Friday, 13 November 2009

Getting Free Credit Report

By Yanda Atmaja

Last year, Consumer Credit Counseling Services held 950 workshops for more than 25,000 people on topics such as, Budgeting Basics, Avoiding Scams, Credit Reports and Scores, Managing Credit ... Debt Wisely, Building Wealth and Identity Theft. Through www.cccservices.com, you can find get free credit repair advice online, as well as community resource listings so you can choose how you'd like to repair your credit and your financial situation too.

The best part about finding a third party credit counselor to tackle your credit repair is that you won't feel so alone. It can be overwhelming, frustrating and embarrassing to find yourself knee-deep in debt. Sure, you could repair your credit on your own by reading a few books, buying software, calling and negotiating with creditors, or making an organized checklist of priorities. However, you may prefer the "we're-in-this-together" feeling of working one-on-one with a debt reduction professional who can ensure you're doing your best to pay off old debts and wipe the slate clean with a newer, positive payment history.

The first step toward credit repair is getting your free online credit score. Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you are legally entitled to one free report each year from each of the three main credit bureaus, which are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). On your credit report, you'll see whether or not you have a high or low credit score, as well as all the outstanding debts you owe, people who have checked your credit report, loans you're paying off and other financial information that is readily visible to loan officers. It is important that you check this report each year to make sure all of your financial records are up-to-date. Any past late payments, collection accounts or blemishes will be on your record for seven years, but your account status should be updated and your score should reflect your recent activity. It's not unusual to find errors or dated information, so keeping your records accurate is one way to repair bad credit.

You can do your own free credit repair by using template letters from www.restoremyowncredit.com, which you can send to your creditors to negotiate a more reasonable deal. In some cases, if you have had a previously reliable record, your creditor may agree to take the information off your credit report. Legal credit repair will often negotiate similarly on your behalf, although most late payments and collection accounts on your credit report will be there in some fashion for seven years. You may also begin making small monthly payments on an unsecured credit card or installment loan to show you're trustworthy. The best way to fix credit is to rebuild it month by month through a responsible borrowing and repayment history.

Finding quality free credit repair may not be simple, but there are many resources for you to turn to, listed at www.cccservices.com. At the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA), you can gain access to a list of quality credit counseling companies. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is a nonprofit company that helps consumers maintain financial stability. You can avoid credit repair scams by going through these organizations, checking companies through the Better Business Bureau and not paying large upfront fees to accomplish your goals.

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