If you have bad credit and want to fix it, you can hire a credit repair company or do it yourself. Hiring a company costs money, but you can do it yourself for free. Here are some steps you can follow to fix your credit:
- Get a copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can get a free copy once a year from each of them at www.annualcreditreport.com.
- Look for errors in your credit report. Even if the information is true, you should still check for errors. Everyone has at least one error on their report.
- Make a list of everything you want to dispute.
- Dispute all the negative items. You can use online form letters to dispute these items.
- The credit bureau has 30 days to verify the accuracy of the item or remove it from your credit report. If they fail to accomplish this, remind them of the law and demand that the item be removed.
- Keep copies of your letters and their responses.
- If the credit bureau refuses to remove a mistake, you can sue them in small claims court. They can be fined $1,000 for each mistake they refuse to remove.
Fixing your credit takes time, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up, and keep track of everything you do. It’s your right to have a good credit score, so take control of your credit and your future.