Lizzie H asked:
I have this project for economics class and I can’t seem to find the answer. Like how can you know if a credit repair company is real or just a scam.
LECLAIR
Tags:
Credit Repair Company,
Economics,
Legitimacy
Stuart Hunter asked:
In years past, the credit repair industry was tainted by fly by night credit repair clinics and other credit fixing scams. Despite the need that many people had to get help with repairing their credit, it was hard to find a credit repair company they could trust.
Today, the credit repair industry has matured thanks to increased awareness and federal regulation. The keystone of this regulation is the Credit Repair Organizations Act, also known as CROA. Recognizing the value of professional credit repair services, Congress enacted CROA in order to define appropriate actions of a credit repair organization and to outlaw many of the practices typical of a fraudulent credit repair clinic.
While there are still some fraudulent credit repair organizations trying to take your money, by understanding the basic ideas of CROA, you can easily identify these scams and make sure you avoid them. Knowing what things credit repair companies are and are not able to do, will keep you from becoming a victim.
Below are three key points of CROA and what they mean to you as you are shopping for a credit repair company.
1) Credit repair organizations cannot charge fees for services before they are rendered
Most credit repair scams start off the same way. You are required to pay a large upfront fee, often times in the range of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Then, after you have made the payment, the credit repair company does little or nothing to repair your credit and in some cases, simply disappears with your money.
To keep you from becoming a victim of this type of scam, CROA prevents credit repair companies from charging for services before they have been provided. If a credit repair company charges a set up fee, they cannot collect that fee until after the task of setting up your case has been completed. If a credit repair company charges monthly fees, those fees cannot be collected until after a month’s worth of services have been provided.
Keeping this requirement in mind is probably the most important thing you can do to avoid becoming a victim of a credit repair scam. Even today there are companies like Champion Credit Consulting and Credit Clean who will try to charge you $795 and $1223 before they have done anything to repair your credit.
2) Credit repair organizations cannot make incorrect or misleading statements
Preying on the naivety and lack of knowledge of people looking to improve their credit, many credit repair companies entice people with claims of improving their credit score 100 points in 60 days or removing bankruptcies from their credit reports. The truth is that while it is possible for each of these things to happen, no credit repair company can promise that they will.
In fact, no credit repair company can promise to remove anything from your credit reports because ultimately, it is up to the credit bureaus what items are listed on your reports. Disputing credit is not failsafe. There are cases where no matter what you do, a particular negative item will not be removed from your credit reports.
Any company that promises to increase your credit score or remove any negative items from your credit reports is violating the law. According to CROA, and the nature of the credit system, the best any credit repair company can do is promise to put forth a best effort. Just like in a court of law, a lawyer can promise to work as hard as they can, but they cannot promise that you will win over the jury.
3) Credit repair companies must inform you of your rights
The credit system is not easy and many people do not adequately understand their rights within the system. This lack of education makes it easy for con-artists to prey on the unaware.
So you do not get caught off-guard, credit repair organizations are required to inform all prospective customers of their right to order their own credit reports and their right to dispute the questionable information they contain. They are also required to inform you of your right to cancel your credit repair service within 3 days of signing up for no reason and with no penalty.
When signing up with a credit repair organization, CROA dictates that you should be presented with a disclosure statement titled “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law”. This statement describes the rights mentioned above.
CROA has changed the landscape in the credit repair industry and has been very effective in helping the FTC identify and prosecute shady credit repair organizations. Because of CROA, you can feel confident that your money will be well spent when you enlist the services of a legally compliant credit repair company.
MCALISTER
Tags:
Credit Repair Company,
Credit Repair Organization,
Money
Joseph Feross asked:
There are so many people that don’t have good credit for various reasons. Most people know that in order to get some of the best credit cards and to buy things on credit, your credit score has to be good. One way that you can increase your credit score is to get credit repair help. There are credit repair services available that can help people who find themselves in that situation.
Credit repair can help those not only just to increase their credit score, but it will also assist them in getting lower interest rates on loans, credit cards, etc. A company that specializes in credit repair services can help with that. The process can be done through different entities or agencies that specialize in this.
You will find different companies and related entities on the internet that specialize in credit repair, but even with that you must be on your Ps and Qs. They should be checked out thoroughly to make sure that they are legitimate and reputable. Anyone can advertise online for credit repair services, but they are not necessarily the real deal.
Once you find a reputable credit repair company, they will work with you to get your credit scores where they need to be. Most if not all that offer credit repair services will charge a fee. It’s usually a onetime enrollment fee. The counselors will go over your credit report with you and determine what needs to be done. This service is not an overnight fix; it can take some time to get your credit where it should be and to increase your credit score.
Credit repair services companies that specialize in credit repair know the laws and they have to abide by them, just like everyone else. They work to remove items from your report that should not be there. In particular, any negative items that should not be there are some of the first to go. Your credit will remain the same if they are allowed to stay on your report.
A credit repair services company will engage in credit repair for the consumer where the credit bureaus may not bother to touch. They will work for the consumer to get them a higher credit score. The higher your score, the better chance you have of getting credit and loans.
Since it will take a while for the consumer to see results, they will need to be patient during the credit repair process. A credit repair services company will work to get the derogatory information from your credit report, but there is a matter of making correspondence to the credit bureaus for assistance. The bureaus are given 30 days to follow up. By then, they will need to show their findings of any inquiries and credit disputes.
You will also have to do your part by helping in the credit repair process. The only way a credit repair services company can help you is for you to provide them with the information that they need. The more information you provide to them, the better chance you will have of cleaning up your credit.
BATES
Tags:
Credit Repair Company,
Credit Repair Services,
Different Companies
Gengis asked:
If so i would like to talk to you, i want to start my own credit repair company but not sure about all the technicalities. I help repair credit as of now but on the side out of my house, usually on the weekends.
BEEBE
Tags:
Credit Repair Company,
Technicalities
Jordan FeRoss asked:
Credit information that is negative, erroneous or outdated can be removed by a credit repair company. They work to offer credit repair services to consumers that want to fix their credit. Having good credit along with a good credit report and a good credit score can help consumers go a long way. If they need products or services, they will be able to get credit. Sometimes people have to go that route if they don’t have the money to get what they need. However, they have to know that the credit has to be paid back in a timely manner.
A credit repair company is a business that can legally help consumers to get credit repair services. Most companies will charge a one time or monthly fee. This is so that the counselor can do the work that they need to do in order to help you with your credit. They are very helpful in getting down to the bottom of helping you to fix your credit. If there are mistakes on your credit report that should not be there, the counselor will work to get them removed.
There are times when a consumer tries to get the erroneous or outdated items removed themselves, but the credit bureaus prefer to give them a difficult time during the process. Even if the consumer is correct, sometimes they are still stuck between a rock and a hard place. It may take several tries before the credit bureau decides to rule in their favor. By then, the consumer gets weary and decides to give up. That’s where credit repair services come in. They work to set up a credit repair program for the consumer.
They will look at the consumer’s credit report and with their assistance, point out the items in question. By law, the credit bureaus have 30 days to respond to the dispute. If it is found that the item should not be there, then by law they are supposed to remove it. However, that does not always happen. Part of the credit repair program involves a credit repair services professional to intervene on the consumer’s behalf and get the credit bureau to remove the questionable items. If necessary, the credit repair company will write a letter on the behalf of the consumer and also provide follow-ups to see if they received the correspondence.
The bureaus will usually heed to the request. The rest of the credit repair process can proceed from there. The credit repairs services professional will lay out a plan for the consumer to follow. They must either make payments to the credit repair company or they can get a debt consolidation loan, provided that they qualify. The consumer has to promise to pay off the loan as provided in the agreement.
Either way, the consumer is indebted to the credit repair company or the lender for making payments on a timely basis. It’s important that they not slack off and miss a payment. This could jeopardize them from improving their credit status. It only takes one missed payment and the rest is history. Using credit repair services effectively can keep them on the right track.
Credit repair services have been an advantage for a lot of people. They have been able to restore their credit when they implement a credit repair program. Once you have a record of timely payments, you will be regarded as someone who has regained their creditworthiness.
BEASLEY
Tags:
Credit Repair Company,
Credit Repair Services,
Money
soonerfan0808 asked:
I am trying to raise my credit score quickly. Right now I am at 593-around 650 depending on agency. So, by paying off the 5 credit cards that I currently have(some with amounts ranging from 1,500-2,500), should that raise my credit score a great deal? If not, will a credit repair company help or are they just a scam?
HANKS
Tags:
Credit Cards,
Credit Help,
Credit Repair Companies,
Credit Repair Company,
Credit Score
