Sunday, August 2, 2009

DIY Credit Repair Is Better Than a Credit Repair Company

By Jon Baker

Don't Fall For a Credit Repair Scam

You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. You get ads in the mail, and maybe even cold calls offering credit repair services. They always make the same claims:

"Credit problems? Not a problem!"

"We can easily remove all your bankruptcies, tax liens, judgments and bad loans from your credit file for ever!"

We can erase bad credit, fast, legal and all guaranteed.

Get a new credit file overnight - all legal.

It is rather dumb to believe these claims: they are in many cases signs of scam operations. Many professionals even state that there is not one real credit repair company that tries to make those claims. The truth of the matter: most often there is no fast solution for bad credit and creditworthiness. The truth is, however that you can actually improve your credit score legitimately, but it does not happen over night and it takes a persistent effort. And also you should stick to a personal debt repayment schedule.

Here are some hints that should trigger red flags as they show a Credit Repair Scam

All the time, companies target uninformed consumers who have poor credit histories with promises to clean up their credit report so they can get a car loan, a home mortgage, insurance, or even a job once they pay them a fee for the service. The truth is, these companies cant deliver an improved credit report for you using the tactics they promote. No one can legally remove accurate, but negative information from your credit report. So after you hand them over thousands of dollars in fees, you are often left with the same credit report and someone else has your money.

If you encounter a credit repair offer, here is how to tell if the company or firm behind it is crap:

The service organization does not tell you all your rights and what you can do for yourself to repair your credit for free.

The company insists that you refrain from getting into communication with any of the three major national credit reporting companies directly yourself.

The firm suggests that you try to invent a new or false credit identity - and then get a new credit report - by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security number.

The firm wants you to shell out cash for credit repair services before they provide you any services. Under what is called the the Credit Repair Organizations Act, companies and firms that are offering to repair your credit, cannot require you to hand over the money, until they have delivered in full all the services they have promised and advertised.

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