Choosing the right credit repair company is an important decision. At first glance, most credit repair companies look alike, but looks can be deceiving. Before choosing, ask these questions:
How often do you send disputes?
The credit bureaus only have 30 days to process disputes, and the better credit repair services match their dispute cycle to this limit. Be aware that some credit repair companies actually stretch their dispute cycle out to 45 days, even as you pay them monthly. This serves their bottom line and can add months to the process.
Will you help identify dispute candidates for me?
If a credit repair company merely makes a list of derogatory accounts and asks you what to do, you are missing out. Some derogatory accounts may look familiar, even correct, but are in violation of reporting rules and should be removed. Without this critical level of analysis you may leave valuable results on the table.
What if I need more services?
You may think that credit bureau disputes are enough. You may be right, but many people need a range of credit repair services. Tricky collections may be best approached with a debt validation letter. A goodwill letter may help with older late payments, and so on. You don’t always know at the outset what you will need, and it helps to know what the extra services will cost if you need them.
Is that a real guarantee?
Headline guarantees with near-impossible conditions are, at best, deceptive. Some credit repair companies offer a money back guarantee, but only if you do not have any items deleted; a single item would disqualify you for a refund. Other companies promote a guarantee, it only applies to your most recent month of service.