How To Repair Your Credit and Increase Your Scores

First let me begin by saying that credit repair is no easy task! You must have diligence, patience, and the time to devote towards clearing your credit. I also recommend that you get some sort of Identity Theft protection either before or after repairing your credit. Identity Theft can take years to recover from. Life Lock has a great guarantee and is a very well known and reputable company.




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Once every 12 months, you are entitled to a free report and can obtain it by contacting the Annual Credit Report Request service. You can visit them online at www.annualcreditreport.com, call them at 877-322-8228, or request your report via mail by writing to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281. You are also entitled a free copy of your credit report from the credit bureaus if you are declined credit. You have 60 days after receiving the denial notice to get your credit report for free.

Review the report carefully for any mistakes or old debts. Ask yourself:
> Are the balances, credit limits, payment information and open dates all correct?
> Is the date of last activity correct?
> Is the account being reported by a creditor and a collection agency?
> Has the debt been paid off but is still reflected?
> Did you close an account that still states it is open?
> Is a current account paid but showing up as delinquent?
> Is your name and other personal information correct?
> Are there duplicate accounts listed?
> Are there any medical bills listed that insurance should have paid?
> Did you file bankruptcy but not all accounts included are listed as such?

If you do have errors, you should report them immediately. The longer they sit on your credit report, the more harm they can do. Correcting even a small error can increase your score by several points. To report an error:
> Send a letter to the credit bureau reporting the information you think is incorrect. Make sure you provide any copies of supporting documentation you may have. They must investigate any disputes and provide the results to you in writing.
> Always dispute an item with the reporting credit bureau. Involving the other bureaus may cause confusion and further inaccuracies.
> Report the dispute to your creditor, also including any copies of supporting documentation.
Steps to Take:

Steps to Take:
1. Check your credit report each year and verify all information in it.
2. Be proactive. If you have an error on your report, take the proper steps to remove it. It only serves to benefit you.
3. Credit bureaus are not perfect. Don't assume they can't make mistakes.
4. Keep precise records of your debts and credit information.
Keep copies of all correspondence you have when disputing a credit report error. Try to keep all communication in writing, as this is more substantial.