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Errors and negative items on your credit report can wreak havoc on your credit. According to a 2023 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report, consumers submitted nearly 500,000 complaints about their credit reports between October 2021 and September 2022. To help consumers with these issues, credit repair companies can help improve a customer's credit scores by reviewing their credit reports and contesting negative items on their behalf. They work with creditors and the major credit bureaus to clean up credit reports, which can significantly raise a person's credit score. If you suffer from bad credit, a professional credit repair process can help improve your credit score. Here are our picks for the best credit repair companies:
- Most Experienced: Lexington Law
- Best Free Option: Experian Boost
- Best for Identity Theft Protections: CreditRepair.com
- Best Value: Credit Saint
- Best Pricing: Sky Blue Credit
- Best Money-Back Guarantee: The Credit People
While credit repair is something you could do on your own, the time and effort involved in fixing your own credit make the services of credit repair companies attractive. Below is a look at the best credit repair companies we’ve come across, including the pricing and services they offer.
Most Experienced: Lexington Law
Lexington Law is one of the most popular credit repair companies around and for a good reason. They’ve been in the credit repair business for more than 20 years and have helped over 500,000 clients. Lexington Law is a full-service legal firm based in Utah and Arizona, although their services are available in most states.
There are three levels of credit repair help available from Lexington Law. Concord Standard comes with the most essential credit repair services needed, while Concord Premier comes with basic services, along with additional benefits:
- Credit score analysis
- Inquiry assistance
- Credit report monitoring
- Alerts
PremierPlus is its most comprehensive package and features cease and desist letters to use, FICO score tracking, a host of financial tools, fraud alerts and identity protection services.
Credit repair through Lexington Law also comes with access to its highly rated mobile app, available on iOS and Android. The app gives customers access to credit reports from all three major credit bureaus, FICO score tracking and more.
Recommended High-Yield Savings Accounts
| Bank Account | APY | Features | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
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5.00%
*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is variable and is accurate as of 10/29/2024. Rate is subject to certain terms and conditions. You must deposit at least $5,000 to open your account and maintain $25 to earn the disclosed APY. Rate and APY may change at any time. Fees may reduce earnings. |
$5,000 min. deposit |
Open Account |
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4.57%
UFB Direct breaks balances into five tiers, but, currently, there is only one interest rate. |
No minimum deposit |
Open Account |
|
Member FDIC |
0.50% - 4.20%
SoFi members with Direct Deposit or $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.20% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/31/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet |
No minimum deposit |
Open Account |
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4.70%
Earn 4.70% APY on balances over $5,000. Balances of less than $5,000 earn 0.25% APY. Annual Percentage Yield is accurate as of September 25, 2024. Interest rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and subject to change at any time without notice. |
$100 minimum deposit |
Open Account |
Best Free Service: Experian Boost
Experian Boost is not like other credit repair companies. First, it’s a free service. Plus, instead of going through your credit reports searching for errors, Experian Boost allows consumers to link bank accounts to add on-time payments from bills, like utility cellphone bills. On-time payments are a huge determining factor in your credit score. By allowing you to add more on-time payments, Experian helps you raise your credit score, which it claims to do instantly.
The free service scans your linked bank accounts, looking for eligible payments. You’ll have a chance to verify the ones you want added to your credit file. From there, Experian goes to work to boost your credit score. According to Experian, your account information remains private.
Experian Boost also gives you free access to your credit report and FICO score. Along with its credit score boosting service, you’ll also get Experian’s credit monitoring service and notifications. Experian Boost is also accessible through the Experian mobile app, available on iOS and Android.
Best Loans for Bad Credit
Best for Identity Theft Protection: CreditRepair.com
CreditRepair.com offers three tiers of credit repair services. The Direct plan is the cheapest option and comes with bureau challenges, inquiry assists, goodwill intervention and quarterly credit score updates.
CreditRepair.com uses a three-step process to repair credit for customers:
- Review credit file
- Dispute negative records
- Track credit score
There’s not much difference between the Direct and Standard plans, but it also comes with a FICO® Score Inquiry Assist service, which can help you dispute inaccurate inquiries on your credit accounts.
The Advanced plan steps up customer protection even further, monthly credit score updates, more bureau challenges, more creditor interventions and cease and desist interventions. If protecting your identity is important to you, the Advanced package may be worth the extra cost.
CreditRepair.com is owned by the same parent company as Lexington Law. Like its sister company, CreditRepair.com customers get access to a mobile app to track credit repair progress.
Best Value: Credit Saint
Credit Saint also offers tiered packages to fit a wide range of needs and budgets:
- For basic services, the Credit Polish package offers challenges to the three credit bureaus, credit score analysis, tracking and more.
- Credit Remodel comes with the benefits of the basic package, along with a personalized credit guide and other perks.
- With Clean Slate, you get unlimited help each month and correction and removal of all types of inaccuracies.
Credit Saint has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau, and all packages come with a 90-day money-back guarantee. You’ll get online account access, too, so you can track progress and see analysis of your credit.
Best Pricing: Sky Blue Credit Repair
Sky Blue Credit Repair offers one of the lowest prices we’ve seen among popular credit repair companies. There’s only one service package available, and it only costs $79. Couples who sign up together save half on the second member.
With Sky Blue, you get up to 15 items (five per bureau) every 35 days. They also supply goodwill and cease and desist letters for all customers. Sky Blue analyzes your reports to find items to dispute and guides you with a plan of action to correct your reports. There are no extra charges for premium services with Sky Blue Credit Repair.
Best Money-Back Guarantee: The Credit People
The Credit People offer many of the same services as other credit repair companies. The difference is that they provide one of the best money-back guarantees in the business. The unbeatable satisfaction guarantee from The Credit People ensures you’re happy with its service. For those who pay month to month, you can cancel at any time if you’re not satisfied and you’re not charged for that month’s service. For those who sign up for flat-fee pricing, the money-back guarantee extends to six months.
Services included with a package from The Credit People include unlimited disputes, free credit reports and scores, 24/7 account access and more. Customer support is available via phone, chat and email. The Credit People also offer a free credit consultation so you can try them out before buying a credit repair package.
Credit Repair Alternatives
Credit repair companies can help you if you have bad credit or errors on your credit reports. If your low credit score isn’t due to errors, though, paying for their help might not be the best solution. Alternatives to credit repair companies exist that can help boost your credit score without paying costly monthly fees. Here’s a look at a couple of credit repair alternatives that might be right for you.
UltraFICO Score
UltraFICO Score can help boost your credit score. Users connect checking, savings and other bank accounts to the service. UltraFICO Score looks at your financial behavior through your bank accounts to potentially boost your credit score. The company employs the latest security features to ensure your account information is protected. Some of the indicators used to boost your credit score include:
- Account age (how long they have been open)
- Bank transaction frequency
- Recent bank transactions
- Cash on hand
- Positive account balance history
UltraFICO Score is currently only available through a pilot program with a small group of lenders. Once the program is completed, UltraFICO Score will be available to consumers in a larger capacity.
Recommended Bank Bonuses
| Bank Account | Intro Bonus | Minimum Deposit | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Member FDIC |
$50-$300Expires December 31, 2024
New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus when they set up Direct Deposit of at least $1,000 during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period. Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 12/31/24. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. SoFi members with Direct Deposit can earn 4.20% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 4.20% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Direct Deposit will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/31/2024. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. |
N/A | Open Account |
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$300Expires January 22, 2025
New Chase checking customers enjoy a $300 bonus when you open a Chase Total Checking® account with qualifying activities |
N/A | Open Account |
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$300Expires December 13, 2024
Earn $300 after qualified activities until 12.13.24 with the no-monthly-maintenance-fee Key Smart Checking®. |
$10 | Open Account |
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$300Expires January 16, 2025
Earn $300 when you open a new Chase Business Complete Checking® account. For new Chase business checking customers with qualifying activities. |
N/A | Open Account |
Secured Credit Cards
If you have a low credit score, the likelihood of being approved for a new credit card is slim. Another option is to apply for a secured credit card. Unlike a traditional credit card, your card is secured through a cash deposit instead of a credit check. Secured credit cards typically come with lower credit limits. Your credit card activity is reported each month to credit bureaus. As you make smaller purchases and pay off your balance each month, you’ll slowly improve your credit. Some card issuers will review your account activity and possibly upgrade you to an unsecured credit card.
Should You Use Credit Repair Companies?
If you're struggling with poor credit or bad credit, credit repair companies could be your gateway to improved credit. Be sure to weigh the cost of using a credit repair service versus doing all of the legwork yourself. There’s a lot of good that can come from using a credit repair service. That doesn’t mean it’s the right option for everyone.
Using a credit repair company might make sense if any of the following apply to you:
- Have significant errors on your credit report: If your credit reports are littered with errors spanning several years, you may be in over your head trying to fix them solo. Using a credit repair company makes it a much less daunting task.
- Don’t have time to fix the errors yourself: Your time is valuable and fixing your bad credit isn’t an overnight process. If you don’t have the time to devote to fixing your credit alone, you should hire someone to do it for you.
- Need extra assistance: Consider credit repair companies if you’re uncomfortable handling the tasks required to spot and fix errors on your credit reports.
- Want access to other credit-related services: Most credit repair companies offer other services beyond fixing credit report errors, such as identity theft protection, real-time credit monitoring, alerts and more.
Conversely, you may not need the help of a credit repair service if any of the following apply:
- Want to save money: Every service provided by credit repair companies you can do yourself. There is no magic access these companies have that you don’t. They may be more equipped to navigate the process, but it’s also not as complicated as it may seem. Your issues may take several months to resolve, which could leave you holding an expensive bill from the credit repair company.
- Your reports don’t contain errors: A credit repair company can’t fix issues with your credit that aren’t related to errors. If there are legitimate red flags on your reports, the only thing that may remove them is time, unfortunately.
- You are comfortable doing it yourself: Fixing your credit reports requires time and attention—communicating with credit bureaus and creditors. The benefit of using a credit repair company is that they handle all of these tasks on your behalf. If you’re a good communicator and have the time, you can navigate these tasks without outside help.
How Multiple Credit Card Payments a Month Can Boost Your Credit Score
How to Dispute Inaccurate Information on Your Credit Report
After you’ve discovered errors on your credit report, you can dispute the incorrect information. To open a dispute, contact the credit bureau whose report contains the potential errors. Here’s how to dispute credit report errors to the three primary credit bureaus.
Experian
Experian offers three ways to initiate a credit report dispute—by phone, by mail and online. You can contact Experian by phone using the number listed on your Experian credit report. You can also mail in your dispute to: Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen TX 75013.
Provide some personal information on Experian’s Dispute Form when you initiate a dispute, including your:
- Full name (including middle initial)
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- All physical addresses for the last two years
- A copy of a government-issued photo ID
- A copy of a utility bill or a bank or insurance statement
Experian won’t send back any documents, so only send copies of the required information, not originals. You also can file a dispute online at Experian’s Dispute Center. You can also track existing disputes here. Experian sends emails when a dispute is started along with updates throughout the process. Most Experian disputes are processed within 30 days.
TransUnion
You can dispute your TransUnion credit report online or via phone or mail. Your phone request must include the following information:
- TransUnion file identification number (FIN, on your credit report
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Current address
- Company name of the disputed item
- Account number of the disputed item
- Reason for your dispute
- Any corrections to your personal information
Mail-in disputes should be sent to: TransUnion Consumer Solutions, P.O. Box 2000, Chester PA 19016-2000.
Include the following information with your TransUnion dispute request:
- Your full name
- Partial account number of the disputed item (listed on your credit report)
- Current address
- Your TransUnion file number
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Company name of the disputed item
- Account number of the disputed item
- Reason for your dispute
- Any corrections to your personal information
TransUnion disputes can take up to 30 days to process once they are received.
Equifax
You can file a credit report dispute with Equifax online. Similar to the other bureaus, most disputes are resolved within 30 days. The information you need to provide depends on the specific dispute but may include:
- Driver's license
- Birth certificate
- A copy of a utility bill
- A current bank statements with your account info
- Proof from a lender that the account has been corrected
You can also track your Equifax dispute once it’s filed online.
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The Bottom Line
The goal of the credit repair process is to fix errors on your credit report, so your credit and credit score improve. You can choose to fix it on your own or use the assistance of credit repair companies like the services listed above. Having good credit unlocks opportunities and access to lending products and lower interest rates. Do yourself a favor and take time to analyze your credit reports for possible errors that could be weighing down your credit score.
FAQs
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Credit repair is the act of disputing inaccurate information on your credit report that could be hurting your credit. Disputes are reported to credit bureaus, and if they deem they are incorrect or can’t verify them, the items are removed from your credit report.
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There’s no set time for credit repair process to take place. It depends on the number and severity of disputes. Often, it can take up to six months or longer to repair your credit.
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Only inaccurate information on your credit report can be repaired, and there’s no guarantee that a credit bureau will agree with your dispute. You can’t dispute other negative items on your credit report if they are correct.
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Yes, you can perform any of the functions that credit repair companies would do to repair your credit. You can contact the credit bureaus directly to file a credit report dispute.
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Yes, credit repair is a legal process to fix errors on your credit report. Each of the credit bureaus offers a way to dispute potential errors on your credit report.
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Typically negative items, like a late payment or repossession, remain on your credit report for at least seven years but can be listed for up to ten years.
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A negative mark is anything listed on your credit report that can lower your credit score. This includes items like late payments, collections, charge-offs, repossessions, bankruptcies, and liens.
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You can get a free copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus annually at annualcreditreport.com. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax are offering free weekly credit reports.
Kevin Payne
Kevin Payne is a personal finance, credit card, and travel writer. He is the family travel and budget expert behind FamilyMoneyAdventure.com. Kevin lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four kids. His work has appeared on several websites, including FinanceBuzz, Credit Karma, Millennial Money, Club Thrifty, Student Loan Planner and Slickdeals.
