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Crazy Credit Repair Collection Facts
Many Collections are Not Valid
Many people in credit repair programs need some level of help with collectors. Between phone calls, dunning letters, and the often cryptic list of debts that appear on credit reports, it can be problematic to identify legitimate debts and determine the best course of action.
A Unique Breed of Collector
There is a unique breed of collector that specializes in buying and dunning ancient collection accounts; debts over seven years old. These accounts are unattractive to first level collectors as they are beyond the statute of limitation for enforcing through the courts. They are also beyond the credit bureau reporting period limit.
Profiting From Ignorance
Of interest to anyone in a credit repair program, the age of the debt means that legal action can be neutralized by the statute of limitation defense, and any threat of reporting to the credit bureaus is not valid. The lack of legal leverage does not stop these collectors from vigorously practicing their craft. In fact, these last-chance collectors represent the most profitable part of the collection industry!
Credit Repair Education Pays
What is their secret? They prey on consumers who do not know their rights. If you are contacted by a collector about an ancient debt, just examine the statute of limitation, check out the reporting period limit, and send the collector a cease communication letter. They will go away forever. There are many great credit repair resources online. A little education goes a long way!
Another Common Quirk
While a bit of credit repair education can arm you with the knowledge you need to vanquish these collectors of ancient debt, there is another type of collection account that can be eliminated quickly with a dispute letter, if you know what to look for…
Compliance Failures
A significant percentage of all collections on credit reports fall into a very special category. These accounts are everywhere. Left alone they can linger for years, in some cases decades. They have the power to depress the credit scores of their unfortunate victims, often dramatically. And they should not be reporting.
Failure to Vacate
Collectors buy and sell debt. Over the last decade this practice has become commonplace, and much more frequent. Many collectors will sell an account in as little as six months if it does not pay. When an account is sold the collector is supposed to vacate all credit bureau reporting. Sadly, this often does not happen. And yet a little credit repair could eliminate the offending account completely.
The Credit Repair Solution
If you have collections on your credit report, it is fairly certain that you are a victim of this type of defunct account. Credit repair is the answer. The first and most obvious indication is the presence of more than one collection account for the same debt. If you examine your credit report and find several collections for the same debt, all but one is erroneous. And the last one may be too!
The Value of Vigilance
Given the speed at which collectors churn their portfolio these days. It is quite feasible that even the most recent collection on your report is in error. Once you remove all of the duplicates, examine the last, most recent, account. It may be legitimate, but if the reporting date is over six months, or if you have been contacted by a different collector since the reporting date, it may be a candidate for credit repair as well. Good luck!
Copyright © 2010 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Practical Realities of Credit Repair
A Utopian Credit Dream
In the perfect world, the credit bureaus would never err. The billions of pieces of data they each process, related to more than two hundred million Americans, would all click right into place. When you examined your credit report there would never be a mistake. And there would be no use for credit repair.
The Facts of Life
In real life credit repair is the only way to insure an error-free credit report. The credit bureaus do an admirable job. It is no small task to coordinate the massive amount of information provided by millions of creditors and collectors, not to mention the public records gathered through courthouse sources. But the system is far from perfect. Errors are constant, and they are costly.
An Example
The real problem with reporting errors is the awful impact they can have on their victim. Here is an example of a common and expensive error, now resolved by credit repair. A woman examined her credit report and found five collectors all reporting the same debt. She defaulted on the debt a number of years ago, so initially felt that the derogatory accounts were her fate. Not so.
A Collector Pile Up
The woman ignored the mess on her report for a long while, but upon investigation discovered that only one collector may report a debt at a time. Collectors are expected to withdraw accounts from credit reports when they sell a debt. And as debt sales are a normal part of the collection business, and as collectors are typically remiss in their reporting compliance, collection accounts often pile up.
The Credit Repair Solution
A single round of credit repair dispute letters to the credit bureaus resolved the problem. All of the prior collectors simply withdrew their accounts when challenged; all gone. A quick check of her FICO scores showed that her scores rose close to 100 points as a result. It was a happy moment, but the magnitude of her score rebound brought a horrific fact home to roost.
The Real Cost
She had ignored the presence of these invalid collections for nearly three years. During that period of time she had lived with the belief that she was a sub-prime borrower. She had purchased a home and a car in that period and passively accepted the higher interest rates offered by her lenders. And to make it even worse, two of her credit cards companies raised her rates raised and lowered her limits. The cost of the errors was considerable.
The Good News
The good news is that the error was caught, and the purpose of credit repair was fulfilled. The truth was dour, but it is better to resolve a problem that to let it linger. The woman quickly refinanced both her home and automobile and was soon paying five-hundred dollars less each month. The credit card companies would not budge, so the story continues, but every day is much brighter.
The Moral of the Story
Do not take anything for granted. Credit reporting errors are as common as dirt and can be costly. Like the woman above, too many people make the mistake of thinking that bad credit is their karmic burden. You may have to live with the consequences of your past mistakes, but you should not have to pay for the errors of others. Do you have errors? Shine the light of credit repair on your reports today.
Copyright © 2010 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Easy Credit Repair Clean Up Candidates
Think Twice
Credit repair is not about getting rid of genuine derogatory information on your reports, but before you decide what is genuine and what is not, you should think twice. There may be some issues you have to live with until the reporting period, usually seven years, has passed, but you may find that some of the items which look accurate have no business being on your report.
Accept Nothing Blindly
Many people make the mistake of accepting the presence of negative information on their reports simply because it looks familiar. In the present credit environment, where every single point in your credit score translates into money in your pocket, you cannot afford to accept anything without putting it under the microscope of credit repair.
Common Culprits
Commonly neglected derogatory information most often prone to reporting errors includes: overstated revolving balances, closed accounts reported as open, duplicate accounts, and collections, once accurate, but no longer allowed to report. All of these are prime and often easy credit repair candidates. All of these can be removed from your reports.
Overstated Balances
Overstated revolving accounts are often neglected in the credit repair process as the account may in every other way look fine. The single erroneous balance figure is easily overlooked in a cursory examination, and yet, this single innocuous error can knock the wind out of your credit score. High revolving balances hurt. Overstated balanced should be corrected.
Closed or Open
Closed accounts which continue to report as open can likewise be eliminated. You must examine your reports very carefully as you pursue your credit repair project. Creditors often continue to show accounts in an open status, often with balances, for years after they have been closed!
Mysterious Duplicates
Duplicate accounts, like the above two cases, may not be spotted, especially by those scouring for derogatory issues. But like overstated balances, these accounts can overstate your obligations and lower your scores. Put your credit repair knowledge to work and erase these extraneous accounts.
Collectors Out of Compliance
The last of these sneaky candidates for credit repair is the most insidious, erroneous collection accounts. Spotting these little devils can be difficult unless you know exactly what to look for. By law, collectors are supposed to cease the reporting of a debt at the time that they no longer own it. Many collectors will sell accounts if they cannot collect in the first six months. This should trigger an end to their reporting, but do not hold your breath.
Spotting the Offenders
One way to spot these incorrect lingering collection accounts is easy. If more than one collector is reporting a single debt, the oldest one should be disputed and removed with credit repair. This does not mean that singular occurrences are correct! The most recent collector may have sold the account too. You may opt to challenge these collections as well, but please do your homework first.
Research Comes First
Before including any questionable collection in your credit repair effort you should do a bit of homework. Try to recall everything you can about the original event. If you can remember the original date of default you can calculate the statute of limitation (SOL). If the debt is beyond the SOL you can dispute without fear of the collector prevailing in a lawsuit. Credit repair works, but carefully!
Copyright © 2010 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Your Credit Repair To-Do List
Credit Repair To-Dos
Credit repair is simple. It may require some effort, but if you take these basic steps you will witness a dramatic transformation in your credit reports and scores. Here is the essential credit repair to-do list that will help you reach your credit goals before you know it.
Do Open New Accounts
Now is the time to get back on your feet. Do not wait until your credit repair project is successful before opening new accounts. You should build new credit now. In fact, your credit scores will go nowhere without open and active accounts. Do not worry about getting denied; secured cards are an easy and guaranteed way to rebuild today.
Do Avoid Store Accounts
Not all forms of credit provide an equal credit repair advantage. Consumer debt, such as store cards, will not give you the same benefit as a MasterCard or Visa, even if you manage them perfectly. But a late payment will cause your score to fall more dramatically than a derogatory event on your MasterCard or Visa. Choose your credit carefully.
Do Keep Your Balances Down
Your credit scores are sensitive to your revolving balances. The higher your balances, the lower your scores will be, and vice versa. There is no lasting harm done by using your credit cards, but if you need your scores to be their best in the short term, you will need to get your balances down, and keep them there until you have achieved your goals.
Do Start a Savings Plan
Too many people have started credit repair, and made great progress, only to see their scores fall because of a late payment. Unforeseen events will happen, it is best to be prepared. If you start a savings plan you will be able to absorb the cost of unexpected expenses without falling behind on your monthly payments. A single late payment can send your scores into a tailspin. Take precautions.
Do Dispute Reporting Errors
If you see something on your credit report that does not look right, dispute it. This is an essential step in any credit repair process. Credit reporting is prone to errors, and errors can easily translate into financial harm. Errors can lower your scores, and lower scores can raise the interest rates you pay on money you borrow. Do not be shy, dispute errors with the credit bureaus. They will be fixed.
Do Stand Your Ground
If you dispute an error with the credit bureaus and that error is verified by them as accurate, you should not give up. Remember that every point on your score is important, and errors can cost you money. If you want your credit repair effort to be successful it is important to stand your ground. You do not have to accept verification as the final word. Write back and push the issue. Stand your ground and you may yet prevail.
Do Succeed
Credit repair works. Make the effort and you will succeed. The process is simple and the results are invaluable. As the months go by you will have the pleasure of watching your credit report improve and your scores go up. As this happens, doors of opportunity will open. Lenders, employers, insurance companies, and even landlords will see you in a new light. Start working on your credit repair to-do list today and success will be yours!
Copyright © 2010 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.
Light on the Credit Repair Path
Who Needs Credit Repair?
The purpose of credit repair is to improve your credit. The most significant transformations will occur for those with credit issues, but if you have decent credit you may still get valuable and substantive results. Your credit scores will dictate the interest rate you receive on every dollar you borrow, and even an incremental improvement in your loan rates can add up to significant savings over time. Potential financial benefits are available to most everyone.
What Credit Repair Does
Credit repair, at its best, will address everything that contributes to your credit score. The process will include sending dispute letters to the credit bureaus to clear up erroneous reporting. Deficiencies in your credit profile should be addressed as well; if you do not have the accounts you need to develop higher scores a good credit repair service should provide you with the guidance and assistance to rebuild your credit to insure the best outcome. And finally, you may benefit from appropriate score optimization tips. There are many cases where careful changes to existing accounts can produce major score improvement.
What Credit Repair Does Not Do
Credit repair is not about eliminating real and accurate accounts from your credit report. If you are in debt and looking for a way to resolve your outstanding commitments you may benefit from consumer credit counseling. You may even want to consult a bankruptcy attorney. Credit repair is intended to skillfully identify and correct reporting errors. These may include simple issues like accounts that are not yours, to more tricky errors that may seem correct but should not be there as a matter of law. These later issues generally require training to spot and may call for the services of a professional.
Do it Yourself?
Managing the restoration of your own credit can be rewarding. But be careful not to miss any opportunities. Before starting the credit repair process do your homework. You must have an understanding of the Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as knowledge of the way the Fair Isaac FICO score works. And if you have any collections on your credit report you will need to understand the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and your state statutes of limitation.
Subtle Factors Count
But there is still more you need for success. You must have an understanding of the way the credit bureaus operate if you want your dispute letters to get processed to your satisfaction. You may want to spend some time browsing online credit forums or pick up a book on the subject before you get started. If all of this seems intimidating, you should consider hiring a good credit repair service.
Choosing a Professional Service
For most people, the decision to use a professional credit repair service is the wise option. If you take this path you will not have to invest the time to master all of the skills you need to succeed. You will be comfortable knowing that all the angles are being addressed adequately. One of the more time consuming and organizationally intensive tasks in the process is managing dispute letters. Letters may need to be resent. Responses must be rebutted to when the results are not to your satisfaction. For what should be a moderate monthly fee you can turn all of the work over to an expert and insure the highest likelihood of success. Good luck!
Copyright © 2010 Sky Blue Credit Repair. All Content. All Rights Reserved.