Credit Repair Scams

$100-200/month for things you can do FREE yourself.

The truth

Credit repair companies promise to "fix" your credit for $100-200/month. They mostly:

Send dispute letters to bureaus (you can do free).
Wait for items to age off (happens regardless of payment).
Sometimes file fake disputes that get reversed when verified.
String you along for 12-24 months billing $1,200-4,800.

Federal Trade Commission has shut down many. Most are scams.

What works (FREE)

Pay bills on time, every time. Single biggest factor (35% of score).
Pay down credit card balances. Get utilization under 30% — ideally under 10%.
Dispute errors yourself. annualcreditreport.com → see your reports → file disputes online with each bureau (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
Keep old cards open. Length of history matters.
Time. Most negative items fall off after 7 years (10 for bankruptcy).
Become "authorized user" on a family member\'s long-history good-standing card. Quick boost.
Secured credit card. If credit destroyed, $200 deposit secures a card. Use, pay off — rebuilds in 12-18 months.
Experian Boost (free). Adds utility/phone payments to credit history. Quick small bump.

If you DO need help

NFCC.org — National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Non-profit. Free or low-cost. Real help.
HUD-approved housing counselors (hud.gov) — free for housing-related credit issues.
Legal Aid — for FCRA disputes / debt harassment. Free for low-income.
Bankruptcy attorney — if truly drowning. Sometimes the right answer.

Red flags to walk away from

"Guaranteed" results.
Demands payment upfront before any work (illegal under federal law).
Tells you to dispute accurate information.
Says they have "secret" or "loophole" methods.
Suggests creating a "new credit identity" with EIN. ILLEGAL.
High-pressure sales tactics.

Bottom line

If your credit is bad, the only real fix is TIME + on-time payments + reduced utilization. No company can magically erase legitimate negative items. Do the work yourself for free, or get help from NFCC. Skip everyone in a TV ad promising "credit repair".