how can i repair my damaged credit?
115478
This is what I did, I went to my bank and gave them $250.00 and they gave me a secured credit card. You cannot tell by looking at them that is what they are. I would use it one month and pay it off the next, after about 6 months they gave me back my money and now I have a credit card through them. Since then I applied for a QVC card and was accepted with no questions, plus I took out a small loan $500.00 and through paying these things on time I have managed to start rebuilding my credit. Good Luck
312043
Shelle-\n\nAs a victim of ID theft which lead to drastic measures, I have spent the past three years studying and rebuilding my credit.  here's what you can do:\n\nHave about 2-4 credit card accounts, but keep the total balances below 50%, no matter what.  This is a huge credit score booster.  Debt to credit ratio is a large percentage that makes up your credit score.  I can simply boost my score 50-70 points in one month with just keeping it below 50%.  If its over 50%, the bureau is merciless.\n\nIf you have credit cards but they are all paid off, or you currently do not make monthly credit card payments, this is not good either.  The "computers" that calculate your score cannot really calculate anything  except history unless you have a revolving balance.  Plus the longer credit history you have, the more it helps your score.  For example, I have several credit cards all that are paid off.  I just use them if I have to, but I always carry a small balance every month ($150) on a Victoria's secret credit card and just pay the minimum-KUST TO KEEP THE SCORE STABLE AND GOOD.  The "computers" then can factor in some sort of payment that is being made every month.  If you pay nothing, then the computers cannot calculate a "month payment factor" in your score.\n\nIf you don't have a credit card/good credit go to www.orchardbank.com.  This place is the most generous in granting and rebuilding credit.  After a while where you make payments, they'll boost your limit.  You may start with $500 limit, and a high APR, but that's okay, just keep the balance below 50%, and in 6 - 9 months, you really start to be looking good.  Department cards and gas cards are also good places to start  and are more flexible to poor credit.\n\nAs for your bills like utilities, phone, etc.  These will not help your credit because they are not reported UNLESS you don't pay.  So pay them so you don't get a delinquency, but otherwise they're useless to you score.\n\nRemember, people with bad credit pull their score an average of 10 times more than someone with good credit.  CREDIT BUREAUS KNOW THIS, WHICH IS WHY THEY LEAVE INACCURATE INFO ON YOUR REPORT.  Try to keep the inquires down, because that hurts your score too.  That's how they make money.  That's how banks get their money too.  So... I would pull my own credit report at www.myfico.com and check my score regularly.  PULLING YOUR OWN CREDIT DOES NOT HURT YOUR SCORE.  Then dispute the crap out of everything, even if its right.  Write a letter, DO NOT USE THE AUTOMATIC system they want you to.  If that doesn't work, try a law firm.  www.lexingtonlawfirm.com is a great place to dispute everything.  I have used them and iit works well without breaking the bank.  $75 initial to start and $35/mo.  They write the letters, you can access your info on their website and pick the things to dispute.  They know HOW to say it.  If you don't write certain things in your dispute letter, the bureaus by law can ignore it.\n\nOne other trick:  Go to a bank and tell them you want to buy a house and apply for a mortgage.  Let them know your credit is bad and you've been having trouble getting them to fix inaccuracies.  Mortgage companies have an "in" and can get your credit corrected with the smap of their fingers.  I know this because my wife did this for US BANK on a regular basis.\n\nIf you don't get approved with anything, then try getting a secured credit card until the score gets better.  Or have your friend or parents with good credit or credit cards just see if they would be willing to put your name on their card as an authorized user/co-borrower.  It doesn't mean you need one (if they're leary of your sepnding habits), you just need the action going on in your report.\n\nALSO, NEVER CLOSE ANY ACCOUNT.  This will REALLY hurt your score.  If you pay off an account and don't want it, just cut up the card and n
225326
You can dispute it through all three credit bureaus and also contact the bankruptcy trustee and let them know. They can help you also.
1159042
TO be real honest with you. CREDIT REPAIR company are not that good.  The money you give them to help you could be use to pay wha you owe. You would be better off doing it your self.  Please go  to daveramsy.com he has alot of information that can help you and show you how to be debt free
1039914
You're looking for the FASTEST way?  Sounds like you want to rebuild or maintain your credit rating which filing bankruptcy would greatly damage.\n\nThis will take a combination of methods!\n1) Credit Counseling.\n2) Really frugal living.\n3) aggressive payments.\n\n1) I recommend calling one of the non-profit credit counseling outfits...you choose one.  They will do what it takes to get your payments to a minimum.  These no longer damage your credit appreciably (they used to).  I guess the credit scoring agencies (transunion, equifax and experian) appreciate the fact that you're not declaring bankruptcy!\n\n2) The really frugal living means not only tearing up your credit cards, not incurring or increasing new debt, etc. but ALSO cutting out what you do have that you don't need to survive *right now*.  Drop non-essential services like cable, broadband, cellphone, daily paper, etc. if you don't need them for work.  The reason for this is that it will allow you to do step number 3 better...\n\n3) Make _REALLY_ aggressive payments... big enough to hurt a little.  When you do this after the credit counseling folks get your payments down you can really do some serious disaster recovery to your finances.  If you have something to sell (that isn't  lien property or mortgaged) you might want to consider some quick cash to get the debt reduced fast.\n\nIf you have a financed car, you might want to sell it (even for less than you owe) in order to buy and own a used vehicle (you still have to get to work!!) that would do just as well  (you'll save on insurance too).\n\nTo help preserve your credit, contact all the agencies that you owe and tell them of your problem and let them know that you have overextended yourself and you're going to continue payments on the lowest of your bills and can they see about them getting their payments lower before you inevitably file for bankruptcy?\n\nGet a part-time job (if it makes sense)  This creates extra money to pay bills and leaves less time to spend it.  It doesn't make sense if you have to hire a sitter that costs almost as much as you can make part-time or if you have to drive so far that you spend your paycheck on gas just to show up.\n\nOnce you get into the swing of doing this, your debt will disappear...once it's gone...keep doing it for a little while and build up your savings.  Hang on to your savings (which will become your investments) and then start reading books by Suze Orman.  She's a really no-nonsense person with solid ideas (albeit overly opinionated) on how to get and keep your finances together.\n\nBest of luck.  You're embarking on a most worthy endeavor!
969658
Call the credit bureau
530267
get a lawyer fast before he ruins your credit
1013591
use the link on my profile to get a credit repair kit\neverything in bad shape needs repaired
977931
Offer a low percentage in writing and make sure you dont pay over the phone.\n \n\nUse the letters in this http://www.expert-credit-advice.com/ free credit repair kit to make the offers, it worked great for me!
934701
Try this.\n\nWhen you call these companies, tell them that you want IN WRITING a guarantee that they will raise your credit score and remove bad items from your credit report once the bills are paid.  \n\nAnd that they won't take any money unless these things are accomplished.\n\nYou won't find anyone who will agree to this.  Why?  Because they can't possibly promise such a thing.\n\nThere are only two ways to get a negative item removed from your credit history.\n\n1) The creditor must delete it\n2) The creditor fails to respond to an investigation request from the credit bureau.\n\nNote that payment of a bill does NOT remove the item.  It only changes the status from being late or in collections, to paid.  But it still reflects late payments or collections.  It's still a negative item.\n\nThese "credit repair" companies will TRY to negotiate a payment arrangement that will TRY to remove the negative items.  But there are no guarantees.  \n\nBut it is a guarantee that these companies will demand payment for their services, whether they succeed or not.\n\nBefore you go this route, do your research.  Many of the things that these companies do, you can easily do yourself.  \n\nAlso note that many of these "credit consoler" or "credit repair" companies are a front for companies offering consolidation loans or other such services.  Be aware of what's going on!
1149969
Since you have a computer go to your banks online service bring up the payments. Call the Loan Company while online discuss it with the manager in charge. Explain to them the problem you are haveing. A Friend of mine just went through this an she claim bankruptcy just prior to this but kept the car and payment. But what had happened is the payments go to a lock box and sit there and when they finally put it in they credited the wrong account. They were showing her two months behind an her payment were there on the first of every month. Plus get there building address not a po box and send the payments to that addrress.
262067
The above advice is excellent.  But you don't need anencouragementl the information you need is available on line.  Look at my links below.\n\nYou can fix your credit very easily.  But your situation requires a little more work.  \n\nFirst, my battle cry. You are about to go to war! Knowledge of the law is your only weapon.  Do not fight these people unarmed!  Read the links below.\n\nYour war plan consists of 4 steps.\n\nGet your credit reports.  Go to www.annualcreditreport.cthoroughlyrm all of the credit reporting agencies immediately that you suspect identity theft, so that a flag will be placed on your account.  No further credit can be made without first contacting you.\n\nContest every item on the credit report with the credit reporting agency.  They already have a system set up for disputes, just follow the directions on the credit report the send you.  This is the "verification" state, where the agency will contact the creditor to verify the debt.  If they don't respond, the report must be removed from your record.  The problem with this method is that all they do is ask the creditor if it's a valid debt. The creditor rarely check it thoroughly, and responds back that it's valid.  So the credit reporting agency leaves it alone and may just put a comment on your report that it's under dispute.\n\nThis is usually what happens during this stage, so you now must turn up the heat.\n\nWrite letters to each creditor on the credit reports. Explain that these debts are not yours, and explain the situation.  Be polite this time, just request that the debt be validated.  Note that word, VALIDATED!  Very important.\n\nValidating a dept requires the creditor to supply copies of contracts, bills, receits and anything used to calculate the debt.  If they can't supply it, they must remove the listing from your report.  They have 30 days to respond. Again, many time they ignore this letter.\n\nNext send a DEMAND to validate the debt.  I have a link to a template below for a good one.  \n\nBeyond that, you simply have to read the other links, educate yourself on the law, and follow through. It's going to take a while.  Keep records of names and dates, copies of letters and correspondence.  You may need them in the future.\n\nContact me if you need any further help, advice, or encorugement.
66625
Call the credit companies - sush as Equifax and put a freeze on your credit in addition to calling the credit card company. Depending on your credit card most of the time they do not hold you liable for fraudulent charges.
989716
http://www.repair-your-credit.jims-info.com/
1094635
#1) Pull all your reports. Not online, request actual physical copies. They usually contain more than what an online report does. This will give you a start on where you need to go with your reports. Also, keep them. Never toss them. They are proof later on if you need them to refer to if you ever get into a legal situation regarding your credit (lawsuit etc).\n\n#2) Dispute. Dispute anything that is not correct including, balance amounts, lates, etc. If you have only one or two lates, I would call your creditor and see if you can get them removed via goodwill gesture, or send a goodwill letter. You can find some great letters on some of the credit boards like creditnet.com and creditboards.com.\n\n#3.) Collections? If you have any collections on your account or anything that should not be there, send a DV (debt validation) to the creditor asking to prove the debt. If they cannot, they have to remove the debt off of your report by law.\n\n#4.) You have rights - check out http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf for more info.\n\n#5.) check out some of the posts on creditnet.com and creditboards.com for assistance. \n\n#6.) If you have no credit, or want a temporary boost - have a family member or really (really, really, really) close friend add you in as an authorized user on their credit cards. Make sure the balances are not high, otherwise this could hurt you more. The higher the available credit, the more your utilization will go down on your report - therefore bumping your score.\n\n#7.) Avoid unnecessary inquiries. Hard pulls can hurt you, so avoid applying for new credit cards until after you buy your home.\n\nThis of course is a shortened version of things you can try. Research info on those links I provided you. You can increase your score spending just a short amount of time per week, sending letters to creditors etc. I increased my score over 100 points in less than 6 months. Depending on your situation, this could take shorter or longer time, but at least you have somewhere to start. Good luck!
219115
Sorry to say there are no "magic bullets" you can use to quickly fix your credit score.\n\nFirst step is to understand exactly how your credit score is put together.  Go to www.myfido.com and readup!  These are the folks who wrote and licensed the scoring system used by the credit agencies.\n\nNext, you need to start cleaning up your credit report.  You can get a free copy from www.annualcreditreport.com.\n\nNow you gotta fix it by removing negative entries, deleting inaccurate information, and challenging records that may be old and outdated.\n\nBelow is my "warchest" of informational sites that will instruct you how to go about it.  It also contains some sample letters to send to credit agencies, creditors, and (if necessary) government agencies.\n\nIf you need any help, advice, or encouragement contact me. I've helped a lot of people do this.
965816
You can go to the loan office and ask them to please report it to the credit dept. and also ask to receive a print out of your payment history so that you will have proof in black and white that it was in good standing, you might also want to contact the credit agency to contact the loan office requesting the info to update your credit files