Why Credit Repair is No Easy Fix

The old saying, “things can change overnight” unfortunately does not apply when it comes to repairing credit. Depending on the severity of the credit report it can take years to bounce back and achieve a respectable score, and it’s no easy task. If the credit report is full of errors it will take some real resolve to get these corrected, and if the credit report is horrendous but accurate it will take bringing every account current and keeping them that way.

People want to repair their credit for various reasons. Many folks simply make mistakes early on in life, racking up credit card debt and not making timely payments. Others have bona fide tragedies occur in their lives that thrust their finances into an upheaval. Whatever reason causes the bills to go unpaid and consequently the credit report to turn sour, oftentimes the people who wind up with lousy scores are good people who simply got caught up in bad situations. They eventually ready themselves to correct their mistakes and repair their credit because they recognize that the best interest rates go to people with excellent credit. Insurers also look at credit ratings before extending policies, and even potential employers have the right to take a gander at credit reports before offering employment. A horrible credit rating does not paint the picture of an ideal employee.

It comes as a surprise to many people that even the smallest detail can wind up on a credit report. One late payment two years ago will still be noted on a report for a few more years, and will affect the credit score as well. Accounts which have become more than thirty days delinquent make for big dings on credit reports, and the interesting fact surrounding this is that even if the account is brought current the report will still reflect the fact that it was once delinquent for some time. Consequently, it is easy to see that credit repair is much more than merely paying bills that have become past due.

Sometimes credit reports are laced with inaccuracies; there are so many consumers out there that it’s simply impossible for the credit reporting agencies to maintain an error-free database. Some errors occur when social security numbers are mixed up, and once in a while similar names can merge credit reports.

In other instances, what would otherwise be a perfect credit score is wrought with errors due to fraud or identity theft. It is not unheard of for a consumer to apply for credit and then be turned down, much to the consumer’s surprise, based on credit scores. The consumer then looks into his or her credit and realizes someone has been using his or her social security number to obtain credit without the consumer’s knowledge or consent. Errors like this can take years to correct, as the burden of proof sits primarily on the consumer to show fraud.

So how can a person repair their credit? First of all, stay far away from credit repair companies. These companies do nothing more than get items removed from a credit report temporarily by reporting them as inaccurate. The items wind up right back on the credit report eventually, so these sorts of services are a waste of money in addition to being unethical.

Get a copy of your credit report and scan it for errors. If something appears to be erroneous report the problem to the credit-reporting agency immediately. They will initiate an investigation and if the items are indeed incorrect they will be removed, thereby increasing your credit score. For items that are not in error, the single best thing you can do is to pay them. Every delinquent account has a level of severity, which determines its effect on a credit score. For example, being thirty days late is not as bad as allowing the debt to be charged-off by the creditor. Even after items are charged-off, meaning the company has essentially given up hope of ever receiving payment, they will still take payment and report the debt accordingly on the report. Fix errors, and pay your bills. It isn’t rocket science, but it can take some time. The end result, though, is certainly worth it.

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