Below are some of the most commonly asked questions we get:
(click the question to view the answer)
You might start seeing results in the first 30 to 60 days. Typically the most blatant errors are removed during this time. More importantly, your files are being opened for investigation with the bureaus. The letters you receive notifying you of your rights are a direct indication of our process working. While we strive to get results as fast as possible, we advise our clients (depending on how many and what types of derogatory items) to mentally commit to a 6 to 12 month time frame.
Pretty much anything! Such as late pays, collections, repossessions, bankruptcies, tax liens, foreclosures, etc.
Our focus is on working with the creditors directly. We don’t simply send dispute letters and keep our fingers crossed. Many times we convince the creditors themselves to remove the items in question.
Here is a mock example of what you may experience with different scenarios of credit status:
Credit Cards: Most if not all prime credit cards are entirely out of reach to consumers with bad credit. And the few credit cards that are available to them (known as “sub-prime” cards) typically require exorbitant setup fees or recurring monthly fees, offer very low credit lines, often require cash deposits, and in most cases do not even report your positive credit activity to the credit bureaus.
Automobile Financing: If you are making payments on a car, you are probably paying between $5,000 and $10,000 more just for having bad credit. This added interest shows up every month in a higher payment. Take a look.
$30,000 Vehicle Financed for 5 Years
| Credit Status | Rate | Payment | Cost of Bad Credit |
| High Credit Score | 3% | $539.06 | $0.00 |
| Slightly Damaged | 8% | $608.29 | $4,153.80 |
| Damaged | 15% | $713.70 | $10,478.40 |
Home Mortgage: Bad credit in auto financing can really hurt, but it is nothing compared to the cost of bad credit when a home is involved. A typical home can cost between $50,000 and $500,000 more in interest if you are buying the home with bad credit.
$250,000 home paid over 30 years:
| Credit Status | Rate | Payment | Cost of Bad Credit |
| High Credit Score | 4.5% | $1,266.71 | $0.00 |
| Slightly Damaged | 7% | $1,663.26 | $142,758.00 |
| Damaged | 10% | $2,193.93 | $333,799.20 |
As you can see, a low score can cost you hundreds of dollars per month. Which is why it is so important to obtain and maintain as high a score as possible.
Many bankruptcy attorneys do not adequately explain the effects of bankruptcy to their clients. Stated simply, bankruptcy is to the credit rating what the nuclear bomb is to war. When you file for bankruptcy, every credit account that you decide to include in bankruptcy will become an “included in bankruptcy” account. Additionally, a bankruptcy filing and bankruptcy discharge listing will appear in the “Public Records” section of your credit report.
Any amount of bad credit is devastating to your chances of being approved by a credit grantor. Most credit grantors never actually look at your credit report. A computer pulls your credit report, rates your credit standing, income, indebtedness, and stability, and then spits out an acceptance or denial. Even one or two late pays will usually trigger a credit card or personal loan denial. The slightest amount of negative credit can cause the interest rate to skyrocket. You will probably find that even a little bad credit, regardless of how much good credit you have, is an unacceptable barrier to credit approval.
There is no magic wand that will erase bad credit, despite what some companies may make their service out to be. The Fair Credit Reporting Act clearly states that derogatory items must be accurate and verifiable to be on your credit report. If these negative items do not meet the criteria outlined in the FCRA then it must be deleted or corrected.
No company can guarantee results in any fashion. The law does not allow for companies to guarantee removal of negative information and falls under false claims and deceptive advertising, a clear violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act. No one can remove accurate, verifiable and complete information from your credit file. We have been successful in helping clients remove inaccurate, unverifiable and incomplete information from their credit file, thus improving their credit pictures.
A credit score is a numerical ranking system between the numbers 300 to 900 that lenders use to determine how much of a credit risk you are. The higher your score, the more “creditworthy” you are. Credit scores are based on the data in your credit report and are generated by computers using artificial intelligence – meaning: no one really knows the exact formula of how they score you!
Credit scoring is based on many factors that may include:
Amount of available credit
Payment history
Recent requests for credit
Amount of credit currently being used
Length of credit history
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, credit scoring may not use gender, martial status, national origin, race, or religion as factors.
