| Check credit report regularly to make sure that all | | | | likely not bother to verify older and smaller collection |
| information reported will not hurt your score. Creditors | | | | account when the credit bureau investigates your |
| summarize your credit report into a three-digit number | | | | dispute. There are some consumers who have had |
| that they use in order to determine if you are likely to | | | | luck disputing old items with a lender that has merged |
| pay your debts. This three-digit number is your score | | | | with another company where lender records can be |
| and means a lot to almost all people you do business | | | | left in a real mess. |
| with today. Even landlords and employers have | | | | You can also fix credit score by blitzing significant |
| jumped into the bandwagon that you simply have to | | | | errors. These errors can be late payments, |
| make good credit scores in order to have even | | | | charge-offs, collections or other negative items that |
| something as basic as a roof over your head. | | | | are not yours. It can also be credit limits that are |
| There are ways whereby you can make fix credit | | | | reported as lower than they actually are. Accounts |
| score that needs fixing. First, you can get some | | | | that are listed as "settled," "paid derogatory," "paid |
| goodwill. Lenders might agree to simply erase that one | | | | charge-off" or anything other than "current" or "paid as |
| late payment from your credit history if you have been | | | | agreed" can also be blitzed if you paid on time and in |
| a good customer. Usually, you make this request | | | | full. This is also true for accounts that are listed as |
| through writing where you should not that better | | | | unpaid that were included in a bankruptcy. Make sure |
| records in the company will result to improved | | | | that negative items older than seven years, 10 years |
| chances of getting "goodwill adjustment." If you are | | | | for bankruptcy, should have automatically fallen off |
| opting for a longer-term solution, so to speak, you can | | | | your reports. |
| ask your accounts that are in the worse to be | | | | You can now see why it is important to check credit |
| "re-aged". The lender might agree to erase previous | | | | report regularly. Even the smallest errors can affect |
| delinquencies on open accounts if you make a series | | | | your score negatively. You need to make sure that |
| of 12 or so on-time payments. | | | | your report is updated regularly as some companies |
| Your credit score might also be low because of old | | | | will not update their report if you do not ask them to. |
| negatives. For instance, you might have had a fight | | | | Your next creditor may refuse you a much-needed |
| with your cable company over an unfair bill a few | | | | loan due to bad credit scores but you can also suffer |
| years back and it resulted into a collections account. | | | | with high interests rates due to bad scores. Lenders |
| You can continue the dispute as an unjust charge or | | | | who agree to approve loans of people with low |
| you can try disputing the account with the credit | | | | scores will do so but with high interest rates. |
| bureaus as "not mine." Collection agencies would more | | | | |