Repairing Your Credit With or Without Consolidate Debt

To repair credit on your own:

•  Start by contacting credit reporting agencies to get copies of your credit report.

•  If there are errors on your credit report, you can contact the credit reporting agency to request an investigation.

Although you can start to repair your credit today by taking certain steps, only consistent efforts and making payments on your debts will improve your credit.

There are many companies out there trying to sell consumers on credit repair scams. Learn to recognize false claims made by companies. Remember:

Companies may make offers to consolidate debt. Make sure this is right for you, as consolidation loans can put you further into debt.

•  No one can have accurate information removed from your credit report.

•  If you have bad credit, it can take years to repair your credit legitimately.

•  No one can create a new identity for you. Don't let anyone talk you into making false statements or using a fake Social Security number. You may be convicted for fraud.

•  You can order your credit report yourself. If you see errors on your report, you can also request that the credit reporting agencies make appropriate changes.