Charge-offs, late payments, bankruptcy, and defaulting on loans cause you to have bad credit. It is no secret that the longer you continue having bad credit, the more money it costs you.
Each time you take out a loan or swipe your credit card, there is a system in place that tracks and keeps a score. Your credit score, whether bad or good, comes into play whenever you want a loan, and it affects your insurance premiums.
How Bad Credit Costs You
Here’s a look into how much bad credit costs you.
Mortgages
A bad credit score is detrimental because it prevents you from qualifying for the best mortgage rates. This means you pay more over the term of your mortgage. What may seem like a slight difference in interest rate adds up to thousands of dollars over the repayment period.
Credit Cards
A credit score below 580 only allows you to secure credit cards that require a minimum deposit of $100 to $200 to open a credit account. In addition, applying for the card is likely to cause your credit score to go down more because applying for a new card creates a hard inquiry on your credit report.
Auto Insurance
Your bad credit score negatively affects your auto insurance premiums because you are viewed as a high-risk borrower and more likely to file claims. A person with a credit score of 800 or higher pays approximately $1,297 a year, but someone with a credit score of 579 or lower pays $2,717 a year. Clearly, having a bad credit score could potentially cost you $1,420 a year when paying your auto insurance.
Affects Career Opportunities
Career advancement is everyone’s dream as it comes with better pay. But before employers entrust you with more responsibilities, they may pull your credit reports to ensure you are someone who is responsible, especially if the new position comes with financial responsibilities.
How Fast Does Credit Repair Work?
Credit repair is a process that takes time and effort, but results are usually noticeable within three to six months. The length of time varies from one individual to another, depending on how much damage has already been done to their credit reports and what has already been done to correct it.
Here’s how you can repair your credit:
Paying down debt as quickly as possible – If you can pay off all of your debts in one year or less, this is the fastest way to get your credit score back where it needs to be. Of course, if this isn’t possible for you financially, then it will have to take longer than that.
Getting rid of collections – If there are any unpaid bills on your credit report, they show up as collections accounts when they’re reported by the original creditor (and not updated by the collection agency). These make it harder for you to improve your score because lenders don’t like seeing collections accounts.
Credit restoration – This is when you apply for new accounts and pay off all your debts on time. You can do this by paying off your bills or by using a debt consolidation company.
Credit repair – This is the process of rebuilding your credit history. Credit repair involves the same basic steps as credit restoration but focuses more on improving your credit score rather than paying off debts.
Credit Restoration vs. Credit Repair
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms “credit restoration” and “credit repair.” Both involve correcting errors on your credit report and taking steps to improve your credit score. But there are some key differences between credit restoration and credit repair.
Credit restoration entails removing negative items from your credit report. You do this by negotiating with your creditor or disputing the information through the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by proving identity theft or demonstrating that the item is inaccurate.
On the other hand, credit repair is the process of taking action to improve your credit score by paying off debts and maintaining a good payment history.
What’s the Difference Between a 600 and 620 Credit Score?
A credit score is a snapshot of your creditworthiness, and credit lenders use the credit score to make very important financial decisions about you. But is there a difference between a 600 and 620 credit score?
Here’s how VantageScore views your credit score:
781-850 = Excellent
661-780 = Good
601-660 = Fair
500-600 = Poor
300-499 = Very poor
This is how FICO views your credit score:
800 and above = Excellent
740-799 = Very good
670-739 = Good
580-669 = Fair
580 and below = Poor
Does Credit Repair Hurt Your Credit?
No. Credit repair actually helps you improve your credit score by removing negative information from your report and replacing it with positive information. Your FICO score, for example, will improve by a few points as a result of a clean slate on your report.
Final Thoughts
Bad credit costs you your financial freedom from getting auto loans, mortgages, and getting promotions. If you have a poor credit score, you can still improve it in a few months.
A more positive outlook toward a more financially secure future starts today. Give the Ascent Network a call today at 1-877-871-2400. Ascent Network helps consumers all over the United States and is available locally in California in Huntington Beach, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Thousand Palms.
What Does a Credit Repair Specialist Do?
When you have less-than-perfect credit, it can be difficult to get approved for a loan or even a credit card. This is where a credit repair specialist comes in. A credit repair specialist can help remove negative items from your credit report, increase your score and help you get approved for the products and services you need.
They do this by analyzing your credit report and working with the three major credit bureaus to dispute any inaccurate or unfair items on your report. They can also help you create a plan to improve your overall credit health. So, if you’re looking to build or rebuild your credit, a credit repair specialist is a great option to consider.
What Certifications Should a Credit Repair Specialist Have?
When looking for a credit repair specialist, it’s important to make sure that they have the right certifications. The most important certification to look for is the Certified Credit Analyst (CCA) certification from the National Association of Credit Management (NACM).
This certification indicates that the specialist has a deep understanding of credit and credit reporting. They must also keep up with changes in the credit industry in order to provide you with the best possible service. In addition, a credit repair specialist should be licensed and insured. This protects you in case something goes wrong during the repair process.
What Laws Should a Credit Repair Specialist Know About?
Credit Repair Specialist need to be familiar with many laws and organizations. Understanding how the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can impact their clients as they try to help improve their credit is very important.
The specialist must also be familiar with The Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Credit Repair Organizations Act, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The specialist must also be educated in their state’s credit repair laws.
What Will a Credit Repair Specialist Do?
The first step to hiring a credit repair specialist is to contact them. They will gather some information about you and your situation, which will help them determine if they are able to help you or not. If they are able to take on your case, the next step is for them to pull your credit report and credit score.
Once they have this information, they will review the report and determine the best course of action to take in order to improve your score. They will then create a plan that outlines every step of the process. This way you understand exactly what is always going on.
The Repair Process and How It Works
Once your specialist has created their plan, it’s time to start working on repairing your credit. The first step is disputing any negative items with the individual credit bureaus and verifying the accuracy of all your current information.
Next, they’ll work on removing any negative items from your report. They will also help you establish a good credit history by adding positive items to your report. They’ll do this by paying off any delinquent accounts, which will show creditors that you are able to responsibly pay your bills on time.
Once all these steps have been taken, they can work on increasing your score even further with different strategies.
Does Working with a Credit Repair Specialist Help Your Credit Score?
A credit repair specialist can do a lot for your score, but they cannot raise it without some sort of effort on your end. This is because they are only able to remove negative items from your report and help you improve your history with the different bureaus.
So, while their work will definitely have an impact on your score, you will also have to work on improving it yourself. You can do this by paying your bills on time and in full each month, only applying for credit when you need it and keeping your balances low.
What Can I Expect After Hiring a Credit Repair Specialist?
After hiring a credit repair specialist, things should start looking up for your credit within a few months. However, it can take up to six months for your score to increase significantly. During this time, the specialist will continue working on your report to help you continue to improve your score.
Once everything is done and all negative items have been removed from your report, it’s time to work on increasing your score even further. The best way to do this is by paying your bills on time and keeping your credit utilization low. This means never carrying a balance of more than 30% of your available credit.
In addition, it’s a good idea to add some positive items to your reports such as installment loans, mortgages, and other types of accounts with solid repayment histories.
Questions You May Want to Ask a Potential Credit Repair Specialist
What Are Your Fees?
Will My Credit Report Be Pulled?
Can I Do This on My Own?
What Type of Services Do You Offer?
When Should I Expect Results?
How Long Have You Been in Business?
The Bottom Line
While a credit repair specialist can be very beneficial when working to repair your credit, it’s important that you understand what they can and cannot do. While their services are essential in repairing your credit, you will still have to put forth the effort yourself if you want to see lasting results.
A more positive outlook toward a more financially secure future starts today. Give the Ascent Network a call today at 1-877-871-2400. Ascent Network helps consumers all over the United States and is available locally in Huntington Beach, CA, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Thousand Palms.
If you have a bad credit score, the best thing to do is to look into credit repair. However, you may be unsure whether a credit bureau or lender can help you. Here’s a look at when each organization can help you with your credit repair efforts.
Who can help you repair your credit?
There are a few different avenues to explore when it comes to repairing your credit. You can either go through a credit repair agency, work with your lenders or repair credit yourself.
Credit repair companies work with your creditors and credit bureaus to ensure the information is up-to-date and accurate. They also guide you through the process of disputing inaccurate entries and checking if there are fraudulent accounts. In addition, they also offer credit monitoring and advise you accordingly.
You may also be able to work directly with your lenders to try and remove negative items from your report. However, it can be time-consuming, and you may feel you are not getting results.
Another effective way to repair your credit is taking measures into your own hands. This includes paying off debt, disputing credit report errors, and maintaining good financial habits. Even though it takes some time and effort, it’s usually the most successful approach to improving and having a good credit score.
Is it worth paying someone to fix your credit?
Credit repair can be tricky and time-consuming, so you might wonder if it’s worth paying someone to help you. Well, you can save money if you have the time and patience to do it yourself. But if you’re not comfortable dealing with the complexities of credit repair, it might be worth paying someone else to do it for you.
There’s no guarantee that paying someone will actually improve your credit score. If you are to pay for credit repair services, use credible credit repair companies because fraudulent companies make things worse for you. How can you tell apart credible from fraudulent agencies? Fraudulent agencies:
Claim they’ll remove all negative information from your credit report
Ask you to pay upfront
Suggest that it is possible to dispute accurate information
Ask you not to contact credit reporting companies directly
A legitimate credit repair company will only offer to help remove inaccurate information from your credit report that may harm your credit score. Remember, credible credit repair companies can’t do what you can’t do on your own.
Can a lender fix your credit?
Yes! A lender can fix your credit if you take proactive steps. First, you need to check your credit report for any inaccuracies and dispute any errors you find therein. If you can prove to the lenders that the entry is inaccurate, your lender is obliged to correct the mistake on your credit report.
Using a lender is often more effective than going through a credit repair agency, but it can still be time-consuming and might be difficult to get results.
What is the fastest way to repair your credit?
Repairing your credit is crucial if you want to enjoy low-interest rates when taking loans. To repair your credit to raise your score fast, here are some steps you can take:
Pay your credit card balances on time because credit utilization is the second most important factor in your credit scoring.
Ask a relative or friend if you can be added as an authorized user to their credit card if they have a good on-time payment history. Their positive payment history will help improve your credit score fast. Authorized user status is good for credit newbies with a small credit profile while having a smaller impact on those with lower credit utilization.
Pay bills on time because missing payments impacts your credit score negatively. Call your creditor if you miss a payment by 30 days or more to explain your situation and make an effort to pay so that they don’t report it to the credit bureaus.
Pay off collection accounts and persuade them to stop reporting the debt after you complete paying it.
Dispute any credit errors that are negatively affecting your credit by regularly checking your credit report. Request a copy of your credit at AnnualCreditReport.com, check and dispute any inaccurate negative reports such as old debts past their statute of limitations or payments marked late even though you paid on time, among others.
What does a credit company do?
Credit repair can take as little as three months or longer if you have faced foreclosure, bankruptcy, or a history of late payments. At Ascent Network, our credit repair experts provide credit profile audits to see how they can help improve your credit score. They also help you improve your credit by verifying and restoring the correct entries on your credit report.
Besides credit repair and credit score improvement, Ascent Network offers debt settlement, foreclosure prevention services, debt consolidation, and education loan negotiations. Ascent Network also provides financial counseling so you can take charge of your financial freedom. Why not be among Ascent Network’s clients and have a FICO score increase of 105 or more?
Conclusion
Credit companies and lenders can help you improve your credit scores. If you use a credible credit repair agency like Ascent Network, they will contact the credit bureaus and dispute incorrect information found in your credit report. If you choose to use the lenders, you must be proactive and follow up using the information provided to repair your credit.
A more positive outlook toward a more financially secure future starts today. Give the Ascent Network a call today at 1-877-871-2400. Ascent Network helps consumers all over the United States. It is available locally in Huntington Beach, CA, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Thousand Palms.
When you fail to honor your debt obligation, your creditor sells your debt to collectors, and the negative information is reported to the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax).
Collections accounts stick to your credit report for seven years from when your account became delinquent, making you look uncreditworthy to potential creditors. Here are some steps to increasing your credit score by removing collections.
How do I get collections off my credit report fast to Improve my credit score?
To get collections off your credit report fast, you must be proactive and check your report thoroughly. Get your free credit report by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com or from the three major credit bureaus. Compare the details against your records. If you don’t have your payment records, log into the account to check your payment history.
To check for negative accounts, go to the credit history and accounts section to find information on missed or late payments. Check the account status to see if it’s paid, charged off, or closed. Check the account number and the date the debt became delinquent. Once armed with these details, you can take the following steps:
1. Dispute collection error
Dispute a collection account if:
It is too old to be reported
It is incorrect
A delinquent account falls off your credit report seven years from the date it went delinquent. However, you may still find the account is not closed. File a dispute with the credit bureau, so they can remove the collection report from your account.
If a collection report is incorrect, gather all the documentation to show the collection appears on your report erroneously. Send a dispute with your correct contact information, indicate the mistake with account numbers, and explain how the information is incorrect. The bureau will have 30 days to correct the errors.
2. Ask for debt validation
The best dispute reason for removing collections is by asking the collection agency to validate the debt. Most often, documents get lost as debts are shuffled from one collection agency to another in an attempt to recover their money. In such scenarios, original documents get lost, and inaccurate details are passed on to debt collection agencies.
You should use this loophole to ask them to verify if the debt belongs to you. They will have to remove collections from your credit report if they can’t validate the debt.
3. Pay collections on time to improve your credit score
When the above steps don’t work, you need to ensure you don’t cause much damage to your credit score. You need to continue paying your debt as you wait for validation from the credit bureau or until you pay your debt fully. You can arrange a payment plan with your creditor and stick to it.
4. Send a goodwill letter
Once a collection account is reported to the three major credit bureaus, the negative information will remain for seven years. Unfortunately, despite having paid your debt fully, some lenders will consider this information when offering you loans. This affects the interest rate because they consider you uncreditworthy and offer you loans with higher interest rates.
Consider writing a goodwill letter, sending it to the collector or creditor, and politely asking them for a goodwill deletion by pointing out that you have fully paid the debt. If the creditor or collection agency agrees, ask for a written agreement that you can present to credit bureaus just in case the agency fails to update them.
How long after paying off collections does credit improve?
Credit score improvement depends on several factors, such as the scoring model used and other items found on your credit report. In fact, paying off your debt can hurt your score at first before you see major improvement. However, you may see some positive changes a month or two after updating the collection account.
Use credit repair companies
Credit repair companies like Ascent Network are experienced in credit score improvement. They know how to negotiate with creditors to remove collections from your report to improve your credit score.
Credit repair companies get much better results than you would alone. They offer additional information that helps you improve your score even further. Before you choose a credit repair company, ensure they are reputable.
Our bottom line
It is possible to remove collections from your credit report to improve your credit score only if you become proactive, check your credit report, analyze the information, and take the necessary steps. You can also use a reputable credit repair company with the experience to improve your score.
A more positive outlook toward a more financially secure future starts today. Give the Ascent Network a call today at 1-877-871-2400. Ascent Network helps consumers all over the United States and is available locally in Huntington Beach, CA, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Thousand Palms.
Credit repair is very important. If you have bad credit and cannot get approved for any kind of loan, you need to get your credit in order. The good news is that you can repair it yourself.
Your report has all your credit information, and you can get a copy from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Check your reports from all three bureaus because some creditors may not report to all of them. You can also get a free copy at AnnualCreditReport.com.
It is good to check your report monthly to see if there is a new entry you did not authorize. Or if there is an account that is time-barred.
2. Dispute Any Inaccurate Information
If you find a new account in your credit report that you aren’t aware of, report it to your creditor. Call each of the three major bureaus and ask them to correct any inaccurate information in your report that may affect your score, ability to get loans, or other forms of financing.
Your credit report also shows if an account is past its statute of limitations (time-barred), so you can dispute and have it removed.
3. Prioritize Paying Your Credit Card Bills on Time
Paying your credit card bills on time helps you improve your credit score and helps you qualify for low-interest rates. You also save money from late payment fees that can be as high as $35.
Pay your cable and utility bills using your credit card to build a good payment history that helps improve your credit score.
4. Minimize Hard Inquiries
Minimizing hard inquiries is an essential step in repairing your score. When you apply for new credit, it shows up on your report as a hard inquiry. A hard inquiry causes a drop in your score.
5. Opt for a Debt Consolidation Plan
If you have multiple loans or credit card bills, it is easy to forget to make some payments. Debt consolidation is an easy way to combine payments into one new loan at a lower interest rate. Consolidating your debts helps improve your credit score if you make timely payments.
6. Set Payment Reminders
Given that you may be busy, it is easy for payment to skip your mind. Setting up reminders helps you make on-time payments that are crucial in improving your credit score and avoiding late fees. If you do not set payment reminders, you may end up paying late fees.
If you are behind on payments, call in advance so they can give you an extension before charging late fees or increasing interest rates on loans.
How Long Will It Take for Credit Repair?
Credit repair may take three to six months, depending on the severity of your delinquencies and bad habits, such as late payments or accounts in collections or bankruptcy records that affect your credit score.
It may take up to 18 months to get your credit score from poor to fair.
Can I Make My Credit Perfect?
So, can you make your credit perfect? Yes! You can do it on your own or work with a fast credit repair company like the Ascent Network to get the help you need. Here are some tips for repairing your credit:
Pay off any high-interest debt as soon as possible
Check your reports regularly
Remove errors from your credit report
Make on-time payments
Can I Pay Someone for Credit Repair?
Yes, using a credit repair company is an easy way to repair your credit. They have experts and know how to handle all the problems that may arise while repairing your bad credit ratings.
These companies provide credit repair services to help set up payment plans with creditors so that you can pay off any debts on your report. They also negotiate and make arrangements for how you will be making payments on overdue debts.
Credit repair companies are experts in credit laws such as The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), and The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). They use their understanding of the law to help leverage them in your favor. Look at credit repair reviews from service providers to make sure they are legit and deliver as promised.
A more positive outlook toward a more financially secure future starts today. Give the Ascent Network a call at 1-877-871-2400. Ascent Network helps consumers all over the United States. It is available locally in Huntington Beach, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Thousand Palms, CA.
Charge-offs, late payments, bankruptcy, and defaulting on loans cause you to have bad credit. It is no secret that the longer you continue having bad credit, the more money it costs you. Each time you take out a loan or swipe your credit card, there is a system in place that tracks and keeps a … Continued
What Does a Credit Repair Specialist Do? When you have less-than-perfect credit, it can be difficult to get approved for a loan or even a credit card. This is where a credit repair specialist comes in. A credit repair specialist can help remove negative items from your credit report, increase your score and help you … Continued
If you have a bad credit score, the best thing to do is to look into credit repair. However, you may be unsure whether a credit bureau or lender can help you. Here’s a look at when each organization can help you with your credit repair efforts. Who can help you repair your credit? There … Continued
When you fail to honor your debt obligation, your creditor sells your debt to collectors, and the negative information is reported to the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax). Collections accounts stick to your credit report for seven years from when your account became delinquent, making you look uncreditworthy to potential creditors. Here … Continued
Credit repair is very important. If you have bad credit and cannot get approved for any kind of loan, you need to get your credit in order. The good news is that you can repair it yourself. Can I Fix My Credit Myself? Yes, with the right information and guidance, you can improve your credit … Continued