Finding the best credit repair services can be difficult if you are not familiar with companies and the services they offer. There are many fly-by-night operators out there who will take your money without performing any service at all for you. Start by asking trusted friends and colleagues if they have any suggestions for reputable companies. You can also look online for companies. When you have identified some potential companies, be sure to check their Better Business Bureau ratings, and search for legitimate reviews and ratings online.

If you sense that there is any trouble or that a company may be engaged in questionable practices, do not hesitate to look for another service. Some companies may attempt to “hard sell” you by contacting you constantly and trying to convince you that if you don’t use their service you will suffer dire consequences. You have the right to tell these folks to stop contacting you, and if they do not you can report them to the Attorney General’s office in your state. There are good companies that can help you with your credit problems, but you may need to be persistent to find them.

Using the services of a reputable company to assist you in repairing your credit is a low-hassle way of removing incorrect information from your reports and improving your standing on the credit score scale. Be careful when seeking assistance, but take advantage of this time-saving, anxiety-reducing service that will help your financial situation.

Handle Disputes via Certified Mail

Many people fall into the trap of handling their disputes by certified mail.  While this can be convenient, it is not the best way.  Instead, you should handle everything you do with regards to your credit via certified mail.  This ensures that you have the paper trail to you need to more on to more advanced strategies.

Keep Good Records

Speaking of advanced strategies, one of the most important thing you can do to ensure your success is keep good records.  Make a copy of every letter that you send out and hang onto your return receipts.  If you do speak with your creditors by phone, make sure that you keep a detailed log that includes the date, time, who you spoke with and what was said.  Most creditor report their phone calls for “quality assurance” purposes, so having the time and date information can be very helpful should their ever be any dispute as to what was said.

Be Persistent

Unfortunately, many people give up way to quickly when attempting credit restoration.  They make it through one round of disputes and then decide that it is not working or that it is too difficult.  Those that stay the course learn that you sometimes have to dispute accounts more than once and that very often, you have to move onto other strategies before your credit is fully restored.  Above all else, you should expect credit restoration to take some time.  The good news is that with time, persistence and a little work, there isn’t a credit file out there that can’t be repaired.

Now, one of your financial goals should be to always pay everything off immediately and not use credit cards if at all possible,  unless an emergency arises.

Furthermore, a low credit score can have an adverse affect when applying for jobs, getting car insurance, or evening renting a car…

So it is important to rebuild your credit?

I think it is, and I have provided some quick tips how you can rebuild your credit in less than a year…

1. Always pay your bills on time.  Make this your top priority. Pay them a week early so that you are SURE that they arrive on time. If you literally do not have enough money to pay them off on time, you need to either find other ways to generate income, or negotiate with your credit card company for a lower payment. For example you can start selling some personal items on Ebay, getting a part time job, or  liquidating some assets.

2. Get a secured credit card and ALWAYS pay it off on time. Charge very small amounts and then pay them off. You can carry a very small balance if you want – $10 or $20 – but NEVER make your monthly payment late. After a year of on time payments, call the creditor, and request to the  card to an unsecured credit card.

3. A Low Debt To Equity Ratio. Make it a priority not to charge more than 25-30% of your available credit. If you have charged more than 30 percent of your credit limit, then you should make it a priority to pay that card down first.  The rational behind that is your credit score goes down when you have less available credit.

So as can you see rebuilding your credit to worthy credit score is definitely attainable and needed. By following the steps above you can rebuild your credit in less than a year.