These days, having good credit is a rarity. Even if you managed to keep your score high through years of being single, getting married, getting divorced and paying for your kids college tuition, you may have finally hit rock bottom with the current economic turmoil. If your credit rating has taken a beating, you need to find out about free credit repair.
Commercial lenders have pulled back the reins on lending; making it increasingly difficult to get the money you need for a new car or home. A credit score that may have been high enough to qualify a year ago may be lacking now. You can fix your credit score, for free with a little elbow grease. Don’t think it’s impossible; be diligent and make it happen!
Major credit reporting agencies like Experian and Equifax can point you in the right direction to repair your credit. By law, these and other agencies must provide each person with a free, annual credit report. Your credit report is like a report card on your credit progress. The information found on this report is invaluable and should be reviewed carefully. The slightest inconsistency can ruin your credit history, so verify all information contained in the report. Pay special attention to dates and payment amounts.
Taking a look at your credit report will help in knowing what avenues you need to take to get your score back to where it should be. Examine your credit report for accuracy. Check dates as well as loan or payment amounts carefully. Many companies sell credit accounts to secondary lenders and the information in your report may not reflect the true picture of your credit health.
If and when you find flaws in your credit report, act promptly. You will need to file a dispute with the credit reporting agency that you received your credit report from as well as the creditor. You can get further instruction from the reporting agency. Make sure you keep track of the paperwork you send and make copies for yourself in case you lose originals. Delays can be caused by incorrect documentation, so you need to have proof of the error being reported.
Errors can often be found when you thought that you had paid off a revolving retail account or credit card but neglected to close the account, officially. You sent the check and made the balance zero, or so you thought. If there was so much as $1.00 due because of accumulated daily interest, your account could have ended up in collections, unbeknownst to you.
Often times, divorced couples try to place the financial burden on the separated spouse without their knowledge so it’s good to know where you stand at all times. If you and your former spouse cannot agree on terms of repayment of debt, ask for mediation. Hold on to divorce proceedings and decrees, they may save you from errors later by proving that YOU were not the one who owed on an account.
There are a lot of ways that someone’s credit can be damaged. The most common way is during a divorce when property and debt try to be divided. Many times one party will try to force the other to pay, and if they don’t, it damages both parties credit rating. To try to eliminate this problem, it’s recommended that one have the agreement drawn up in detail by the lawyer. Many times that doesn’t even work. Besides, one may not even know if the other party is paying as directed.
