Should You Hire a Credit Repair Company?
If you have bad credit, you probably know that it can keep you from getting the best deals on credit cards and loans. It can also make it harder for you to get a job or rent an apartment. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to repair your credit. One option is to hire a credit repair company. These companies are able to help you clean up errors in your credit report and can save you time and frustration. However, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of hiring a credit repair company before making a decision.
It’s possible to do credit repair on your own without the aid of a credit repair company. However, it can be a long and frustrating process. You’ll have to spend a lot of time reviewing your credit reports and disputing inaccurate information with the credit bureaus. In addition, you’ll have to follow up on your disputes to ensure that they are being investigated. This is a huge time commitment that not everyone has the resources or desire to take on.
The main benefit of hiring a credit repair company is that they can do much of the work for you. However, you need to understand that they can’t remove negative items from your report if they are accurate. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau reminds consumers that it’s their legal right to personally dispute inaccurate information on their credit report. The most reputable credit repair companies will offer a money-back guarantee and have straightforward pricing models.
Before you hire a credit repair company, it’s a good idea to compare their fees and services with those of other companies. Some credit repair companies charge very high fees for their services. However, if they have a large number of satisfied customers, it’s likely that they are providing value for their clients.
Some companies offer extra features as part of their package upgrades, such as free credit score updates or writing cease and desist letters to debt collectors. However, these extras aren’t usually worth paying for if you can get them for free elsewhere. You should also be wary of any company that requests payment up front before starting their services. According to the CROA, this is illegal.
Scams involving credit repair companies can include fraud or identity theft. For example, some scammers try to steal a consumer’s Social Security number and use it to open an account in his or her name. They may also encourage the victim to falsify information on an application for credit or a loan. These scams are illegal and can have serious consequences for consumers.
While it is possible to do credit repair on your own, many people choose to hire a professional. Credit repair companies can assist you in identifying and disputing mistakes on your credit report that are holding back your score. They can also negotiate with creditors and use credit repair loopholes to have erroneous negative information removed from your credit report.
