- Are there different types of credit scores? What is a FICO score?
Yes, there are many different types of credit scores and each uses a different formula in calculating its value. If you apply for a car loan, you’ll get one type of score. If you apply for a home loan, you’ll receive another type of score. If you get free credit scores with your credit monitoring service, you’ll receive yet another type of score. This explains why you might see one score when you obtain it from an online source, but then see another one when you go to apply for a car loan at a local dealership.
Why are there so many different score models? That can be a very long answer. However, the short answer is: each score model caters to a specific industry and, therefore, uses a different formula.
What is a FICO score? “FICO” stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, which is the company that created this score model. Even within the FICO brand of scores, there are different models (56 as of March 2015), each catering to a specific industry. FICO scores are heard about the most because they are the most widely used by lenders and banks. When you apply for a home loan, the score you see on the credit report will likely be a FICO score and it will be the version that caters to the mortgage industry. Of all the score models that exist, the mortgage version of the FICO score is, arguably, the most significant.
- Are your methods for repairing credit legal?
Yes, what we do is 100% legal and within the guidelines of the law. We utilize various legal statutes to successfully dispute items on behalf of our clients. If you are curious, the below laws are a few that we use utilize and abide by:
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)
Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) - Can you still help me if I am unable to come to your office?
Of course! In fact, the majority of our clients are not located within driving distance of our office. You do not have to come to our office for a consultation or to sign documents. This can all be done over the phone, by mail, fax or email.
- Can’t I just pay off my debts to fix my credit?
While paying off your debts may stop creditors or collection companies from harassing you with phone calls, in the vast majority of cases, it will not make your credit better. In certain rare scenarios, it will make your credit worse! Aside from this, there are many common items on a person’s credit report that cannot be improved simply by writing a check.
- How long will the entire process take?
You will start seeing changes within the first 30 to 45 days that we start on your file. Since each client’s credit profile is different, the full process can take anywhere from 4 to 12 months, depending on how many items need to be worked on. Keep in mind that, even though it may take months to completely fix your credit, you will see improvements as we work on your file.
Be cautious of any credit repair company that promises to fix your credit in 30 days. By law, the credit bureaus have up to 30 days to respond to a dispute, let alone agree to remove the item being disputed. They may respond sooner than 30 days, but this is up to them and not something the credit repair company can decide.
- How many credit bureaus are there?
There are a total of 3 credit bureaus you need to concern yourself with: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. There may be a other smaller credit bureaus that collect your data, but you will likely never need to communicate with them.
- How will I receive updates on my file’s progress?
You will receive a phone call about once a month from one of our representatives, who will go over the current status of your file. Additionally, if you have provided us with an email address, you will receive a status report each time there is an update on your file.
You are also welcome to contact our office or your assigned consultant at any time to inquire about your status.
- I have read that I can dispute credit information on my own. Why should I hire you to do it?
It is true that you can write dispute letters to bureaus on your own. There is no trick or anything special to what we do. However, what we have is a lot of experience and industry knowledge. Attempting to repair your credit without any experience would be like trying to fix your car on your own: unless you know what you’re doing, you may not get the results you were expecting. In some cases, it may even make things worse.
- Is there a guarantee that you can fix my credit?
We have been able to satisfy every one of our clients.
However, even with a high level of customer satisfaction, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to fix every item on your credit report—and you should be wary of any company that says they can. A great credit repair company is like a great attorney: they cannot guarantee you a win, but they have a high win rate that speaks for itself.
Nevertheless, our guarantee is that we will do our best to fix all items we agreed to fix. If we are unable to successfully dispute any items, you will not be charged for them.
- Is there any work that I need to do on my end for this?
Because you will sign a power of attorney upon getting started, the majority of the work will be done by us. You just have to sit back and relax!
Your only responsibility is to forward us mail that you receive from any credit bureaus or creditors. You can send these by mail, email, or fax.
- What government agency moderates the collection and sharing of credit data?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the government agency that moderates the collection and sharing of credit data. They have a wide range of responsibilities in addition to this, including:
Writing rules, supervising companies, and enforcing federal consumer financial protection laws.
Restricting unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices.
Taking consumer complaints.
Promoting financial education.
Researching consumer behavior.
Monitoring financial markets for new risks to consumers.
Enforcing laws that outlaw discrimination and other unfair treatment in consumer finance.You can visit their website at http://www.consumerfinance.gov
- What if new items appear on my credit report after everything is done?
If any new items appear on your credit report after your file is officially complete, we will need to determine if they are from existing items we had removed that were added back on or if they are new, unrelated items.
If we determine the item to be new and you would like to have it disputed, this would require a new contract to be signed with us. If the item turns out to be an existing one that we had worked on, we will be more than happy to have it removed again—free of charge! This rarely occurs, though, because creditors and bureaus are not allowed to add an item back onto your credit report after it is successfully disputed and removed. However, creditors and bureaus do make mistakes. - What makes you different from other credit repair companies?
Of course every company likes to think they offer something their competitors don’t–and we are no exception! Here are a few reasons why we are different from many of our competitors:
1) We offer a one-stop shop for people who are looking to purchase a home after their credit is repaired. Many credit repair companies cannot connect you with a direct lender and many mortgage companies cannot help you repair your credit.
2) Our most senior processor alone has over 10 years of credit repair experience. Seldom will you find any person who has been working in the industry for such a length of time.
3) We do the actual work for you with your signing of a Power of Attorney. Many companies offer you templates and give advice, but you still do the leg work, which means your results will be mediocre, at best.
4) We pride ourselves on having a high rate of success. - Who will see my credit report?
We will treat your credit data with the respect and privacy we expect of our own data. Your credit information will only be seen by your consultant and by our credit repair specialists, who will be working on your file. Under no circumstances will we ever share your credit data or any other personal information with outside companies without your permission.