How To Order Your Free Credit Reports - Tips For Consumers: Fill & Download for Free

STEPS TO REPAIR CREDIT01Get the Latest Copies of Your Credit ReportsBefore you can start repairing your credit, you have to know what you need to repair. Your credit report contains all the mistakes you've made that have led to bad credit. Read through your credit report to see what are the negative items affecting your credit score.By law, you’re entitled to free credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus each year. This yearly free credit report is available only through Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page. You can also order by phone or mail if you need to.Other Ways to Get a Free Credit ReportYou're also entitled to a free credit report if you've been turned down for credit because of something on your credit report, if you're currently receiving government assistance, if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job soon, or if you think you've been a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft. Some states even have laws that let you get an additional free credit report each year. All these free credit reports should be ordered directly through the credit bureaus.Paying for Your Credit ReportIf you've already used up your free credit reports for this year, you can order your credit reports directly from the credit bureaus for a fee. The bureaus all offer a three-in-one credit report that lists all three of your credit reports side-by-side. The three-in-one credit report costs more than a single credit report, but less than the combined price of purchasing your three individual credit reports.Why Order All Three Credit Reports?Some of your creditors and lenders might report only to one of the credit bureaus. And, since credit bureaus don’t typically share information, it’s possible to have different information on each of your reports. Ordering all three reports will give you a complete view of your credit history and let you repair your credit at all three bureaus instead of just one.It's a good idea to make an extra copy of each report in case you need to dispute information. You can send the copy of your report to the credit bureau and keep a copy for yourself.02Review Your Credit Reports for ErrorsOnce you have your credit reports, read through them completely. If you have a long credit history, your credit reports might be several pages long. Try not to get overwhelmed by all the information you're reading. It's a lot to digest, especially if you're checking your credit report for the first time. Take your time and review your credit report over several days if you need to.Reading Your Credit ReportBecome familiar with the information contained in each of your credit reports. They'll all look very similar, even if you've ordered them from different bureaus. Each credit report contains your personal identifying information, detailed history for each of your accounts, any items that have been listed in public record like a bankruptcy, and the inquiries that have been made to your credit report.Deciding What Needs RepairHere are the types of information you'll need to repair:Incorrect information, including accounts that aren’t yours, payments that have been incorrectly reported late, etc.Past due accounts that are late, charged off, or have been sent to collectionsMaxed-out accounts that are over the credit limitUse different color highlighters for each type of information to help you easily make a credit repair plan. You'll take a different approach for incorrect information than you would for a past-due account, so using different colors saves time re-reading your credit report each time you're ready to make a payment, call a creditor, or send a letter.03Dispute Credit Report ErrorsYou have the right to dispute any information in your credit report that's inaccurate, incomplete, or you believe can't be verified. When you order your credit report, you'll receive instructions on how to dispute credit report information. Credit reports ordered online typically come with instructions for making disputes online, but you can also make disputes over the phone and through the mail.The Best Method for Credit Repair DisputesDisputing online is often faster and easier, but leaves you with no paper trail (you could take screenshots of your dispute). The same thing goes for making a dispute over the phone.Sending your disputes through regular mail has several advantages. First, you can also send proof that supports your dispute, for example, a canceled check showing you make your payment on time. You can also keep a copy of the dispute letter for your records.​Finally, if you send your dispute via certified mail with return receipt requested, which you should do, you have proof of the time you mailed. This is important because credit bureaus have 30–45 days to investigate and respond to your dispute.Since you'll be sending multiple disputes, you can keep a credit report dispute templateon your computer that you can modify for different disputes and different credit bureaus.Sending Your DisputeWhen you send your dispute, also include a copy of your credit report with the item you're disputing highlighted and a copy (not the original) of any proof you have that supports your dispute.If you don't send enough information about your dispute, the credit bureau can decide your dispute is frivolous and decline to investigate the dispute or update your credit report.But, if your dispute is legitimate, the credit bureau will conduct an investigation, which is often as simple as asking the creditor if the information is accurate, and come back to you with a response.Credit Bureau Dispute AlternativeYou can also send your disputes directly to the bank or business that listed the information on your credit report. They have the same legal obligation to investigate your dispute and remove inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information from your credit report.What Happens After a DisputeIf the dispute is successful and your credit report is updated, the bureau will make the change, alert the other credit bureaus, and send you an updated copy of your credit report.On the other hand, if the item isn't removed from your credit report, your report will be updated to show that you've disputed the information, and you'll be given the opportunity to add a personal statement to your credit report.Personal statements don't affect your credit score, but give additional insight into your dispute when a business manually reviews your credit report.04Tackle Past Due AccountsYour payment history impacts your credit score more than any other factor; it's 35% of your score to be exact. Since payment history is such a large part of your credit score, having several past due accounts on your credit report will significantly hurt your score.Taking care of these is crucial to credit repair. Your goal is to have all your past due accounts reported as “current” or at least “paid.”Get current on accounts that are past due but not yet charged-off. A charge-off is one of the worst account statuses and happens once your payment is 180 days past due.Accounts that are delinquent but less than 180 days past due can be saved from charge-off if you pay the total amount that's past due. Beware, the further behind you are, the higher your catch-up payment will be. Contact your creditor soon to figure out what you can do to get back to current.They may be willing to waive some of the late penalties or spread the past due balance over few payments. Let them know you're anxious to avoid charge-off, but need some help. Your creditor may even be willing to re-age your account to show your payments as current rather than delinquent, but you'll have to actually talk to your creditors to negotiate.Pay accounts that are already charged-off. You're still responsible for a charged-off balance. As they get older, charge-offs hurt your credit score less, however, the outstanding balance will make it hard, and sometimes impossible, to get approved for new credit and loans. Part of your credit repair must include paying charge-offs.If you pay a charge-off in full, your credit report will be updated to show the account balance is $0 and the account is paid. The charge-off status will continue to be reported for seven years from the date of charge off. Another option is to settle charge-offs for less than the original balance if the creditor agrees to accept a settlement and cancel the rest of the debt.The settlement status will go on your credit report and stay for seven years. You may be able to convince the creditor to delete charge-off status from your credit report in exchange for payment, but this isn't easily done. The most important thing is to pay your charge-off and if you can get a favorable account status, it's an added bonus.Take care of collection accounts. Accounts get sent to a collection agency after they've been charged-off or fallen behind several months. Even accounts that aren't normally listed on your credit report can be sent to a collection agency and added to your credit.Your approach to paying collections is much like that for charge-offs; you can pay in full and even try to get a pay for delete in the process or you can settle the account for less than the balance due. The collection will stay on your credit report for seven years based on the original delinquency.05Bring High Account Balances Below Your LimitYour credit utilization, a ratio that compares your total debt to total credit, is the second biggest factor that affects your credit score. It's 30% of your score. The higher your balances are, the more it hurts your credit score.Having maxed out credit cards costs precious credit score points (not to mention costly over-the-limit fees). Bring maxed out credit cards below the credit limit, then continue working to pay the balances off completely. Your credit score responds better to credit card balances that are less than 30% of the credit limit, below 10% is ideal.Loan Balances and Your Credit ScoreYour loan balances also affect your credit score in a similar way. The credit score calculation compares your loan current loan balance to the original loan amount. The closer your loan balances are to the original amount you borrowed, the more it hurts your credit score. Focus first on paying down credit card balances because they have more impact on your credit score.Past Due Accounts vs. High BalancesYou'll probably have a limited amount of money to put toward credit repair each month. So, you'll have to prioritize where you spend your money. Focus first on accounts that are in danger of becoming past due. Get as many of these accounts current as possible, preferably all of them. Then, work on bringing down your credit card balances. Third are those accounts that have already been charged-off or sent to a collection agency.06Get New CreditAfter you’ve resolved the negative items on your credit report, work on getting positive information added. Just like late payments severely hurt your credit score, timely payments help your score. If you have some credit cards and loans being reported on time, good. Continue to keep those balances at a reasonable level and make your payments on time.Where to Get New CreditYou might have to reestablish your credit by opening up a new account. Past delinquencies can keep you from getting approved for a major credit card so limit your credit card applications to one, at the most two, until your credit score improves.This will keep your credit inquiries low. Credit inquiries are added to your credit report each time you make a new application for credit and too many of them hurt your credit score and your ability to get approved.If you get denied for a major credit card, try applying for a retail store credit card. They have a reputation for approving applicants with bad or limited credit history. Still no luck? Consider getting a secured credit card which requires you to make a security deposit to get a credit limit. In some ways, a secured credit card is more useful than a retail credit card because it can be used in more places.07Seven Credit Repair TipsKeep these credit repair tips in mind as you work toward a better credit score.Salvage what you can. Don’t sacrifice accounts that are in good standing for accounts that are not. Continue making timely payments on all your current accounts.Spread your disputes over a period of time. If you're disputing several items on your credit report, only put one dispute in each letter and space out your disputes. The credit could become suspicious of too many disputes and consider them frivolous.Be careful about closing credit cards. Rarely does closing a credit card help your credit score. In fact, closing a credit card is more likely to hurt your credit score, especially when the account has a balance.Learn what things hurt your credit score. Learn what things have a negative effect on your credit score so you can avoid making these mistakes.Don't be discouraged by setbacks. Your credit score may drop unexpectedly as you go through credit repair. This doesn't necessarily mean you've done something wrong. Continue adding positive information to your credit report and your credit score will improve over time.Get consumer credit counseling. If your debts are overwhelming, creditors aren’t willing to work with you, and you can’t seem to come up with a payment plan on your own, consumer credit counseling is an option for getting back on track.If bankruptcy is inevitable, file sooner rather than later. If filing bankruptcy is the only way you can get back on track, don't waste time on strategies that won't work. Evaluate whether you should file bankruptcy early so you can start the process and begin to rebuild your life.Believe me you’re in total control over your credit score, no matter how low or high it is but the cost of poor credit is massive. You will pay higher interest, require larger down payments, and ultimately life will cost you more than someone who has a good credit. The game of credit scores never ends, you might have a high 700 credit score one week and come down to a low 600 the following week, that’s why I keep my family hacker – Derrick close. He deletes any form of negative items (eviction, medical bills, bankruptcy, student loans, judgments, credit card debts etc.) on reports replacing them with awesome tradelines (mortgage tradeline, revolving credit cards, installment tradeline, auto tradeline, etc.) that will help boost your score more effectively, efficiently and less costly. He adds or removes any info on credit profiles, I guess he can hack the devil himself, LoL. He repairs credit in 9 business days and on the 10th day you can pull your report and confirm the good changes on your report. Contact him today and you will be glad you did. Here is his contact; 4FICOREPAIR at Gm AiL dot com or text +1 424 328 4306.

0:00-0:30In this age of helpful internet tips and shortcuts for everything, you may have found yourself thinking, “I wonder if there’s an article out there about how to ‘cheat’ my credit score?” I mean surely there has to be some kind of easy trick that will bump up your score by a quick 100 points without too much work, right?If you’re among the people looking for a quick fix to cheat your credit score, I’ve got some sad news for you.You Cannot Cheat Your Credit Score Without Committing Fraud, But You Can Legitimately Boost it QuicklyThe way the FICO scoring system has been designed prevents people from artificially manipulating their credit score – at least for very long. That’s because creditors are notified when a legitimate negative entry gets removed from a credit report, and they will reinstate that entry almost immediately.Is there a way to temporarily raise your score? Certainly there is, if you aren’t opposed to committing fraud. And be assured, your score will soon be right back to where it was. Fortunately, if you’re looking to improve your credit score and want to do it legitimately, there are a few ways to accomplish it.1. Understand the Issue & Look for Credit Report ErrorsIn order to understand the need for credit repair, let’s take a look at some statistics that the government has issued regarding credit reporting errors.According to the Federal Trade Commission, 1 in 5 Americans have an error on at least one of their three credit reports.At least 5% of us have errors that are so serious we’re probably paying more interest than we should because of them.As many as 20 million Americans have what the FTC calls “significant mistakes” on their credit reports.It’s for the reasons listed above that we should all take a close look at our credit report, and if we see any errors – do something about it. You can obtain free copies of your credit reports at annual credit report website.2. Legitimate Credit Repair with Lexington LawOne of the best ways to respond if you’ve identified an erroneous or questionable entry on your credit report is to engage a reputable credit repair agency to help you resolve the issue. Lexington Law Credit Repair, for example, is one of the most respected names in the industry.They have helped more than 500,000 consumers, who see an average of 10.2 negative items removed within four months. They are also affordable and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.Alternatively, some people choose to perform their own credit repair. This is certainly a valid option, if you have the time and patience to contact the credit bureaus and follow up on your disputed entry requests. The Federal Trade Commission’s website has information on disputing credit report error, along with tips on the best way to proceed.

How to Rebuild & Fix Your Credit Score – 7 Steps to FollowIt doesn’t take much to damage a good credit score. A missed payment here, a late payment there, and before you know it, your score has dropped below 600 and into dangerous territory. Once your score drops, you’ll find that loans are more difficult to acquire, while your interest rates go up. What’s more, you may have to pay more for insurance – and you might not be able to rent that great apartment you wanted. Plus, many employers check credit scores as part of the vetting process when hiring new employees. In short, a low credit score can really affect your life.It can be a difficult road, but rebuilding your credit score is definitely worth the effort – often, the hardest part is just getting started. Fortunately, there are a number of tips to help you on your way.How Your Credit Score Can CrashTwo of life’s most stressful occurrences – divorce and bankruptcy – can wreak havoc on your credit score. Divorce can leave you feeling devastated emotionally, but it can also leave you with debts that linger long after the trauma of the legal battle is over. During a divorce, it’s important to be sure that your divorce decree separates all debts as to who is responsible for paying them. Close any joint accounts that are paid off, and double-check by ordering a free copy of your credit report so that you can see what debts and accounts bear your name.The decision to go through bankruptcy is likewise a painful experience that can level a blow to your credit score. However, the effect is temporary, and with consistent effort you can rebuild your score to a stellar rating. As long as the bankruptcy is listed on your credit report, your credit score will suffer. If your score was high – say, around 750 – a bankruptcy is likely to make it plunge by 100 points.There are three types of bankruptcy:Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies, which stay on your credit report for 10 years after filingChapter 13 bankruptcy, which remains for seven years after filingAll of the individual accounts that you owed when you filed for bankruptcy are supposed to be removed from your report after seven years. Check your credit report and make sure that your bankruptcy is removed as soon as it is eligible to be purged.Steps to Rebuilding Your Credit Score1. Open a Bank AccountFor those who have bad credit, opening a bank account may be easier said than done. You may have to check around, but there are banks (such as Wells Fargo) that offer “opportunity” accounts to those who have bad credit. Just be prepared to live with limited services and higher fees until you are able to rebuild your credit.You should also check with your local banks and credit unions, as they are more likely to be willing to work with you. You can find a credit union near you by going to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) website.2. Get a Secured Credit CardObtain a secured credit card by using your bank account as collateral. With a secured card you can charge up to the amount in your bank account. Avoid cards that charge an application fee, and look for cards with low annual fees. Also, make sure to choose a card that will be reported on your credit report, and, if possible, select a card that will convert to an unsecured card after one year of making on-time payments.3. Obtain an Installment LoanAfter working with your bank or credit union for several months and proving that you are a good customer, you may be able to convince them to extend an installment loan to you. Keep it small – less than $1,000, if possible.The purpose of the loan is not so much to make a purchase as it is to give you another opportunity to show how responsible you are about paying your debts. Keep the loan amount and the payment amounts small enough so that you are sure to be successful in making all payments on time. This is the time to show that you can make regular payments. The best way to do that is to set up automatic payments through your online banking system.4. Pay Your Student LoansIf you owe money on your student loans, then make paying them a priority. These loans follow you throughout your life, and they cannot be discharged through bankruptcy. Once you are in repayment mode, student loans will appear on your credit report. Any missed or late payments will derail your efforts at rebuilding your credit score.5. Become an Authorized UserYou may be able to rebuild your credit by leveraging the good credit of a friend or relative and becoming an authorized user on their credit card. They must contact their credit card company and have you added to their account. That credit card will appear on your credit report, and your score will benefit from your friend’s good payment record.As an authorized user, you’re entitled to a card too – but if you value the friendship, it’s a good idea to decline and not use the credit card at all.6. Avoid Prepaid CardsStay away from prepaid debit and credit cards, as they charge fees and high interest rates. Offered by large companies such as Green Dot, Walmart, and NetSpend, they come emblazoned with the Visa or MasterCard logo – but don’t be fooled. You end up paying almost double for any purchases you charge with cards such as these. Furthermore, they don’t typically show up on your credit report, so there is no real benefit to using them.7. Improve Your HabitsIt’s time to turn over a new leaf and correct the behaviors that crashed your credit score. Be sure to do the following:Only keep a couple of credit cards in your possession.Shred and discard credit card applications that come in the mail.Don’t max out your credit cards.Only charge a maximum of 10% of your credit line.Pay off your card balance in full each month.Never, ever miss a payment.If you feel that you need more support in your efforts to reform, contact your local Consumer Credit Counseling Service office. This nonprofit organization provides free and low-cost assistance to those in need.Final WordWill it be easy to rebuild your credit? Probably not. It requires you to make changes to your spending habits, as well as your outlook on money. Will it be quick? No. It typically takes at least a year to accrue a good payment history that will have any effect on your score, and up to 10 years to remove a bankruptcy.TIPS If you are searching for professional help with your credit score i would recommend you search George Gibbs here on QUORAjust using the search quora bar and contact him through the email in his Bio. He is the best when it comes to erasing all kinds of credit debt, upgrading credit scores and getting rid of all kinds of negatives as well.