Bad credit is costly. Late and missed payments, bankruptcy, repossession, and foreclosure take a toll on one’s credit score leaving them with higher interest rates, denied loan approval, increased security deposits, and higher insurance rates. The good news is that poor credit can be improved, and with work, credit scores can increase.
In order to learn how credit repair works, you must first understand what credit is and what affects your rating. A credit score is defined as a number that rates your credit risk. An individual’s score helps lenders decide if they are willing to give credit and if so, how much and at what interest rate.
According to Experian, 67% of Americans have a good FICO credit score, which is a score of 670 or higher. For the other 33% who have less than good credit, there are ways to improve the score. Keep in mind, credit scores are never influenced by gender, race, religion, or marital status. Things like employment, occupation, age, income, and social status are also not factors.
FICO Credit Scale
Poor 300-579
Fair 580-669
Good 670-739
Very Good 740-799
Exceptional 800-850
What Affects a Credit Score?
There are many factors that contribute to good and bad credit scores. Missing or paying a bill late can cause your score to decline, while on-time payments help to improve your score. The length of your credit history and how much credit you use are also factors.
How many accounts you have and their balances can help or hinder your score. Balancing account types, installment and revolving, is helpful to your score if you can properly manage those accounts. This is also referred to as "credit mix" and makes up for approximately 10% of your FICO score. A mortgage, car loan, and credit card are examples of a good credit mix.
Lastly, your recent credit activity also contributes to your score. Have you recently opened a new account or applied for one? Those actions reflect on your credit account in the form of hard or soft inquiries.
What Causes a Credit Score to Increase?
Now that we’ve covered what affects a credit score let’s explore how to repair your credit.
Making all payments on time is crucial, even if it’s just the monthly minimum. As you start to make your payments on time you can begin paying off your balance. Keeping a low credit card balance is a healthy way to improve your credit.
Remember the credit mix we mentioned? As we stated, it is important to have a balance of account types. Be sure that when you open a new account it’s one that will be reported by credit bureaus. If you open a new line of credit you want it to contribute to your score.
However, only apply for an account if you need it. Applying for multiple accounts in a short period of time can flag hard inquiries which hurt your rating.
Fixing Your Credit
Credit repair companies advertise the ability to make your poor credit disappear. However, according to the Federal Trade Commission, credit repair services are oftentimes a scam. Instead, you can take steps to mend your own credit without paying a credit repair agency. Adhering to a budget, minimizing debt, and paying bills on time are all ways to begin successfully repairing your credit on your own. Before focusing on those action items, you need to make sure there are no errors on your credit report.
Your Rights
When it comes to your credit, you have rights. One of which, is a free annual credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, the three reporting agencies. Knowing what is on your credit report is important. Checking it yearly allows you to verify that the reported information is correct and also prevents fraudulent activity.
Request your free annual report now. You may also request your report by contacting 877.322.8228 or by mailing this completed form to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
The COVID-19 Pandemic has largely affected Americans financially. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are currently offering free weekly credit reports* to help individuals stay in control of their finances.
*Free weekly credit reporting set to expire April 2022.
Correcting Credit Report Errors
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act reporting agencies and information providers are responsible for reporting correct information on your credit report.
When reviewing your report be sure to note any errors you notice. Collect any documents you have to dispute the errors and submit them along with a letter to the credit reporting agencies and the provider (ie. lender, bank, credit card company, etc.) of the inaccurate information.
Utilize our sample letter below for disputing errors. You can also submit a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regarding the errors.
The Importance of Certified Mail
The importance of Certified Mail when working to repair your credit is crucial. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission instructs individuals who are disputing errors on their credit reports to send correspondence via Certified Mail.
Certified Mail Labels allows you to easily address your certified letter from the comfort of your home or office. Certified Mail Labels provides users with proof of mailing, USPS tracking, Electronic Delivery Confirmation, and Return Receipt Signature for ten years at no additional cost.
It’s time to skip the trip to the Post Office with Certified Mail Labels. Create your account now and be on your way to good credit today!
Sample Credit Report Dispute Letter
Your Name
Street Address
City, ST ZIP Code
Date
Company Name
Street Address
City, ST ZIP Code
To Whom It May Concern:
While recently reviewing my credit report I noticed that [INSERT COMPANY NAME] provided inaccurate information to [INSERT CREDIT BUREAU WHO REPORTED INACCURATE INFORMATION] which I wish to dispute.
Attached you will find a copy of my credit report. I have noted on the report the items that I am disputing which are also listed below.
[INSERT LIST OF INACCURATE INFORMATION AND REASON FOR DISPUTING]
Please rectify the above matters as soon as possible by investigating the disputed errors and contacting the National Credit Bureau to have them corrected.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Contact Number
Email Address
Attachments: [LIST ATTACHED DOCUMENTS]
