Paid Debt Scores Fell

I paid off an old debt and my credit scores fell. What happened?

Congratulations on paying off the debt. You did a good thing! A collection with a zero balance is better than a collection with an outstanding balance. However, as you noticed, there can be a temporary negative effect on your credit scores.… Read More

Credit Score Factors

What factors affect my credit scores the most?

If you go MyFICO.com, the website for Fair Isaac Corp, the developer of the FICO score you will find lots of great info about the factors that influence your score. In brief, Fair Isaac will tell you that your payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, and types of credit used will all affect your score.… Read More

Late Payment Penalty

My credit repair has been doing well, but I made a late payment and my scores really fell, is there anything that I can do?

A late payment, as you have discovered, can really put a dent in your credit repair progress.… Read More

Real Credit Scores

I checked my credit score with Experian, but my mortgage broker told me that is not a real credit score. What does that mean?

One of the first things you will discover as you start your credit repair program is that there is only one credit score that matters and that is the FICO score.… Read More

Score Differences

Why are my three credit scores so different from each other?

You have three FICO scores, and each is based on the data stored by the individual credit bureau. And there can be significant differences in the data each credit bureau maintains.… Read More