| When you are in a difficult financial situation you may be wondering how to use a credit repair specialist. But you need to be careful. Not all companies who set themselves up under this name will help you. In fact the majority will take your money for services they cannot legally provide. They will make all sorts of exaggerated claims about their services. Seriously with all they claim they can do, you should really be asking to see their magic wand as that is about the only way they could live up to these promises.
When you make an appointment with a credit repair specialist, make sure that they offer an ethical service by following these steps:
1) They should not require payment up front for their service - this is actually illegal so if a demand like this is made, leave the office and report the company to your local authorities. You should also report them if they suggest you apply for credit in another person's name or using someone else's social security number or you may find yourself in hot water.
2) They should provide you with a written contract stating what services they will provide, what results they are likely to achieve and in what time frame and the total cost to you the consumer. This contract should be on headed paper clearly stating the name and business address of the company.
They should not promise the ability to remove all negative information from your file as again that is illegal. The only negative information that can be removed is that which is untrue and you could do this yourself. They may tell you that you should write to the bureaus and tell them all the entries are a mistake as some companies will not bother to dispute this and so you could have the entry removed. This is not ethical behavior and you do not want to become a client of a company that behaves in this way.
A good credit repair specialist will outline those tasks that you could undertake yourself in order to reduce the cost of the service they provide. They will be able to explain how they can use their expertise to help.
If they appear reluctant to provide any of the written documentation or attempt to tell you that they are unable to discuss any aspect of your file without your signature on a contract, walk away. You are probably wasting your money and you could be using this cash to reduce your borrowing which will in itself help to raise your score.
If you feel intimidated by the whole financial process, make an appointment with a credit counselor in the first instance. They will help you to assess your file and work out the best steps you should take. Depending on where you live you may find a local charity who specializes in this service.
You can learn how to use a credit repair specialist or you may find that you can undertake the task of repairing your own credit yourself when you gain a little knowledge and confidence. |