If you suffer from poor credit, you've probably seen
advertisements for credit repair services. Many ads for credit
repair services claim to be able to remove bankruptcies, create
new credit identities, and even erase bad credit.
Beware! Many of these credit repair companies exist only to
cheat money out of their customers. Many people have paid
hundreds of dollars in fees, only to find that these credit
repair companies simply vanish because they can't deliver what
they have promised. Don't be fooled, the only real way to
improve your credit report is with time, effort, and a good
payment history.
But if you decide to try out a credit repair service, there are
certain warning signs you should look for to decide if the
company is legitimate. A credit repair service should not want
you to pay for credit repair services before any services are
provided. Another warning sign is if a credit repair service
recommends that you not contact the credit bureau directly or
refuses to answer questions about your legal rights as a debtor.
Some phony credit repair services will advise you to creat a new
credit identity by applying for an Employer Identification
Number to use instead of your Social Security Number. If you
follow this illegal advice you may be commiting fraud, and find
yourself facing prosecution. It's a federal crime to make false
statements on a loan or credit application, to misrepresent your
Social Security Number, or to obtain an Employer Identification
Number from the IRS under false pretenses.
While no one can legally remove accurate and timely negative
information from a credit report, the good news is that the law
does allow you to dispute information on your credit report that
is inaccurate or incomplete. According to the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, you can dispute mistakes or outdated items for at
absolutely no cost to you. Just ask the credit reporting agency
for a dispute form and/or submit your dispute in writing.
Include supporting documentation, clearly identify each item in
your report that you dispute, explain why you dispute the
information, and request a investigation be done. Make sure you
remember to keep a copy of the dispute for your records. If the
new investigation reveals an error, you can ask that a corrected
version of the report be sent to anyone who received your report
within the past six months. If the reinvestigation does not
resolve your dispute, you can have the credit bureau include
your version of the dispute in your credit report.
Luckily, many states have laws regulating credit repair
companies. So, if you believe you have been cheated by a
fraudulent credit repair service, don't hesitate to report the
company to your local consumer affairs office or your state
attorney general.
About the author:
If you would like to get more credit information you can visit
our website which contains many credit resources.
http://www.my-credit-report.info This article is copyright
2005, but can be freely reprinted, as long as no changes are
made, including hyperlinks.
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