Fix It Yourself

Everything a credit repair company can do for you legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost. You can:

Dispute mistakes or outdated items for free.

Receive a free report if a company denies your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action

Receive one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you're on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft

Request and receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The three companies have set up a central website (annualcreditreport.com), a toll-free telephone number (1-877-322-8228), and a mailing address where you can order your free annual report.

If you want to request a free copy of your credit report by mail then you'll need to complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form, which can be printed from the FTC website, and mail your request to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

Questions for Your Attorney

I signed a contract with a credit repair company two days ago, what do I need to do to cancel the contract?

I disputed an item on my credit report over 30 days ago, I haven't received a response from the credit bureau and the item is still on my report. What should I do?

If I negotiate a discounted payoff for a debt without going into bankruptcy, does it affect my credit score?