subject: Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair [print this page] These days, there are tons of commercials on the television and ads on the computer about credit repair companies. Did you know, though, that with the right tools, you can repair your credit all on your own? In fact, you can probably do a better job than the companies who will take your money to repair your credit. Before you jump into a contract with one of these companies, first take a look at the steps you can follow for do-it-yourself credit repair.
First, you need to know what your actual credit situation is like. It can be tough to face the truth, but it's absolutely necessary. You need to know exactly what the situation looks like before you can do anything about it. In order to find your credit report and scores, you can use computerized forms to order them. This is the easiest way to make it happen. You can even get one free credit report a year from each of the three credit reporting bureaus.
The most difficult thing about fixing your credit may be wiping out errors on your credit report. It's really not rocket science, but it's something that most people have no idea how to do. Having the right tools is important. You basically need to file reports with the bureau who has some of your information wrong so that you can start getting the problem fixed. Having a template for letters to the company often works well, and can help you get your suit taken care of more quickly.
After you get these problems fixed, though, you might still have some personal issues to work on as far as your credit report and score goes. The first step is to find out what it is that's making your score low. Sometimes you can't do anything about it. This is the case with things like the age of your credit history or a three-year-old bankruptcy that won't go away for another five years or so.
Other problems, though, can be fixed over time if you just make good choices. This includes problems like a bad debt to credit ratio. You can take steps to fix this problem, in particular. These could include things like applying for a higher credit limit without adding any more of a credit card balance or simply paying down some of your credit cards. This can help you fix your credit score all on your own.
