Credit

Cambridge Credit Counseling Corporation (goodpayer.com)will send you out free info regardless of what you ultimately decide to do or who you decide to go with. Elimidebt Debt Management (elimidebt.com or 800-419-8940) has helped my husband and I significantly reduce our debt by consolidating our debts and getting us reduced APRs. Since we already have a house I do not know what either would do to you there, but I've seen things about the Fanny May Foundation on tv about credit and debt issues and buying houses.

Good Luck!

I second Dave Ramsey. And if I understand it all too, you can't really legally, honestly, with integrity, restore damaged credit reports- if the stuff on there is there legitimately, it takes 7 years to drop off. I'd try to call in on Dave's show one day & check to be sure, but I believe most of those "credit restoration" companies do it by challenging the stuff on the reports, which the company being challenged has (x) many days to respond, & if they don't the negative info. drops...I THINK- Again, nothing honest about it. I wrecked my credit when I was 19 & I'll tell you it was a happy day when my report was finally clean. It's an even happier day now, however, that we are learning to stop using credit at all & save for what we want- then, it doesn't matter what your credit report says. Tough stuff, but so true!

Check out Dave on 570 KLIF, 1-4 p.m. M-Fri. You'll get hooked!

D.

A.,
I don't have any advice about credit resoration but I do have information about finances and investing. Dave Ramsey is a fabulous author and radio host on the topic of finances. His radio show is on every day on 570AM from 1-4pm. He also has a webcast for free. Check out his website at www.daveramsey.com. He has endorsed local providers for investing on his website as well (on the left side of the page). We use the endorsed local provider (ELP) for Investing from his website and we LOVE him! His name is Ben Thomas. His book, "Total Money Makeover" is awesome! We started his financial plan 6 months ago and it has changed our lives! Check it out - you won't be disappointed!
D.

You might try contacting Consumer Credit Counseling Services. My parents went through them when they needed their credit repaired, and it worked out great. I don't know what their website is, but you should definitely find something if you went to Google.com and searched.

Hi A.,

Before you spend a bunch of money on credit restoration you might want to consider doing as much of it yourself to save money. There's not much you can't handle on your own with the right information.

First, because of the FACT Act, you can order one free copy of your credit report per year. The ONLY website you can get these reports for free is www.anuualcreditreport.com. It will not give you your credit score, just what is reported from your creditors. Go through those items with a fine toothed comb and then dispute any incorrect information directly with the credit bureaus reporting the information.

The three big bureaus are www.experian.com, www.equifax.com and www.transunion.com. Any creditor you dispute must respond in 30 days to your disputed item. If it is incorrect, they must remove it from your report.

Most places that say they will clean up your credit charges an exhorbant fee and does the same things you can do on your own.
If you have some negative credit items that are correct even these places you pay can NOT remove the information from your credit report. Don't fall for it if they say they can.

Your best bet is to pay off what you can, KEEP ALL RECEIPTS, and be sure to document any agreements you make with creditors (in writing). It will take time to fix any legitimate credit problems. They probably didn't happen overnight and you can't fix them that way either. It's the ones that are reported incorrectly that you can fix and will improve your credit score.

Hope that info helps! Message or email me if you have any other questions.

D.