Debt Consolidation Credit Counseling In Phoenix

The best credit repair services won't create false hope for a "miracle cure", but they definitely do help with the sometimes overwhelming task of improving your credit score. These companies aren't a panacea for financial mismanagement, however the best credit repair usually can help significantly to improve your credit score.

There are hundreds of credit repair services advertising today, but the Federal Trade Commission considers most of them to be scams. Companies that claim they can help you erase bad credit, or offer guarantees to raise your credit score, are probably scams.

According to the FTC, it is not possible to legally remove accurate and timely negative information from a credit report. Suggesting that you dispute all negative entries on your credit report, for instance, is illegal.

The best credit repair services will not try to charge you to get your credit reports. By law, everyone is entitled to a free credit report from each of the three credit-reporting agencies (TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax) once every twelve months.

Much of what these companies do are things you can do yourself, however they can often help inform those who may not be aware of all their options. Taking on some of these tasks can help lower fees, or you can chose to do the whole thing yourself.

One thing to keep in mind is the difference between credit repair services and "debt consolidators". A debt consolidators will help to get your arms around your outstanding debt; they don't try to fix your credit. In many cases, this might be a preferable alternative, particularly as a first step in improving your credit standing.

Debt consolidators do this by contacting your creditors on your behalf. They will negotiate a 'settlement' agreement, usually just a fraction of the actual amount owed. The debt consolidator will combine these settlements into a single amount. They will give you an amount within your budget to send them each month, and in turn they send a portion to each creditor.

The best credit repair services won't help much if the factors that led to credit problems don't change. Further, they don't provide the kind of "bailout" that erases bad debt like filing bankruptcy will. That being said, what they can do is help you to get your feet back on the ground and help set you on the road to improving your credit score, and in turn your whole financial future.