Credit repair refers to improving your credit score by correcting inaccuracies on your credit reports, paying down debt, managing accounts responsibly, and building positive credit history over time.

It depends on your situation.

• Improving credit habits: generally 30-90 days to see meaningful change.

• Serious issues (collections, bankruptcies): improvement may take years, though scores can rise sooner with consistent good behavior.

Yes. Most people repair their credit on their own by:

• Getting free reports from AnnualCreditReport.com

• Disputing inaccuracies

• Paying bills on time

• Reducing credit card balances

• Building positive history with secured cards or credit-builder loans

Some can help, but they cannot legally remove accurate negative information. They mainly assist with:

• Disputing errors

• Organizing reports

• Providing guidance

No. Filing a dispute does not hurt your score.

However, if a dispute results in an account being verified as accurate, it stays on your report.

People often dispute:

• Wrong balances

• Accounts that aren’t theirs

• Incorrect payment dates

• Duplicate accounts

• Wrong personal information

• Outdated negative items (older than 7 years)

Common timelines:

• Late payments: 7 years

• Collections: 7 years

• Charge-offs: 7 years

• Chapter 13 bankruptcy: 7 years

• Chapter 7 bankruptcy: 10 years

• Hard inquiries: 2 years

• Paid tax liens: up to 7 years from the date paid (unpaid ones are no longer reported)

Paying a collection doesn’t remove it automatically, but it may:

• Improve your score (especially with newer scoring models)

• Show future lenders that you’re responsible

Some agencies may agree to pay-for-delete, but they are not required to.

The biggest quick wins (usually within 30–60 days):

• Pay down credit card balances below 30% utilization (ideally under 10%)

• Dispute and remove any demonstrably incorrect items

• Become an authorized user on an old, high-limit card with perfect payment history (if the primary user has excellent credit)

• Make all payments on time going forward (payment history = 35% of FICO score)

No. Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry, which does not affect your score.

Many lenders look for:

• 580–620 minimum for FHA

• 620–640+ for conventional

Higher scores generally mean better interest rates.

Usually no.

Closing a card can lower your credit score because it reduces:

• Your total available credit

• The average age of your credit accounts

• Closing old accounts can shorten your credit history and increase your utilization ratio, both of which lower your score.

Not necessarily.

Credit scores also depend on:

• Credit age

• Credit variety

• Payment history

• New credit inquiries

Yes. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information.

• A credit report is a list of your accounts and payment history.

• A credit score is a number calculated from the information in your report.

Yes, if the item is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), bureaus must investigate within 30 days. If the creditor can’t verify it, the item must be deleted.

• Very unlikely unless you have multiple serious errors removed or you pay down very high credit-card balances. Realistic safe gains are 20–50 points in the first 1–3 months with aggressive but legal steps.

• Yes, if you use our seasoned credit program, and if needed, remove multiple serious negative credit items.

• Also, if you pay down very high credit-card balances. We can guide you on recommended balance reduction amounts.

• Gains can secure scores as high as 750 or higher on each bureau in 1–3 months.

If a company offers to sell you a "CPN" or "secondary credit number" to hide your bad credit, run away. This is a major scam. These numbers are often stolen Social Security Numbers (sometimes belonging to children). Using one on a credit application is a federal crime (identity fraud).

"Pay for delete" is a negotiation where you offer to pay a collection agency the full amount (or a settlement) in exchange for them removing the account from your credit report entirely.

• Is it real? Sometimes, but collection agencies are increasingly reluctant to do it because their contracts with credit bureaus often forbid it.

• Is it guaranteed? No. Get any agreement in writing before sending money.