Considering hiring a credit lawyer? Perhaps you believe you can tackle fixing bad credit on your own with letters and forms? Whatever the case, you want the quickest way to fix your credit. You want results – not promises and you want to see your credit score improve.

If you have a couple of credit “dings” here and there from long ago and are comfortable writing a few dispute letters, then perhaps the “home depot” do-it-yourself credit repair method is for you.

On the other hand, if you are trying to remove charge offs, a judgment or any other severe credit item, then the do-it-yourself road just ain’t going to cut it. You’ll likely need to employ more aggressive credit repair tactics like debt validation, escalated information requests, and more. These are complicated. To have them explained in detail, give Lexington a call at this direct line: 1-866-246-7311.

“Home Depot” Do-it-Yourself Credit Repair Method
The first step is to assess the damage.  Apply for a credit report from the three major credit agencies, Experian, Trans Union and Equifax and read it carefully.  Read it word by word, noting dates and payments applied.  Are they listed as delinquent, even though you felt they were paid on time?  Look for any inaccuracies you find on them, including your birth date, social security number and residence. 

Many a job seeker has been turned down when their potential employer sees inaccuracies when it comes to where they live.  If you are not truthful about something as simple as your home address, they reason, what else are they hiding?

 If you find errors on your credit report, start an investigation immediately.  You have the right to question these errors under legislation covered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and other laws passed to protect consumers.   

If you are mailing your request for a full investigation into your credit report, make sure you send it with a cover letter and sent it registered mail, return receipt requested, so that you will have hard proof should your case ever end up in a court of law.  Only send copies and never any originals of any receipts or release of liens, or any other important paperwork.

Maybe it was the glut of mortgages approved for people who couldn’t afford them, or the overextension of credit cards to consumers who wanted to get an easy way of building for their future. It could have been the infamous Bernie Madoff scandal that bilked billions of dollars out of unsuspecting or less savvy investors.

Whatever it was, the economy world as it was once known has been blown to smithereens, and the financial landscape now looks a lot different that it did five years, or even two years ago. In other words, if you’re looking to fix bad credit, you’re not alone.

People are now paying attention their credit scores listed on their credit reports more than ever before. A good credit rating is what will help you achieve a realistic goal in providing for your future. Whether it be purchasing a house or a car, getting the mortgage or a loan is not as simple as it used to be. There are no longer any guarantees when it comes to finance and credit.

Section 609 can be interpreted to read that: You can challenge every single piece of information on your credit report. One of the greatest consumer protection tools available is the right to ask creditors for verifiable proof that what are reporting what they should be reporting.

If you’re looking to use Section 609 to fix bad credit, it’s time to roll up your sleeves. I’m not a huge advocate for do it yourself credit repair when it comes to tough items like judgments, charge offs, and repossessions, but DIY credit repair can work for late payments and slow pays. It’s going to take a lot of time and work but few things are more rewarding than fixing bad credit.

Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to dispute items on credit reports. Here’s the kicker: AND it allows you the right to have all items on your credit report verified by the three major credit bureaus. – Experian, Trans Union and Equifax.

In writing and mailed certified through the U.S. Postal service you have a right to ask each of the bureaus to verify any listing. There have been instances where the credit bureaus neglect to defend the listing on the report and thus are required by law to delete it from the report entirely. When that happens, YOU WIN!

Section 609 Verification Requires Proof
A credit reporting agency must provide you with documentation to prove a debt or derogatory item is yours. Documents include a loan agreement or application from the creditor. It is your right to have them provide valid contracts and transactions between you and the original creditor.

A credit repair service is a good idea if you have stubborn items and are confused about where to start. Requesting a credit reporting agency to provide you with verifiable proof on your accounts is a lengthy process.

If you feel this task is beyond your comfort zone there are professionals who do this sort of work day in and day out. We suggest Lexington Law Office. Why Lexinton Law, because we used them and they worked! Check out the whole story on our blog home page.

Do you need to rebuild a low credit score? Using a credit card such as  secured or unsecured Visa or Mastercard is an excellent way to improve your credit score.

Having bad credit should not prevent you from achieving your financial goals. Credit bureaus insist that if you make mistakes that you will have bad credit for at least the next seven years.

This simply is not true.

By way of background, lenders look at your history to determine if you are reliable and can make the monthly payments.

Among other things, they consider your your income to debt ratio, a method that calculates how much debt you can afford to pay.  How much you earn versus how much you owe, including the amount you want to borrow, are figured into this formula.

If you don’t have credit at all, it may seem just as bad.  Lenders will rank you at a lower credit rating to start, simply because they don’t have a baseline to work from.  So start slowly to create one.

Apply for a credit card or line of credit with your bank or credit union, with a small amount of credit, such as $300.  Buy something but pay it off right away, before the due date.  Doing this consistently will give you a reliable and consistent credit history.

Some experts will tell you to keep a small balance on the credit card. Even though you will pay a modest amount of interest, it will help boost your credit score even quicker. (The goal here is to increase your credit score so you can expect there to be some expenses to achieve that goal.)

Each month you should do one other thing to actively improve your credit score.

For example, you can monitor your credit report for any inaccuracies or errors.  It is very important to look for any mistakes because it take anywhere from a month to a year to remove an inaccurate reporting.   File disputes immediately to begin the required investigations to get the information corrected.

Contact the Lexington Law Firm with any questions you have regarding improving your bad credit score. The attorneys and paralegals helped us fix our bad credit and get approved for an amazing new home.