View CreditMD.com Credit Repair Manual Below or Download Here:
CREDIT MD CREDIT REPAIR MANUAL
CreditMD.com has
created this credit repair manual to assist you in repairing your credit. For
those with the time and patience, this manual will help you to gain the
knowledge and tools required. It is important that you read this manual in full
so that you will understand your rights and learn the proper procedures
involved in repairing your credit. With this knowledge, and some effort on your
part, you will be able to quickly and effectively repair your credit and begin
enjoying the many financial opportunities available. If after reading this
manual you feel the need for professional assistance, please visit
CreditMD.com.
The Basics
What is credit?
Fundamentally, credit is your financial standing with
the bank. Your credit is in direct proportion with the amount of money that
banks, credit card companies, suppliers, etc. will lend you. This amount is
based on information about your ability to pay that money back within an agreed
upon timeframe at a specified interest rate. Your
credit
history is a historical account of your relationship with past
creditors. Your credit history, along with your current income and debt, is
used by potential new creditors to determine how much credit they will extend
to you.
How does my credit become “bad”?
Your credit can be impacted by a number of factors, only some of which are within
your control. Here are a few factors which may impact your credit report:
- Late payments
- Adverse legal judgments
- Bankruptcies
- Mistakes on the part of merchants or lenders
- Mistakes on the part of credit reporting agencies
- Identity theft
Whatever the root cause, a consumer’s credit is harmed when one of the major credit
reporting agencies becomes aware of a negative factor and starts compiling it into your
credit
history. Potential lenders request this information to decide whether or
not to extend credit.
How do I know where I stand?
Most people find out that they have bad credit only
when they get turned down for a loan. Not only is this embarrassing, but it can
delay or even ruin plans for major advances in your life, such as buying a home
or getting married. The only sure way to learn about our credit standing is by requesting a
credit
report from one of the major credit bureaus.
Credit
monitoring services are also available. Learn more on those topics below. Take
control! The people with the least credit problems are those who monitor and
manage their credit.
What will happen if I have bad credit?
The answer to this question is that it depends upon your particular situation. In some cases, you can set up a
credit repair
strategy that will get you back on track as soon as possible. This can include restructuring your debt with a
debt
consolidation plan. A plan like this will increase your awareness and help
in paying off debts as well as correct errors on your credit report. Negative
credit can result in you being denied loans, or being charged a higher interest
rate. On the purchase of a home or a car, or during the life of the balance of
a credit card, these higher rates can cost you many thousands of dollars. In
some cases, bad credit can result in your being denied employment or promotion.
Credit can affect every aspect of your life. That’s why it’s critical to be
proactive about your credit. Even if you have had credit trouble in the past, by
monitoring
your credit and having a repair strategy in place you can mitigate the
impact of your past credit problems.
Who can help me if I have bad credit?
Debt
counselors can help you identify a good route for you. A professional debt
consolidation or debt
settlement company may be able to help you restructure your debt. But more
importantly, you can help yourself. You can be proactive about your credit, monitor
your report, and make sure that you don’t further harm your credit. If you
do have errors on your credit report, they can be rectified and this will
result in an instant jump in your credit. The tools you need are available to
you, which is why we have created this manual. But there are also times when
you may need outside help. If you need professional assistance repairing your credit visit
CreditMD.com today.
Basic Credit Repair Facts
There is no way to remove correct information from
your credit report. If a company claims they can, beware! One cannot legally
remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report. But the
law does allow you to request a reinvestigation of information in your file
that you dispute as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this, but
you must be prepared to spend the time and effort to learn how to read your
credit report, draft correspondence, and persist in the removal of inaccurate
information from your credit report.
The first step, of course, is that you must obtain copies of your
credit
reports from the three credit major credit bureaus.
Click
here to order your report from the three credit bureaus at once. Some
people are reluctant to order their reports because they know they are bad.
Don’t be deterred! This is the first step toward building better credit!
Correcting even one error on your report can make a big difference.
About Credit Bureaus
Who are the credit bureaus and what do they do?
There are three major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Sometimes they are
referred to as “Credit Reporting Agencies” or “CRAs”. The credit bureaus maintain a
database of information about consumers’
credit
histories. The credit bureaus collect and keep records of information about
your payment records from lenders such as banks, credit unions, finance
companies, or retailers. This information is sold to lenders so that they may
analyze your credit history in order to decide whether to grant you credit.
Are all three credit bureaus important?
Yes. Each of the major credit bureaus is a separate
entity and your credit information may differ among the bureaus. Many financial
companies will check the reports of all three credit bureaus when reviewing
your credit. And even if they choose only one, they can always go with the
bureau of their choice. Therefore, it is very important to verify that the
information on your
credit
report is correct at each of the major credit bureaus.
When should I review my credit report?
Fixing credit errors can be a timely process. At a minimum, it is suggested that you
view your credit reports from the major three bureaus at least every 6 - 12 months. Do not wait
until you are trying to buy a house or apply for a credit card to check your
credit. Not knowing and understanding what is on your credit reports can cost
you thousands in high finance charges or cause you to be denied loans and lines
of credit. Also, with the growing threat of identity theft, it's important to
make sure that your credit is monitored regularly. Click
here to check your credit report now!
Should I use “credit monitoring”?
CreditMD.com suggests that everyone make use of a
credit
monitoring service, especially once their credit report is satisfactorily
“cleaned up”. Today, credit report
monitoring is affordable and extremely convenient and user friendly. There are
a variety of such services, but the best ones alert you each time anyone
accesses your credit report or when there are any changes to your credit
report. In an age where identity theft is rampant, such reports enable you to
keep more timely tabs on what is happening with your credit so that you can
stop misuse or incorrect reporting before too much damage is done.
Click
here to learn more about credit monitoring today!
Where can I obtain my credit reports?
Many sources online offer the purchase of credit
reports. This is probably the best way to go, because you can view the results
instantly, keep an online record of them, and print them out easily. The
easiest and fastest way to obtain your credit reports is in the form of a
tri-merge report. A tri-merge report contains an easy to read listing of your
credit history from the three major credit bureaus in one document.
Click
here to get your tri-merge report now! If you have applied for credit
within the past 60 days and were denied credit due to your credit information,
you are entitled to a free copy of that report. To obtain a free copy of your
credit report you must mail the credit bureau that was used by the company that
denied you for credit. Enclose the following information plus any fees that are
applicable and mail your request to the proper credit bureau at the address listed
below.
- Full name (first, middle and last name) Junior or Senior, II or III if applicable.
- Social security number
- Former address (include zip code)
- Daytime phone - nighttime phone
- Date of birth (mmddyy)
- A recent statement from either a major credit card or a utility company showing and current address.
- Signature
Understanding FICO Scores
What is a FICO score?
Also known as a credit score, your
FICO
score is the numeric representation of your financial responsibility based
on your credit history. Each credit bureau creates its own FICO score for you
on a scale of 300 –850 based on your credit information. The three FICO scores
are the measure that most lenders look to when evaluating whether to approve
you for credit. Your FICO score is created from the information that each
individual credit bureau reports, so your score may be higher or lower at each
of the three major credit bureaus depending upon their information. As your
credit information changes your
FICO
score will go up or down depending on the information that has changed.
Raising your FICO score a couple of points can result savings of thousands of dollars
due to the lowering of your interest rates on new loans and can make the difference
in whether you are approved in the first place. FICO scores provide information
to the lender that allows them to evaluate the future risk of lending to you.
Many lenders use the FICO score as a baseline and have their own strategy when
making the final lending decision. There is no single "cutoff score"
used by all lenders, basically, the higher your
FICO
score the better chance you have of being approved. Also, while lenders may
approve a variety of credit types, a higher FICO score will enable you to get
better interest rates and loan products.
Click
here to obtain your FICO score for FREE now!
Your Rights
You are protected by laws regarding your credit. A
federal law, The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) was enacted to protect your
rights in the area of credit reporting. The Federal Trade Commission enforces
the Act. If you wish to view the full text of the Fair Credit Reporting Act click here.
What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act?
In 1972, based on pressure from various consumer
groups and the growing use of credit reports, Congress passed the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (“FCRA”) to regulate the relationship between consumers,
creditors, and the credit bureaus (currently
Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). One of the most important provisions of the
FCRA for the consumer is that it allows you to challenge inaccurate, obsolete,
and misleading items as they appear on a
credit
report. The FCRA requires credit reporting agencies to remove all obsolete,
inaccurate, irrelevant, outdated, misidentifying, incomplete, incorrect,
erroneous, and misleading information from credit reports. You may
dispute any item
that you believe to be incorrectly reported on your credit report. The credit
bureau then has 30 days to re-investigate the item, free of charge, and record
the current status of the disputed information. If they can not provide current
information within the 30-day period they must delete the item from your credit
report. If an item is found to be inaccurate or incomplete or cannot be
verified, the credit bureau must delete or modify the item and notify you of
the change within five business days of the completion of the investigation. The
credit bureaus must also provide you, upon request, with a description of the procedure
used to determine the accuracy of the disputed item. This includes the business
name, address, and telephone number of any furnisher of information used in investigating
the dispute. They must provide you with this information within 15 days of your
request.
Make Sure Your Credit Report is Correct
The best way to avoid being a victim of reporting
errors and identity theft is to be an aware consumer. According to a 1998 study
by the Public Interest Research Group, out of the
credit
reports surveyed, 29% contained serious errors that could result in the
denial of credit. Over 70% contained mistakes or errors of some kind, 41%
contained incorrect personal demographic identifying information, 20% were
missing major credit cards, loans, mortgages, or other accounts that are
critical in demonstrating consumer credit worthiness.
Other past studies found that more than three out of five consumers have negative information in their
credit
report, and nearly half of the studied reports contained errors. Some of
the errors were serious enough to prevent the individual from qualifying for
credit. As you can see, it is very important that you check your credit reports
on a regular basis to ensure that the information reported about your
credit
history is correct. When looking over your credit reports, make sure to
take your time and study every item carefully, verifying that all of your
information is correct.
- Make sure your name, address, and employer are accurate and up-to-date.
- Watch out for incorrect addresses—this may be a sign that an identity thief has redirected your mail to a false address.
- Make sure your monthly payments are correct.
- Make sure your total balances are correct.
- Make sure your maximum limits are correct.
- Have you ever had any late payments? Make sure payments you made on time are reported correctly.
- Make sure all of the information is accurate and up-to-date.
- Watch out for accounts that are not familiar—You could be a victim of ID Theft and these could be accounts that were opened fraudulently in your name.
- Watch out for names of companies that are not familiar—if you haven't authorized the inquiry, it may be a sign of fraud.
Do You Need Professional Help?
Now that you have gone through the information
regarding credit repair, you should have a more thorough understanding of the
procedures involved. Many people feel that professional credit repair help
proves more effective and efficient than battling the credit bureaus on their
own. If you need professional assistance in repairing your credit, Credit MD
can help you! Credit MD’s
credit repair services
can help improve your credit so you can have the financial freedom you have
always desired. You won't be gouged by ridiculously high interest rates any
longer. You could buy a home or car without wondering if you will be approved.
Let a Credit MD
credit repair specialist help you down the road to financial freedom at an
affordable cost. We can also help you with various other financial solutions, including
bad credit loans, debt consolidation programs, and more.
Visit CreditMD.com
and get started with your credit restoration process today!
Credit Services FAQ’s:
What is debt consolidation?
Debt
consolidation is probably the most effective way to reduce and restructure
your debt. You may wonder how another loan can possibly reduce your debt - but
the way a debt consolidation loan works is different. Your debt consolidation
plan will pay off all of your current debt. This will immediately help your
credit by showing all of your creditors paid in full. Now, instead of having
many small loans, you will have a single loan with one monthly payment. The new
loan will be at a lower interest rate than the combined rates your were paying
previously - thereby saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It also
streamlines your debt into a much more manageable payment. There are many
affordable payment plans available to fit your budget.
Click
Here for a free quote!
What is debt settlement?
Debt settlement can
prevent bankruptcy. It is an ideal financial solution for those who are deeply
in debt and their accounts are delinquent or charged off. While debt settlement
can dramatically reduce your monthly payments and amount of debt, it is not
recommended unless you are really facing few alternatives short of bankruptcy.
The reason for this is that your debt settlement case workers will negotiate
with your creditors to reduce your balances as much as possible. While your
credit report will reflect these accounts as legally paid off, they will
reflect that the original amount was not paid, and this will hurt your credit
to some extent. However, this damage is far less than that of a bankruptcy, and
will make it easy for you to repair your credit again. Once your debt has been
negotiated to a minimum, you will be given a new loan that will pay off all
your current creditors. You will then have one loan and one monthly payment. Click Here for a
free quote!
What is the difference between debt consolidation and debt settlement?
Debt settlement
and debt
consolidation are similar in that they both pay off your current creditors
and streamline your unsecured debt into one monthly payment. The key difference
is that debt consolidation pays off your current debt in full. Your main
savings can be realized with an improved interest rate, and you can benefit
from a more affordable payment plan. With debt settlement, creditors are
negotiated with to get a lower balance. This is effective for severely
delinquent or charged off accounts. While these will also be legally paid off,
they reflect differently on your credit report because they were not paid for
the original amount. If you can afford it,
debt
consolidation is a much better financial option for your credit. But if you
are facing bankruptcy and are severely delinquent already,
debt settlement
is a more drastic measure that can help you prevent bankruptcy and improve your
financial situation.
What does a credit repair company do?
A credit repair company
can quickly and effectively negotiate negative, incorrect items on your credit
report. A common misconception about credit repair companies is that you can
pay them to remove anything negative from your credit report. In reality, no
company can legally remove any credit items that are accurately reported. If a
creditor fails to provide proof or verification of the reporting, it can be
removed, otherwise, it stays. Statistics show that an alarming amount of people
have inaccurate information on their credit report - errors that can be costly
and prevent all kinds of credit options. These can take months to dispute on
your own and many people lack the know how. Credit repair companies can battle
errors in your credit report in a manner that is timely and efficient. Click here for a
free consultation!
Can I fix my own credit?
You always have the option to dispute your own
credit
report. This requires sending documentation, writing dispute letters, and a
good understanding of the errors to the three main credit bureaus. This can be
done simply with the assistance of a credit repair kit, which contains
instructions and preformatted letters to send to the bureaus. Some companies
sell these kits, at Credit MD you can request one free!
Where can I get a copy of my credit report?
The easiest way to get a
credit
report is to purchase one online. This way, you can get reports from all
three main credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian and TransUnion side by side, and
you get it instantly. Your credit report will show you what each creditor and
credit bureau is reporting about you, and provide your credit score. There will
usually be a charge for this. If you have recently been denied credit, you can
also send a letter of denial to the credit bureau the company used and ask that
they mail you a copy of your credit report. This is free, but it can be time
consuming.
Click
here to view your credit report online now!
How can I prevent credit fraud and identity theft?
Identity theft and credit fraud are real, and they are becoming an increasingly common
problem in the U.S. today. People can have their financial lives destroyed because of fraud committed in
their names. The best way to prevent this is to sign up for a
credit
monitoring service. For a low monthly fee, they will alert you of any
suspicious activity on your account, let you view all recent activity on your
credit report, and allow you to stay on top of what is being reported about
you. If you do not want to sign up for a credit monitoring service, you can
also regularly order copies of your
credit
report to make sure all of the information on it is indeed accurate.
Click
here to learn more about credit monitoring!
Can I get a loan with bad credit?
The financial world is definitely changing to meet the needs of all credit types. Today a variety of
credit options are available, even to those with bad credit. There are personal
loan programs that specialize in bad credit. A good way to check before
applying is to call the company and ask them about their minimum credit
requirements. You can check your
credit
score online. There are also many
home loan programs
that can help those with bad credit get various loan programs at pretty good
interest rates. Click
here to apply for a personal loan now!
What is a home equity loan?
The equity in your home is
a valuable asset you may not be aware of. Your home has a particular value.
This could be what you bought it for, but in most instances it will be higher
because home values rise. Your home could have appreciated tens of thousands of
dollars within just a few years! If you have no mortgage or liens on your house,
the full value of your home is its equity. But in most cases, people will have
a mortgage on their home. So their equity is the value of the home minus the
amount owed on their mortgage. Each time they make their mortgage payment, they
gain a little more equity in their home. You can get a cash loan against the
equity in your home. Since this is considered a secured loan, you can get
excellent interest rates that are better than those of personal loan programs.
Home equity loans can be used for anything, from home improvements to taking a
vacation. Click here
to apply online!
What kind of home loan options are there?
As a homeowner, you have a
valuable asset that enables you to gain many different types of financial
products and home loan options. The most common home loan is obviously a
mortgage. But even if you already have one, you can qualify for other programs.
You can get a second mortgage or home equity loan at a low interest rate and free
up extra cash that way. Often, you will get a lower interest rates just for
being a homeowner. Click
here to apply online!
I have bad credit. What can I do?
The longer you wait, the more dire the situation becomes. When you act early, there are more options
available. If you have bad credit because of too much debt, a
debt
consolidation may be advisable. It can make your payments more affordable,
and reduce hundreds of dollars in interest. Check your
credit
report for errors, which statistics have revealed to be present in more
than half of the studied reports. By disputing these errors yourself, or
through a credit repair company, you can dramatically improve your credit. The
best thing you can do for yourself is to start building good credit. You can do
this by paying your bills on time. If you have recently had a bankruptcy, have
no debt, and cannot get approved for anything new, try a secured credit card.
Pick one that reports to all three credit bureaus every month.
I have no credit. Where do I start?
Getting that first credit card can sometimes be tough. There are various student credit
card programs available. If you are
not a student, you can try your luck at a small store in the mall. If you still
have no luck, the best option is to apply for a secured credit card. Good ones
will report to all three credit bureaus each month-make sure you check to see
if it does. This will allow you to build credit every month, even though it's
more like having a debit card than a credit card. Once you have built a little
credit, you will start getting offers and approvals for unsecured products as
well.
What is a cash advance or payday loan?
This is the quickest way to get some emergency cash when you need it fast. It is probably also your best
option for a small loan amount. Even if you have very bad or no credit, you can
be approved because there is often no credit check involved! You will need stable
credit history and a check stub to apply. You will be given somewhere between a
pay period and a month to repay the loan. You can also get the money in as
little as 72 hours. This is a great way to get extra cash for emergencies or
unexpected situations until your next payday.
Click
here to get a payday loan now!
I need $50 - $1000. What are my options?
For such a small amount of money, there are two options that would fit you best. If you need the money in
a hurry and can pay it back very quickly, then a payday loan or cash advance is
a good choice. You can get the money within 48 hours and it is deposited right
into your bank account. There is no credit check, you just need stable job history
to be approved. The downside is that you have to be able to pay it back within
a couple of weeks. For a more long term financing solution, you should try to
get a small personal loan. Some companies may have a minimum of $3000 or more.
You can always borrow the additional amount and pay it back if you don't need
it. If you need the cash for a specific purpose, you can consider getting a
credit
card and financing the purchase that way.
Click
here to apply for a cash advance now!
I need $1,000 - $15,000. What are my options?
For this amount of money, you have a few options. The most popular one is probably a personal loan. These
are unsecured loans that are obtained on credit alone. But don't let this
discourage you if you have bad credit - today there are a lot of bad credit
personal loan programs too. The rates on these are higher than on a secured
loan, but they generally have no pre payment penalty, are fast and easy to
obtain, and can be used for anything. If you want a lower rate and you are a
home owner, you can probably qualify for a secured home loan program also. Home
equity lines are a very popular way of getting some extra cash. You can even
use a high limit credit card for specific purposes. These are similar to
personal loans in their payment plans and benefits.
Click Here to apply
now!
I need $15,000 or more. What are my options?
A personal loan is still an option for you if you need a large sum of money, but getting approved
becomes more difficult, especially if you don't have the best credit. Your best
option is probably a secured loan-and for this you will need to be a homeowner.
There are excellent home loan programs that can free up large amounts of extra
cash at great interest rates. Even if you think you don't have equity in your
home, you may be surprised-often home values appreciate more than you realize. Click here to apply now!
Can I get an unsecured business loan?
The simple answer is yes. Not so long ago, getting a
business loan without collateral was a very
difficult process. Today, prospective business
owners have many more options. They can get business financing even if no
collateral is involved. Many online finance companies offer special programs
for business owners. Click here
to apply online!
My business is in trouble. What can I do?
If your business is undergoing a slow time, paying bills and overhead can get costly and even put
you behind. Fortunately, you can avoid business bankruptcy with professional
help. The sooner you do this, the more likely it will be that you can get out
of business debt. Businesses can qualify for debt consolidation programs that
lower interest rates, lower monthly payments, and restructure debt to make an
affordable monthly payment that can help your business survive.
Click here for a
free consultation!
Click on the below links to go directly to the program that is right for you:
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