They try and trick you, they don’t always follow procedure and we’ve seen numerous cases of them breaking promises consumers have made with them when negotiating debt.

Credit report repair agencies should be well versed and know what to expect and exactly how to negotiate through all the little tricks that the average consumer wouldn’t. If you are lucky enough to be working with an ethical company that does its job and at a good price, it can work wonders for your credit score.

The people we spoke with that do favor using an agency to fix their credit, do so because typically it’s only 30.00 to 50.00 per month and they just don’t feel like dealing with the headaches, nor do they want to be their own guinea pigs.

If you do make the decision you would rather leave it to the pros, what steps should you take to make sure you’re hiring the right company? At the time of writing this there is very little governing the industry outside of CROA and it is a craps shoot for the most part.

However, there is hope on the horizon. Currently a non-profit organization is being formed called the National Credit Repair Association (NCRA) This industry organization brings overdue legitimacy and integrity to the credit repair field, and represents all certified credit repair organizations. The idea is that accredited credit repair firms are overseen to ensure they embody top standards and ethics, and adhere to all applicable state and federal laws in their practices. In other words, the “BBB” of the Credit Repair Industry.

We highly recommend that you utilize this service when fully launched as it will force legitimate companies to sign up much like they would the BBB and it will also weed out the unscrupulous credit repair companies who do not wish to adhere to standards. The credit repair industry is a legal and much needed industry, but much like any “new fad” it’s going to take time to get regulated, weed out the scum and let the professionals rise to the top.

In closing, credit repair is something that most Americans will probably have to deal with at some point in their lives. It can be done by you with a little homework, accurate record keeping and patience, or you can hire a firm just as long as you’ve done your homework, insist the company is a member of The NCRA and make sure they are not breaking laws when dealing with your personal credit scores.

Questionable Credit Repair Practices

A small sub-set of the credit repair industry has been operating in a gray area of the law by selling authorized user accounts to consumers. Many credit repair customers have been willing to pay significant amounts of money for these accounts, and the credit score benefit that comes with them. According to the Fair Isaac July 31, 2008 press release, those days are officially over.

A Brief History

The FICO credit scoring model considers, among other things, the payment history of your credit cards as an indicator of your credit worthiness. Until now, FICO also applied the payment history of authorized user accounts in their calculation of the score of the authorized user – an interesting point as these accounts reflect the credit worthiness of the primary card holder, rather than the authorized user.

The Birth of Credit Repair Card Sales

A number of credit repair companies picked up on this loophole and began to sell authorized card memberships to people wanting a quick score boost. Soon lenders caught on and decided to fight back; justifiably so, as these accounts artificially skewed the credit scores of borrowers, making good credit decisions unreliable.

The End is in Sight

Fair Isaac Corp. has now taken steps to preserve the integrity of the FICO score by eliminating the score benefit of authorized user accounts sold by so-called credit repair companies that chose to operate in this questionable market. If you have considered buying authorized user accounts from one of these credit repair operations to get a quick bump in your credit score, forget it.

The End of the Credit Repair Gray Market

The new, updated, FICO 08 release includes a fancy sorting algorithm which reportedly will allow legitimate authorized card holders, such as spouses, to continue to receive the score benefit, while effectively blocking cards that were sold in the credit repair gray market. Spouses are clearly safe, and based on the language of the July 31, 2008 press release, so, we believe, are child accounts.

How Does the Magic Work?

If I had to guess, I’d say that Fair Isaac tests for a relationship between the primary card holder and the member user. I’d also guess that they are testing for the number of member users per primary account. In other words, primary accounts that have more than one or two authorized users will be blocked for sure. This in itself would eliminate the majority of the gray market accounts because most of these accounts were sold multiple times.

Make Your Credit Repair Plans

Fair Isaac’s new approach to the authorized user account problem is very even-handed and should provide comfort to spouse and child card holders, as they should be able to continue to enjoy the score benefit of their accounts. But if you are making a credit repair effort and have purchased authorized user cards and are counting on them to maintain your score, it’s time to make other plans.

Finding the Right Solution

Ethical credit repair is also the most effective. Truly successful credit repair is about a genuine reshaping of your credit. You might have been able to artificially increase your credit score by purchasing an authorized card membership, but this was never an effective long term solution.

Credit Repair Done Right

If you are in a credit repair program and want to improve your credit scores, there is an effective and reliable way to do so. Build your own credit! If your credit scores are below the level that will allow you to get unsecured credit cards, get secured cards. Secured cards are cost effective, the accounts are yours, and before long you will be enjoying improved credit scores. That’s the right approach to credit repair.

Copyright © 2008 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Setting Priorities

What do you want from life? You can achieve your goals. Success is within your reach. There are just two requirements. First, you must be clear about your goals. Second, you must work towards your goals – everyday. Clarity is essential. If you really want something, your actions must be consistent with your goals. If you want a promotion at work, for example, you might choose to sign up for a night class that will help your career. If you want to get into top physical condition you could start an exercise routine today. Every choice you make today will determine the direction your life will take tomorrow.

Perfect Credit and Financial Freedom

Would you like to have perfect credit? Would you like to say goodbye to financial stress once and for all? I assure you that your goal is within reach, and it is closer than you think. To achieve perfect credit you must be clear about what you want, and you must be willing to work towards your goal – starting now. Clarity of intent means that you are willing to put your goal above other desires. In all endeavors temptations will appear to challenge your resolve; it’s a law of nature, there are always opposing forces. But if you consciously renew your focus every day you will prevail. The first step towards perfect credit is an understanding of the intricacies credit repair. There is more than meets the eye.

The Need for Credit Repair

Credit repair is the essential first step towards perfect credit. Credit repair is incredibly powerful and effective if done right. Many people ignore their credit report after a period of credit damaging financial stress. This is understandable; it can be very uncomfortable to examine derogatory information on your credit report. But there is nothing more important. And as hard as it might be to get started on a credit repair effort, the relief that you will feel once you have taken the first step is fantastic.

The Truth About Credit Repair

Over half of all credit reports contain errors that are serious enough to cause consumers to pay premium interest rates on their loans, or even to be denied for financing. These errors are the result of deficiencies in the checks and balances built into the credit reporting system. You may be surprised to know that there is little that can be done to rectify these deficiencies. There are three credit bureaus. Each bureau manages data files on over two hundred million Americans. Each data file is updated constantly by creditors, collectors, and public record service bureaus. Billions of updates are processed daily. The system is designed to be as efficient as possible given existing constraints, which happen to include self-defined financial limitations of the credit bureaus.

Insult to Injury

In addition to the overall error statistics which are supported by many different independent studies, including a Government Accounting Office “study of studies”, there is another unfortunate and less publicized fact which has made credit repair an essential defensive process for so many people; those with legitimate credit issues are considerably more likely to have errors on their reports than others. The reason is simple. Once an account falls behind or is charged off, it is out of the mainstream and is handled on an exception basis. And even worse, once an account goes to collection it often replicates itself as it is passed from collector to collector, even though it is not legal for a collector to continue to report once they no longer own the debt. It is unfortunate, but the system often generates credit reporting errors for those people who can afford them the least. But it is not all bad news. Once you understand your rights it is not difficult to clear up your credit report and put yourself on the path back to great credit.

Calling a Credit Repair Professional

Effective credit repair requires a working knowledge of the laws that govern the credit bureaus. You cannot get the results you need by simply disputing obvious derogatory items. Most credit reporting errors are compliance errors and may be overlooked by someone that is not trained. It is also important to know how the FICO scoring model operates; many people start a credit repair effort only to discover that their credit scores are falling month after month. Everything on your report has an impact on your credit scores. Success in credit repair will come from a careful balance of actions. If you are going to attempt your own credit repair take the time to read a good book on the subject before you start. If you are a busy person and prefer to turn the job over someone else, you should hire a competent credit repair professional. They will insure that everything possible is done to clean up your credit, optimize your credit scores, and help you reach your goal of perfect credit. Good luck!

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

The Growing Importance of Your Credit Score

Credit repair revolves around credit score improvement, and for good cause. You are probably aware that a low credit score can keep you from getting the credit you want. But did you know that lenders set interest rates based on credit scores? Late in 2007, Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, the federally charted mortgage giants, modified their pricing to be more sensitive to credit scores than ever before. Even borrowers with excellent credit will now have their rate adjusted based on incremental score differences.

Every Point Counts

Mortgage lenders are not alone in their recent pricing policy changes. Auto finance companies, long known for tiered pricing, have also sharpened their pencils and are more score sensitive than ever. If you are applying for a loan you should be aware that every point on your credit score could affect your interest rate. Fortunately there is a way to control your credit scores and hasten your credit repair goals.

Credit Cards the Credit Repair Powerhouse

Effective credit repair is all encompassing. But there is a special category of debt that offers more control over your scores than you ever imagined – if you know what to do. Credit cards have a special place in the FICO scoring model, and therefore in your credit repair effort as well. Fair Isaac and Company, the creator of the FICO scoring model, interprets the way you use your credit card as a primary indicator of the risk a lender will assume when lending you money. And there is reasonable logic involved.

Credit Cards as a Barometer of Risk

Fair Isaac and Company is in the business of measuring the risk of lending money. Their method is to assign numeric value to every behavior they can identify within your credit file. These values are measured by a complex algorithm, or formula, which they license to the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus apply this formula to the information they collect about you and come up with a single number; your credit score.

Credit Card Behavior

Fair Isaac gives your credit cards special importance because your balances can change monthly and contain several indicators of potential risk. The indicators measured by Fair Isaac include your payment record, your balance relative to your high credit limit, and the age of the card. In addition, the importance of each indicator varies based on the value of the other categories. Let’s see why.

Credit Repair Rule Number One – On Time Payments

Many people involved in a credit repair effort open new credit cards to rebuild their credit. If managed correctly this can be a powerful score booster. But there is a dark side as well. If you miss a payment Fair Isaac will cut your score dramatically as a way of alerting lenders that you are a high risk. It’s simple. Your new credit card was seen by Fair Isaac as a test of your ability to manage new debt. And you failed. Credit repair rule number one, make your payments on time.

High Balances Equal Credit Repair Trouble

So, you got a new credit card, ran the balance up to the limit, and now you wonder why your credit repair efforts are not working. You can afford the payments, and you’re making them on time. What’s the problem? Unfortunately, all Fair Isaac can see is unproven debt and a person who may have no restraint. So you get categorized with a statistical majority who get in over their heads and soon default. As a result Fair Isaac will knock your credit score down to warn potential lenders to steer clear. Do you want to keep your scores up? Please keep your balances down.

The Age of Your Credit Cards

Once you have proven to Fair Isaac that you can manage the firepower in your wallet you will be rewarded with increased latitude. Your score will still suffer if you make a late payment, and you will be penalized if you let your balance approach the limit, but not as much. In addition, you will be rewarded with a higher score as Fair Isaac becomes more confident in your staying power. When it comes to credit repair, time is your friend.

Reaching Your Credit Repair Goals

Do you want to optimize your credit score? Make your payments on time and watch those balances. The latest release of the FICO score model recognizes five balance-to-limit ratios: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. The first two tiers, 20% and 40%, will increase your scores, 60% is neutral, 80% is bad, and 100% is terrible. There is also a special deadly over 100% category, which you can expect to obliterate your score. If your credit cards are under one year old your behavior is especially important. If you exercise caution, your scores will soar, and you will reach your credit repair goals.

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

 

Credit repair services tend to make grand statements about credit repair. They give the impression that hiring the company will fix all of your credit problems.

Is this true? Unfortunately no, it’s not. There are fraudulent credit repair companies that prey on people with bad credit.

It is said that fraudulent credit repair services have taken over 50 million dollars from the consumers. This is a result of people with bad credit being frustrated with paying high fees and interest. 

What about guarantees? When a credit repair service makes a guarantee you should use extreme caution. This company is probably a phony and only interested in collecting money from you, not actually repairing your credit.

However there are some credit repair companies that can be trusted. They will fight to repair your credit and are typically more effective than an individual.

This is because legit credit repair services are are familiar with the credit bureaus. The bureaus try to avoid conducting investigations into disputed listings.

Credit bureaus rarely investigate dispute requests because it costs the bureaus money. It also goes against the goal of the credit bureaus. This is to provide lenders with a measurable value on the likelihood of the individual repaying on the credit line.

When shopping credit repair services look for warranties or refunds, instead of guarantees. Also do your homework and see what is being said about the services by old clients.

If you are fed up paying high interest for a mistake you made in the past, then you should repair your credit. Good credit repair services can make the credit bureaus investigate disputes on your behalf. 

To learn more about credit repair or hiring a professional service visit us. If you are interested in do it yourself credit repair you can access a free credit repair letter here.

FICO – More Than Meets the Eye

Fair Isaac and Company is the developer of the FICO score, the credit score used by most lenders today. The exact formula is not published, but Fair Isaac offers a breakdown of the categories of influence, and the relative importance of each. The breakdown is a helpful starting point for anyone in credit repair mode who wishes to optimize his or her scores, but it is only a starting point…

Credit Repair and the Logic of FICO

If you are in a credit repair program and aspire to optimize your credit scores it is handy to understand the logic behind the scenes. Fair Isaac is in the business of providing lenders with a measure of the risk they will incur in lending you money. Fair Isaac has spent years analyzing the implications of every measurable behavior and developed a formula to communicate risk with a single number. Here is a breakdown of the components of the FICO score along with some powerful tips you can apply to your own credit repair efforts.

Pay History

Your pay history makes up 35% of your score. Clear enough, but let’s take a moment to understand the implications. A late payment is an indication of financial stress. Financial stress translates into risk of default, and FICO communicates this risk to lenders by reducing your credit score. A lower credit score says, “don’t lend to this person.” But there is more involved. FICO weighs recent late payments more heavily than older late payments. A brand new late payment can send your credit score to a level that no lender will consider. On the other hand, anyone in credit repair mode should be happy to hear that the impact of a late payment fades quickly as time goes by.

Balances – Installment

Your account balances make up 30% of your score. Both installment and revolving accounts are considered. Let’s take a quick look at installment debt before discussing the far more important category of revolving debt. When installment debt, such as a car loan, appears on your credit report FICO sees it as an unknown and drops your score to warn lenders of the new risk. After a few months FICO acknowledges your ability to manage the payments and adjusts your score accordingly. Not a big credit repair concern.

Balances – Revolving

Revolving balances are tricky and may hinder or help your credit repair efforts more than you think. You can clean up your credit report, pay your bills on time, and still end up with a miserable credit score. FICO puts a huge emphasis on the relationship between your balance and your high credit limit. The latest FICO model acknowledges six balance-to-limit ratios: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%, and the deadly over-100% category. The two lower tiers will increase your scores, the middle tier is neutral, 80% is bad, 100% is awful, and as for the deadly over-100% category – I think you get the message.

Credit Repair and Your Balances

People often get a credit card, and quickly use it to the limit. Sounds like fun! Unfortunately, a new account with a high balance is credit repair suicide. The new account warns FICO about unknown stress on your budget, and the high balance says that you are out of control. This may not be the case, but big brother is watching and he doesn’t like what he sees. But there is some good news too. If you take that same new account and keep the balance below 20% of your high credit limit for 6 months FICO will think you are fantastic and reward you accordingly. This is solid credit repair gold.

The Age of Accounts

This category makes up 15% of your score. There are a few credit repair angles here. There is nothing you can do about the age of installment debt; when it’s paid, it’s done. But revolving accounts are a different story. FICO loves old accounts as much as it worries about new ones. Many people start a credit repair effort and cut up their credit cards; a strategic error. Generally you would be advised to keep your accounts open. There are exceptions. If you have lots of established credit cards you should close the inactive ones. There is a bit of a balancing act; too many cards work against your score.

New Credit & Inquiries

This category weighs in at 10% of your score. If you are planning to apply for a mortgage or a car loan soon, or are in a credit repair program and watching your scores, you should minimize your credit activity. New accounts will reduce your score, and an inquiry is interpreted as the intent to open a new account, so FICO will downgrade you to warn prospective lenders that there may be trouble ahead.

Type and Mix of Credit

This is the final 10% of the calculation, and not much of a credit repair concern. FICO does not publish their idea of the optimal mix of credit, but if you really want to know what the perfect 850 credit score looks like, here you go! One mortgage over 5 years old, two car loans more than halfway through their life span, and five credit cards over five years old with balances under 20% of the high credit limit will take you to the summit!

Copyright © 2007 James W. Kemish. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Become a Credit Repair Powerhouse

Credit repair requires a bit of finesse. It is essential to approach your credit repair project from several different angles simultaneously. This multi-faceted of approach will insure the best possible outcome. Leave out a single aspect of the project and your credit repair effort is likely to languish, or even fail in spite of the most belabored struggle. Are you ready for great success? Here are the credit repair secrets of the pros. Follow along and watch the magic happen.

Rebuild Your Credit Now or Fail

It does not matter how bad your credit is when you begin your credit repair journey, you need to start rebuilding your credit today. Credit cards are the most powerful tool available. You may be thinking that it would be better to wait until your credit is better before making application for a credit card, but that is not correct. Revolving credit takes up to six months to yield solid credit score benefits, so you cannot afford to wait. And if you are concerned about getting approved just apply for secured cards. Two is the correct number of cards for optimal credit repair results. Once you have them in hand just follow these rules.

Revolving Debt Rules

Once you have two new credit cards open you need to manage them in a very special manner for the first year of your credit repair and recovery journey. Use them right away and never let the balance go all the way to zero. In addition, you need to learn about the magical relationship between your balance and your card limit. If you want your credit score to shine you should reduce your balance below 20 percent of the card’s limit. For example, if you have a credit card with a three hundred dollar limit you should keep the balance under sixty dollars.

Credit Repair Timing is Everything

For clarity, I should point out that you can do anything you want with your credit card balance if no one will be looking at your scores. Running a high balance has no long term effect on your score; as soon as you pay down your balance your scores will pop right up. Just make sure to get your balances down at least sixty days in advance of needing your scores, as it can take that long for the credit bureaus to get the updated balance information. How much of an impact will this have on your credit repair results? It can change your life. The difference between a low balance and a maxed out card can translate into a whopping 150 points. See the light!

The Right Stuff

Stay away from store cards and consumer credit such as furniture, appliance, and electronics store loans, at least while you are trying to fire up your credit repair project. If you have this type of debt right now try to pay it off as soon as possible. The FICO scoring model has a bias against this debt and your score will pay the price. Once again, it doesn’t really matter if you open an account at every store in town as long as you don’t need your scores to be at their best right. Store cards and consumer debt can be convenient and even financially beneficial if used right, just make sure to clean things up at least sixty days before you need your score and you will see the credit repair results you are looking for.

Learn About Statutes of Limitation

If you really want to fire up your credit repair weaponry and do some serious damage against the evil-doers you must take the time to understand the importance of statutes of limitation and their significance in dealing with errant collection accounts on your credit report. A statute of limitation is the period of time that a debt may be collected through the court system. In the vast majority of cases the statute of limitation is far less than the reporting period limit. Debts beyond the statute of limitation become extremely negotiable. If a collector has no leverage, and they know that you know, they are likely to become entirely docile and willing to accept a small settlement. In addition, you can stop any collector from contacting you with no worry about legal ramification, simply by sending them a cease communication letter. Want to learn more about this powerful credit repair tool? Statutes of limitation are state and debt type specific and are all easily found on the Internet. So logon and learn. Good luck!

Copyright © 2009 Ian Webber. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Credit Repair is all About Leverage

You want results. In the universe of credit repair you should focus your attention on the areas where you have legal leverage, and avoid those where you have none. If there are errors on your credit report your leverage will come from the obligations imposed on the credit bureaus by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Know Where you Stand

The FCRA spells out the responsibilities of the credit bureaus in dealing with the dispute and verification process. All of your credit repair results will be attributable to the FCRA. Take the time to understand your basic rights and the legal responsibilities of the credit bureaus and you will have the power to produce the credit repair results that you need.

Don’t Believe Your Eyes

The vast majority of credit reports contain multiple errors. Many people have the propensity to believe what they see on their credit reports. The credit bureaus are not government agencies, nor are they infallible, far from it. They are big businesses trying hard to manage an unimaginable amount of data. Errors are part of the picture, and it’s time for you to look out for yourself.

Credit Bureaus and the Law

If it were not for the pressure of the government spurred by almost ceaseless consumer complaints about credit reporting inaccuracy things would be much worse. As it is, credit repair is reasonably manageable if you know your rights. It’s all about the FCRA and the obligations it imposes on the credit bureaus. You can succeed if you know your rights and stand your ground.

The Thirty Day Rule

Are there errors on your credit report? Oddly enough there is no point in disputing your issues directly with the creditor, as you would have no leverage; they have no obligation to respond. You need to focus your credit repair efforts on the credit bureaus. Once a credit bureau receives a dispute they have 30 days to verify the information with the creditor. If they cannot verify the information within that timeframe they must cease reporting it and send you a letter stating the outcome.

The Fifteen Day Rule

If a creditor verifies the information with the credit bureau within the allowed timeframe they will send you a letter explaining that the information has been verified. But this is not the end of your rights. If you are not satisfied you may send another letter to the credit bureaus requesting details about their verification process including contact information with the creditor. The credit bureau has 15 days to comply with this request.

Collectors and Psychology

Your credit repair project may bring you in contact with a collector. This is usually an unpleasant experience. Collectors are trained emotional terrorists. I am not kidding. Professional collectors are taught to cause as much fear and discomfort as possible without crossing the line into illegality. They will do and say whatever it takes to wear you down and make you pay. If you have to deal with a collector you had better know your rights.

Collectors and the Law

Collectors fall under the supervision of another important law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA lists unacceptable collection practices as well as certain obligations to respond to specific consumer requests. If you know your rights you can control and even dominate the situation. Your right to validate a debt imposes an obligation on the collector to document the alleged debt and brings a halt to all collection efforts while this process is underway.

Credit Repair and Statues of Limitation

If confronted by a collector you may be able to turn the entire communication to your favor if you know the statute of limitation on the subject debt. The statute of limitation is the time limit that a debt may be collected through the court system. If a collection is beyond the statute of limitation a collector has no way to enforce the collection by suing you. This means two things, first, if you send the collector a cease communication letter he will go away forever, and second, if you would like to resolve an outstanding balance the collector should be very willing to negotiate.

Credit Repair Muscle

You don’t have to go it alone! If you would like to be guided through the process of credit repair, just call on a credit repair professional. Many people are too busy to manage the details involved with doing the job properly. You credit is too important to be left to chance. There is only one way to do it, the right way. Good luck!

Copyright © 2008 Ian Webber. All Content. All Rights Reserved.