Erase Bad Credit Guide

Bad credit occurs when you have unpaid debts, default in repayment of mortgage loans and insensible use of credit cards. This leads to poor rating by the credit agencies blocking your path for obtaining further financial assistance from banks, financial institutions and mortgagers. Apart from that, your credibility as a debtor is adversely affected in the financial sector with people and institutions looking down upon you. That is why you have to erase bad credit to improve your rating. A word of caution. Don't ever go to the various Internet sites advertising and claiming to erase bad credit reports, and act accordingly. Though, what they say is quite tempting, assuring you of erasing bad credit; you will be amazed to know that they are fraudulent schemes to squeeze money out of you for a job which cannot be done. No power on earth can help you improve your credit rating, unless you tighten your belts and decide to legitimately and legally repair your rating in a step-by step process. The debt you owe has to be repaid and there is no alternative. - To clean up you have to know what is in your credit report. Acquire a free credit report from the 3 major credit bureaus every year, which you are legally entitled to, and jot down the negative information and accounts adversely affecting your rating. Normally these are late or defaulted payments, charged off accounts and any other errors. - You have to draw the attention to the inaccurate information compiled in the report. Send dispute letters to the credit rating companies highlighting the debts you have repaid; details of credit cards that you have closed, but they say are open; and any other error. Most companies report your credit status with them when you owe them money, but forget to report to credit bureaus when you have repaid. - The credit rating agencies investigate your claim, once they receive your dispute letters. This normally takes about 30 days and they reply back stating the latest position after probing your case. On receipt of the updated credit report you can apprise the other rating agencies to correct your rating reports and notify accordingly. Don't dispute for the sake of disputing, because rating agencies would consider your claims to be frivolous. - Check the statute of limitations. Credit companies/financial institutions are to report debts within a certain number of years. If they do not report to the bureaus and it has been past the statute of limitations, you can demand the removal of the item from your report. The number of years is normally seven, but varies from state to state. However, a debt not being in your report does not absolve you from repayment. - The final step to erase bad credit is to plan for repayment within a stipulated time frame. Get in touch with collections companies/original companies or financial institutions you owe money. Talk to them and make a deal for settling your outstanding debt. Make a repayment plan and stick to the schedule. Surrender credit cards you don't need. Companies are helpful in creating plans for repayment, which will work for you. So the only way to erase bad credit is by hard work and time, and there is no other way to resolve it.