Unfortunately there are just as many terrible lawyers available to you as good ones. Getting charge offs, judgments and even bankruptcy removed from your credit report takes a credit expert – not just any lawyer.

Looking for Credit Repair in Dallas, Texas? Call this number for a FREE Credit Repair Consultation.

Understanding consumer rights requires education. You want a lawyer who will stay committed to you throughout the entire process of your dispute. It is imperative to be advised by a trusted professional who will protect your rights.

What are the qualities of a good credit repair lawyer in Dallas, TX?
The goal of a good lawyer is to legally help you improve your credit score. You should have a clear understanding of your consumer rights after having worked with a good lawyer. They will be completely familiar with all the consumer laws such as Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Fair Credit Billing Act.

A good lawyer will act quickly to resolve your disputes. If you find yourself working with someone who seems too busy for you – doesn’t respond to emails or phone calls in a timely fashion, run away! Do not settle for an attorney who is not working hard for you.

The best credit repair lawyer will guide you through the technical, confusing and intimidating world of credit bureaus, collection agencies and the judicial system. The paper trail required to resolve a credit dispute can seem insurmountable. A good credit repair lawyer will keep you organized and on task.

How do I find a good lawyer in Dallas, Texas?
A referral from a trusted friend or family member is the best way to find a reputable credit repair lawyer. But maybe you’re embarrassed to discuss your need for credit repair with friends and family.

How do I know it’s not a credit repair scam?
There are certain things a credit lawyer cannot say (see FTC Credit Repair for more details).

They can’t promise results although they CAN tell you what the average client results are. They cannot charge you upfront for services not yet performed. I discovered these laws while looking for a credit attorney. I found out that Lexington Law has been around the longest – and has clients with amazing results. Lexington Law has offices all around the United States so you’re in luck if you’re looking for credit repair in Dallas. For a direct line and free consultation, call this number: 1-866-246-7311.

Good luck!

Why Filing a TransUnion Dispute Online is a Mistake
If you need to dispute an item on your credit report you might be tempted to do it online using the credit bureau’s website. They make it look so simple to point and click your way through the dispute.

Having bad credit deleted is the best result when disputing Transunion. We suggest you call Lexington Law Firm to get results like these with Transunion: 1-866-246-7311.

Choose this tab, this category, click this button and poof! You’re finished. – That’s what they want you to think. We do not recommend filing a dispute with TransUnion online. Really, you wouldn’t be “filing” anything. You would be clicking.

This is why even the simplest credit fixes can be so aggravating. Filing a dispute – that you want to get results – with TransUnion requires documentation and diligence.

Online credit bureau disputes are not faster
The only time we recommend using TransUnion’s online system is to update personal information such as addresses. There is no guarantee that your changes will be updated more quickly than if you had mailed your request via “snail mail.”

Still, you have to monitor your credit report for months until you see TransUnion has made the changes correctly.

There is no evidence to suggest that filing a dispute with TransUnion online will get you a resolution faster. In fact you might find the process will take much longer particularly if you don’t get the result you want or if you have made an entry error.

Filing a dispute with TransUnion online limits your ability to communicate freely. You are limited to the choices provided by the online application. Credit disputes are complicated. Your dispute might not fit into the nicely organized, black and white system the credit bureau has created.

There’s no paper trail with an online dispute
All correspondence regarding your credit should be in a letter form with copies of supporting documents and mailed via certified mail from the postal service. You will be provided with a receipt of delivery confirmation. You need this delivery receipt for your records. This gives you peace of mind that at least one warm body at TransUnion received your letter! Keep copies of all correspondence in a safe place. You must stay organized.

When writing a credit repair letter to the credit bureaus be sure to include your full legal name, your social security number, your current address and a copy of your driver’s license or passport. Include as much information about the account in question as possible in your credit repair letter. Definitely include the name of the entry, the name of the original creditor, the name of the collection agency and the amount owed.

Your dispute
Incorporate into the letter as professionally as possible why you are disputing the entry on your credit report. This is why filing an online dispute would work against you! If the entry is invalid, provide all documentation supporting your argument.

If the entry is being reported inaccurately you must have copies of the proof you have collected to support your claim. Supporting documents are very, very important to your dispute. It never hurts to quote laws that protect your rights. For example, “Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (cite the paragraph or sentence that applies) this item is being reported inaccurately.”

TransUnion only has 30 days to respond to your request. Repairing your credit is serious work and this isn’t the time to be taking short cuts such as disputing your report online.

Oops! You forgot to pay your car loan…for six consecutive months. Now you’re dealing with the consequences of a repo on your credit report.

How to Remove a Repo from Your Credit Report

If you have a repo on your credit, then you probably experienced some of these things recently:

• bankers have laughed at you when you apply for credit
• you’re scared to look at your credit score
• you are hiding your bad credit from your spouse or significant other

Most bankers and other financial do-gooders claim that you’re stuck with this repo on your credit reports for the next seven years…which is true unless you get busy repairing your credit report.

Here’s what everybody else will insist is true:

“An auto repossession will remain on your credit report as a negative entry for seven years, and even longer if the debt goes to court and a judgment is placed against you.  If a judgment is placed against you, it may remain there for ten years, depending on which state you live in.

There is no way to remove this from your credit report, even if you have eventually paid the debt in full.  In fact, any debts that go to a collection agency will renew the date for which is it calculated, extending the time out even further.”

These are all lies distributed by fancy pants bankers and financial hypocrites.

Here’s the truth: you can dispute and remove ANY bad credit from your credit report – even repossession – ANYtime you choose. You must dispute credit the right way.

Jesse – one of our subscribers – struggled for 16 months trying to remove a credit report repo from a Nissan Maxima that was repossessed. He ultimately hired Lexington Law who was able to delete the repossession within about 60 days. Here are his results:

Repo Erased from my Credit Report thanks to these guys: 1-866-246-7311

Disputing repossessions the wrong way will just make matters worse and then you’ll be stuck trying to get a bad credit auto loan.

The sad truth is that repos are rather difficult to remove from your credit. Original creditors and collection agencies can be quite stubborn about taking this off your credit reports simply because they have more leverage to get you to pay if the item is still on your credit history.

You can contact the repossession credit repair hotline here: 1-866-246-7311. They’ll explain HOW they can dispute (and possibly) erase that nasty repo from your credit history.

Finally, even if you decide to tackle this mighty task on your own, whatever you do, do NOT add a comment to your credit report, explaining the circumstances surrounding the repossession of your vehicle. 

Remember, once you clean up that repo, the best thing you can do to increase your credit rating is to pay your bills consistently on time and in the full amount. Duh…this is simple, but it works!

Try not to make just the minimum payment on your credit cards, pay a little more!

And always send your rent or mortgage to your lender at least five days before it is due. Good luck removing the repo and improving your credit score!

I’ve been there – I’ve been the guy at the car dealership dreading the moment they run my credit reports and see all the mistakes I made in the past with money.

Need a Bad Credit Auto Loan - How NOT to Drive a Car Like This

If you’re desperate for a bad credit auto loan – meaning you have NO transportation and need to get to work/school, etc., it’s possible to get a bad credit auto loan.

You can get a car loan with bad credit. Obviously, you ‘ll pay an obnoxious amount of money for that car than you would if you didn’t have poor credit. A low credit score is going to prevent you from getting a good interest rate and you might even have to deal with some pretty shady lenders to obtain credit for the car.

If you’re not desperate for a new ride and can manage to wait 3-6 months, consider doing what I did and enroll in Lexington Law’s credit repair program. How long will it take to repair your credit? I can’t say, but they raised my score from 582 to 745 inside of four months.

Be realistic about buying a car with bad credit
Don’t want to hire credit lawyers? No problem: here’s the reality about getting a bad credit auto loan:

Not only can you expect to have a high interest rate on the car loan, you should also be prepared to purchase a lower priced car than what you want. Do not be surprised if the lender offers to loan you an amount that is less than you hoped for.

You might not be able to purchase the car you want – see the HOT ride above .

You’ll be forced to get the car you need – which means you won’t be impressing any ladies. Lower your expectations before you even walk into a car dealership.

Also, I suggest doing a little homework about dealerships before you visit them. Some dealerships specialize in offering auto loans for people with bad credit. They work with more flexible lenders than other car dealerships. (you can usually find these dealerships on the 3 am tv advertising spots)

There are a lot of financing options for consumers. Even though you don’t have much bargaining power, don’t make the mistake of taking the first loan you are offered. You have bad credit but you are not necessarily totally hopeless. Take the time to shop around and educate yourself.

Be prepared
If you have bad credit you should be prepared to have cash for a down payment on the vehicle. Be prepared for the lender to ask you for a larger down payment than you would expect. They would like to see that you are fully committed to the loan and a sizable down payment might satisfy that need. (Again, if you don’t have this type of cash, consider making a small investment in Lexington Law who can get you in shape to finance the entire purchase. Here’s the auto loan credit repair hotline: 1-866-246-7311.

When you visit the car dealership be ready to provide documentation to support your desire to get an auto loan. It is not a bad idea to bring two or three letters of reference. Ask friends, family members, coworkers or your employer to vouch for you. Also, you will probably have to bring documentation validating your employment and physical address.

Bring with you a recent pay stub, a copy of your lease or mortgage and a copy of a recent utility bill.

The good news about buying a car with bad credit
Although you might have a high interest rate on that car loan now, you might be able to refinance it in a year or two when your credit score has improved. Don’t just celebrate your new car and forget about your bad credit. Do the work necessary to fix your credit so you can get a better car loan rate in the future. And for heaven’s sake make your car payment on time! You will feel good about your purchase and your credit score will improve.

Saying the RIGHT things, in the RIGHT way in your dispute letter is crucial. On the other hand, saying the WRONG things in your dispute letter could result in the bureaus putting a red flag on your credit files – which means credit repair just got a LOT harder for you.

Here are the addresses for the three credit bureaus that you will need:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374

Trans Union
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022

Experian
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013

You can find samples of credit repair letters online but here is a list of information you will definitely need to include.

Identifying information
When writing a credit repair letter to the credit bureaus be sure to include your full legal name, your social security number, your current address and a copy of your driver’s license or passport.

Don’t feel like including this info? Then, expect the bureaus to send you stall letters and drag the process out for months longer than necessary.

Account information
Include as much information about the account in question as possible in your credit repair letter. Definitely include the name of the entry, the name of the original creditor, the name of the collection agency and the amount owed.

Your dispute
Incorporate into the letter as professionally as possible why you are disputing the entry on your credit report. If the entry is invalid, provide all documentation supporting your argument.

If the entry is being reported inaccurately you must have copies of the proof you have collected to support your claim. Supporting documents are very, very important to your dispute. It never hurts to quote laws that protect your rights. For example, “Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (cite the paragraph or sentence that applies) this item is being reported inaccurately.”

Organization
You should mail your letters and copies of documentation to the three credit bureaus using certified mail through the postal service. You will have peace of mind know the bureaus received your letter. Keep copies of all correspondence in a safe place.

Perhaps keep a spreadsheet documenting the items disputed, when disputed, the result, etc. It might take more than one attempt to get the desired result you are seeking.

If you’re not an organized person – or if this seems like too much work for you, consider handing it over to an affordable credit lawyer – like I did.

Options to get a checking account with bad credit

If you have bad credit or worse – owe a bank money, it can be impossible to get a regular checking account from the bank down the street. Not being able to open a checking account is extremely frustrating and embarrassing.

How will you pay your bills? You don’t want to use one of those expensive payroll check cashing businesses. Although your credit history is bleak right now you do have options if you can’t get a checking account due to bad credit.

Online banking account – a Second chance checking account
Search around on the internet and you will find online banks that are reputable and do not check your credit history. The Account Now program is an excellent place to get started. There is no credit check and you’ll have access to online bill pay – so it’s just like a checking account…it’s just easier because you can pay bills with the click of a mouse.

Make sure to set up direct deposit from your employer’s payroll department and have your pay checks automatically deposited into your account. This will get you 100% set up!

Watch out for other ‘wanna be’ second chance checking services. These other online banks charge exorbitant fees because they know the customer is desperate for a checking account.

Open a Joint checking account
If you can’t get a regular checking account due to bad credit aconsider asking a friend or family member to open a joint account with you. – An embarrassing option but one that might be best for you.

Secured credit card
A great way to add positive credit and pay your bills is to obtain a prepaid or secured credit/debit card. A secured credit card requires that you make a deposit towards your account. Your credit limit will be anywhere from 50% to 100% of what you have deposited.

For example, if you deposit $1,000 your credit limit will be at least $500 and at the most $1,000. These card companies are known to charge a lot of fees. It’s important to shop around to find the best secured card for you. Also, before you apply for a secured credit card make sure the card company reports to the credit bureaus. Not all of them do.

Your efforts will be fruitless. Pay your bills with this card and be sure to make payments on time! The goal of having the secured credit card is to demonstrate to other lenders that you have recently been responsible with credit.

Fix your credit issues

If are unable to get a checking account from a major bank chances are you’ve had a number of derogatory items on your credit report affecting your ability to obtain credit.

Once you’ve been denied credit it’s imperative to get a copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus. The process to fix credit is one of the most time consuming, frustrating tasks you will ever tackle.

Yes, it’s embarrassing and it might even feel shameful to have to come clean with yourself about your spending and borrowing habits. Negotiating with creditors takes time and humility but if you ignore the past it will cost you lots and lots of money down the road. Few things in life are more satisfying than feeling financially responsible. Your future self will thank you for the work you will do to improve your credit score!

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.

Charge Off Law #1: Right to Counsel
Disputing a charge off with the creditor and credit bureaus can get ugly. Historically, credit bureaus have been fined multiple times for ignoring charge off disputes.

A charge off on your credit history is big deal. It can keep you from owning a home, getting loans for transportation, or getting credit for much needed medical care.

That’s why you have the right to hire a credit lawyer who can dispute charge offs on your behalf. (Don’t listen to a credit bureau worker or banker when they say you can’t get credit repair help.)

Charge Off Law #2: the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted in 1970. It is the federal law that regulates consumer information. Along with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act it exists to protect you, the consumer.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act creditors have only a MAX of seven years to report your delinquency to the credit bureaus. – That’s seven years from the time of the original first delinquency.

Seven years is a very long time. You don’t have to wait the entire seven years however. Seven years is the MAX. You can take action at ANYtime to dispute and erase a charge off. Consider sending a charge off dispute letter to the bureaus reporting the charge offs.

Charge Off Law #3: State Law
Each state has its own laws regarding statute of limitations and debt. This means each state regulates how much time is allowed for a creditor to sue you for a debt.

You might be surprised to learn that collection agencies sue people every day for charge offs (which then result in judgments) way past the statute of limitations. It is no one’s responsibility but your own to raise the question of statute of limitations.

Charge Off Law #4: Debt Validation
It is your right to ask a creditor for a validation of debt including charged off debt. If the charged off account is now in the hands of a collection agency, then by law they must provide you with the name of the original creditor and the amount owed.

They might not do this and you’re stuck with the charge off. Debt validation is more advanced for the do-it-yourselfer. I had Lexington Law file debt validation – which worked because the collection agency immediately erased the charge offs. Here’s the debt validation hotline number: 1-866-246-7311.

Charge Off Law #5: Demand Proof
Even if the creditor/collection agency has provided a validation of the charged off debt, it is your right to request additional proof.

By law they must provide you with a copy of any and all contracts you signed concerning the debt. You can also request them to provide you with a copy of the last bill right before the account was charged off.

A charge off on your credit report is very damaging to your credit score and your ability to obtain credit. Interpreting the laws and knowing which apply to you can be confusing. To chat with a charge off expert, call this number: 1-866-246-7311. There’s no charge and you’ll get answers you’re looking for about charge off laws.

Sadly, the short answer is: Yes.

If you have a credit score of 642 – or anything under 710 for that matter, you’re in for some rough sailing as far as your financial borrowing future. A 642 credit score will undoubtedly impact what you can get credit for including a mortgage, a personal loan, a line of credit or a car loan.

I started with a score of 582 - improved to 745 because of Lexington Law

The good news is that things could be much worse for you. I personally had a 582 credit score and used a credit repair service to raise it to 745 inside of 4 months.

What are the credit score ranges?
A credit score, more often referred to as a FICO score (and named after the company that developed it, Fair Isaac & Company) is usually any number 300 and 850.   If you have a higher number, it is easier for lenders to trust that you earn enough money to apply for the loan, and that you will pay it on time. Duh, right.

A “higher” number being in the 700’s.

Lenders sometimes rely solely on your credit score – a simple three digit number – because it saves them a ton of time/money/resources. They can take a 2 second glance and your score and say: “yea, this guy will pay this loan back, or “no, this guy is a huge risk – he’s probably a deadbeat. Denied!”

(As a footnote, banks and other lending companies have always used FICO scores to determine who could be approved for what, but the scores were not shared with the applicant. It is only recently due to pressure from consumers, advocacy groups and Congress that lenders have released these numbers to the general public when they are asked.)

How to quickly improve your 642 credit score 
There are many ways to increase your credit score primarily through removing any negative items such as charge offs, collections, judgments, tax liens, late pays, and the list goes on. You can, despite what so-called experts tell you, LEGALLY remove ANY questionable negative credit.

How do you legally and ethically remove bad credit? It’s simple: you enroll in a law firm sponsored credit repair program. We used Lexington Law which worked quite well. See the full story at: www.creditforcouples.com.

FTC and Credit Repair

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers and has a great deal of helpful information about credit repair services. The FTC gets involved because shady fly-by-night credit repair companies have sullied the reputation of reputable, legitimate credit repair companies.

The FTC has put together a few guidelines on spotting a credit repair scam:

Credit repair is never quick
Any company making the claim that they can fix your credit overnight is being dishonest.

Unfortunately, the process of fixing bad credit is one of the most time consuming, frustrating tasks you will ever tackle. It can take months and even years for some people. (Personally, for us we had good credit again in the 700’s inside of 4 months with help from Lexington Law.)

You may need to make a combined effort of disputing negative listings AND negotiating with creditors to get your score back into the 700 range.

Do not pay large up front fees for credit repair
Is a credit repair company asking you for $2,000 up front? If so, it’s time to run the other way and don’t look back. A large fee like that up front is a red flag for a credit repair scam.

See the Credit Repair Organizations Act for the nitty gritty details of this law. This is a pretty straightforward rule and if you come across a company not abiding by it you should run from it. This is a major red flag that the company is not reputable.

It is illegal to create a new credit identity
Can’t you just start over? Yes! You can improve your credit score with a lot of work, time and maybe some help but it can be done.

What you can’t (legally) do is create a new identity or credit profile. This is illegal! Anyone telling you differently is not reputable and is encouraging you to break the law. A good credit repair service should get you out of hot water not into it!

Beware of misleading claims
Just a glance at some of these credit repair services websites sounds an alarm. The websites read just like a tacky, loud, gimmicky infomercial. “But wait! There’s more!”

This does not give anyone a good first impression. There is nothing professional about how these companies have chosen to represent themselves.

You may decide that having a credit repair expert on your side is the quickest and most trouble free way to dealing with bad credit. If you choose to hire a professional we suggest Lexington Law Firm.

We selected them for two reasons:
1. Lexington Law has a great track record with the BBB;
2. Lexington Law has REAL attorneys – they are not just selling a package of software.

How did we know we could trust Lexington Law? It was a good sign to see they even have the FTC guidelines disclosed on their website. A credit repair company that divulges their methods of compliance on their website is a great place to start your credit repair journey.