[ad_1]
Let’s face it. Your credit score affects your life in so many ways. You can’t apply for a loan, finance a property, rent a home or do almost anything with a low or poor credit score. A low credit score eats into your finances, where you will be forced to pay thousands of dollars on the mortgage, car insurance, and loan repayment. On the other hand, a bad credit score can even prevent you from securing formal employment.
The good news is that there are many ways you can rectify this situation and restore your credit score and trust. With the help of a reputable credit repair company, you can improve your credit score by topping up the deficit by a hundred points.
All credit repair agencies claim that they can successfully help you repair your bad credit score and boost it with hundreds of points. However, not all of these agencies strive to walk the talk. While some are legit and can help you repair your bad credit ratings at a competitive fee, others don’t live up to that expectation.
So which one is the best credit repair services company and which one should you go for? We researched, tested, and approved the following online credit score repair services, and below are our findings that informed our rankings.
Top Credit Repair Services And Companies To Work With In 2021
After testing and analyzing several credit repair services, we found the best options available regarding customer experience, terms of services, and fees. So assuming that you have an average income with an equally average credit score seeking to boost it, we hope this list of our best credit repair services will help you make the right choice when looking to improve your credit score. Our list of 14 best credit repair services include:
- Credit Saint
- Credit Sesame
- CreditRepair.com
- Credit Karma
- CuraDebt
- Credit Monkey
- FreeScore360
- The Credit People
- The Credit Watcher
- Sky Blue Credit
- Leap Credit
- Lexington Law
- MyFICO
- TransUnion
That said, let’s dive into the top credit score repairing companies that have carved a name for themselves and which you can run to for genuine and legitimate help.
Credit Saint
Credit Saint helps restore your credit score by expertly challenging any inaccuracies in your credit data. One good thing about this company is that it offers an upfront free consultation to see how it works and the many ways they can help you. It’s also one of the few credit repair companies that offer a 90-day money-back guarantee. This ensures that you get a full refund if you were not satisfied with the company’s services, how they conduct business, or the outcome of the credit score ratings.
Additionally, Credit Saint also offers a unique private dashboard for each of its online customers. It has informative and productive materials and provides users with a great online customer experience. Credit Saint not only provides fast, easy to access, and effective services that help you restore your bad credit score, but it also offers multiple free services such as free credit analysis and evaluation.
Sky Blue Credit
Sky Blue Credit offers credit repair services at $79 per month, complete with a six-day free trial. The purchase also comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee, which is not common with other credit repair companies.
Sky Blue Credit is one of the oldest credit repair service providers, having been in the business since 1989. Another good thing about Sky Blue Credit is that it can identify and evaluate credit issues that other companies tend to overlook, guaranteeing you will receive a better score improvement than if you worked with similar service providers.
Sky Blue Credit offers professional analysis, timely dispute resolution (a minimum of 15 items every 35 days), and custom disputes tailored to your circumstances. The company conducts state law research for every debt collection issue, among other perks. Sky Blue Credit is one of our top-ranked credit repair companies on this list with a meticulous approach to credit challenges and actionable improvements in credit score.
Lexington Law
Lexington Law offers effective credit repair services online at LexingtonLaw.com. As the name suggests, the company’s credit repair processes are backed by a professional law firm. However, good credit repair doesn’t happen overnight and requires time, effort, and legal input. That’s what makes Lexington Law stand out by offering this expertise to enable you to repair your credit score.
To achieve this, the credit repair company begins by researching and analyzing your credit report. The company then examines and reviews your credit report and decides which negative items falsely affect your credit score. From there, the company will challenge and dispute each item, pushing the bureaus and your creditors to review each negative item and confirm if they are accurate and fair. If they cannot verify this information, they will need to remove them from your records and score legally.
Finally, Lexington Law takes over the management and monitoring of your credit score over a specific period, addressing and handling any new issues as they come up on your report.
Having been in the business since 2004, Lexington Law is one of the most professional and experienced credit repair websites. Since then, the company has handled more than 70 million credit repair cases and removed them from customers’ credit reports. With almost two decades of offering credit score repair for customers, Lexington Law remains one of the best options available.
CreditRepair.Com
CreditRepair.com is a credit repair service that offers several free incentives that other companies offering similar services don’t. These include a credit score and summary, a credit improvement plan, and a negative item review – all provided free of charge.
That’s something you won’t receive from other credit repair service providers on this list. After receiving all of these free services for free, you can then sign up for CreditRepair.com’s complete credit repair services.
CreditRepair.com works in the same way other top-ranking service providers on this list do. The company begins by analyzing your credit report to identify any inaccurate entries, then challenges the lenders and bureaus to review those entries. Legally, bureaus are required to correct and remove any false entries they cannot verify and approve. With this approach, CreditRepair.com significantly improves the client’s credit score.
Since its inception in 2012, CreditRepair.com has challenged and successfully removed over 1.8 million incorrect credit items. The website has further handled over 19 million challenges and disputes. The company also conducted more than a million interventions in 2019 alone.
This is why CreditRepair.com remains one of the best and top-rated credit repair services. Finally, it’s one of the few select companies that offer flexible pricing options and affordable plans depending on how you wish to increase your credit score.
TransUnion
TransUnion is one of three leading credit repair services in the United States. The others are Experian and Equifax. TransUnion focuses primarily on credit repair and credit protection services. The company can help you improve your credit score through tracking as well as through subscription services.
TransUnion provides several tools to assist in repairing your credit score. When you subscribe to TransUnion’s $25 per month subscription services, you access tools like CreditCompass and Credit Lock Plus. CreditCompass offers recommendations that point your credit score in the right direction. At the same time, Credit Lock Plus allows you to protect your TransUnion data and any further damage in case your personal information is compromised.
Another notable TransUnion’s offering is its ID theft insurance. You may receive up to $1 million of identity theft insurance when you subscribe to credit repair services. If someone illegally uses your details and you lose money, you will be compensated by TransUnion. Additionally, TransUnion provides multiple tools to assist you repair and manage your credit score with free ID protection and other benefits.
Credit Sesame
Credit Sesame has an effective mobile app that allows you to access and leverage your credit score. The Credit Sesame mobile app is available for Android and iOS users, making it easy and flexible to manage and repair your credit score any time anywhere.
Credit Sesame’s mobile app is centered on the personal credit management (PCM) platform from which you can observe all issues related to your credit. You can access your credit score, analyze your credit report free of charge at any time, and receive helpful insights into what your credit score entails.
The good thing with Credit Sesame is that it’s offered for free. While some of the top leading providers charge an access fee to handle your credit report, Credit Sesame provides the same for free. The company offers customized services depending on your existing credit, allowing you to leverage your credit for different opportunities. If you utilize those opportunities, Credit Sesame will receive a commission. Otherwise, you can download and use the app free of charge.
Credit Karma
Credit Karma is a well-known credit repair service that offers a wide range of credit repair services and similar products. The company has a free mobile app to download and join over 100 million users of credit Karma for financial growth.
The good thing about Credit Karma is that just like Credit Sesame, its services are offered for free. The company provides you with free insights into your credit score as well as a free credit report. They then provide you the opportunity to enlist their complete credit repair services based on that information.
Credit Karma offers accounts, loans, credit cards, mortgages, savings, and auto financing. However, it’s not a mandatory requirement for you to take advantage of any of these offerings. You can only do so if you want, and you can use their app for free.
Ideally, the best credit repair services are those that you can manage yourself. With Credit Karma, you can easily manage and monitor your credit score so that you can avoid the penalties of any mistaken entries.
The Credit Watcher
The Credit Watcher gives you instant access to your three credit scores from the three different top bureaus. You also receive instant, safe, and verified online delivery of your three credit reports upon registration. From there, you’ll be presented with daily credit scores and credit reports.
The Credit Watcher, just like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame, offers better monitoring and reporting services since it doesn’t offer comprehensive credit repair services. However, the company can give you access to the correct information about your credit score and reports, so you can track your progress and credit improvements over time and avoid any inaccurate entries.
The only downside of The Credit Watcher is their pricing of $39.90 per month, although the company offers information on free credit monitoring services highlighted above.
The Credit Watcher doesn’t offer personalized credit services like Credit Sesame or Credit Karma, but you pay a premium to safeguard your details.
Credit Monkey
Credit Monkey prices its services between $99 to $499 per month. Credit Monkey is available in about 50 states in the United States and is reputable for its exceptional services to improve the overall credit score of its members through legal removal of erroneous entries.
Credit Monkey reports that about 89% of credit reports usually include errors or serious mistakes that most bureaus cannot prove. These errors can range from simple inquiries to charge-offs, collections issues, bankruptcies, and late payments, all of which can significantly affect your credit ratings and score.
Credit Monkey offers six various plans to its members. The amount you pay determines the number of entries you can remove from your credit report. They have a basic $99 per month plan, which allows you to remove up to five negative or erroneous items from your credit record. Their highest plan is $499 per month, which comes with five active credit cards, inquiries, a $10,000 credit line, and the removal of an unlimited number of negative records, incorrect items, and other perks.
MyFICO
As an official branch of FICO, an analytical company that helps consumers track their credit history using data from three notable bureaus. MyFICO offers two different subscription services going for $29.95 and $39.95 per month, respectively. Whether you subscribe to advanced or premier services, you’ll be able to monitor your credit score from time to time and check for any erroneous entries.
Generally, MyFICO packages its credit repair and tracking services as one complete package and offers credit data from three separate bureaus. Since your lenders will be using your FICO score, you should ensure you understand what and how your FICO score works. MyFICO makes it easy to track the crucial metrics and improve your credit score, mainly since about 90% of the leading lenders use FICO scores to calculate rates.
By subscribing to MyFICO services, you get coverage from three bureaus and compensation of 1million dollars in case of identity theft. MyFICO can restore your identity within 24 hours if your details are stolen and provide round-the-clock credit score and credit report monitoring.
CuraDebt
CuraDebt specializes in providing debt relief services in the United States and has been in operation since 2000. Since then, the company has offered debt solutions and relief for credit cards, tax debt, medical bills, and similar unsecured debts.
CuraDebt also provides a free savings estimate that enables you to determine how much you can save before seeking debt relief from the company. CuraDebt has over 200,000 clients and offers real-time debt solutions and timely financial comfort. One sure way to boost your credit score is by reducing your debts, and a debt solutions company like CuraDebt can help fill that gap by helping you reduce the money you owe and significantly improving your credit score.
FreeScore360
With a monthly subscription fee of 29.95 per month, a 7-day trial, FreeScore360 provides you with credit scores from three major bureaus. After the one-week trial, you’ll be required to pay the monthly subscription fee to access credit monitoring, tracking, and reporting services.
The monthly subscription is charged each month unless you unsubscribe from their services. The monthly subscription fee comes with free access to ScoreSense, FreeScore360’s system that includes credit monitoring and alerts. The subscription also gives you access to an interactive center to gain all the valuable insights you need to know about your credit score and how it works.
Generally, FreeScore360 offers the same credit monitoring and reporting services as other top credit repair services highlighted in this list, although it is not as reputable as other top-ranked providers. However, it’s an affordable option for those who need to check their credit score from time to time and receive daily alerts of their improvement.
The Credit People
The Credit People reports that customers who use their program will boost their credit score by 53 to 187 points. The company also records strong reviews online from major review websites, including Consumer Affairs.
So far, The Credit People has successfully initiated the removal of over 1.4 million negative credit issues for its clients. The company further reports that over 78% of its clients received approval for auto loans, 71% got approved for home loans, and about 81% were approved for new credit after using their services.
The Credit people operate online at TheCreditPeople.com and offer instant access to at least three credit reports and credit scores. You also receive guaranteed results in less than 60 days and a significant improvement in your credit score.
The Credit People has been in operation for the past 15 years and offers credit repair services at only $19 per month. The credit repair services company offers credit tracking, monitoring, and more.
Leap Credit
Last but not least, Leap Credit is the only credit repair service that offers credit solutions to people with various credit levels to access financial solutions as quickly as possible. Leap Credit offers easy application procedures, instant approval, and other benefits.
The only requirements are that you must be a US citizen aged 18 and above, have a verifiable source of income, and open a transactional account to access instant loans with Leap Credit. If you qualify, the money will be deposited in your account within two business days.
What It Takes To Rank Top Credit Repair Services
All credit repair companies affirm that they use proven and reputable techniques to improve your credit score. However, not all of these companies fulfill their claims. To separate the tares from the wheat, here’s how we ranked the above top companies in our list:
Overall Credit Score Improvement
You enlist the services of a credit repair company because you want to improve your credit score. When comparing credit score companies, we looked at the average number of points they used to improve credit scores. Our best picks can improve your credit score by at least 100 points.
Pricing And Value
Some people can spend thousands of dollars on improving their credit scores. However, not everyone can afford this, and most people opt for lower pricing options. In our ranking, we considered the pricing options versus value-added in each of the above services.
Honesty And Transparency
Some credit repair companies give customers high expectations that they cannot live up to. They can promise to improve your credit score by hundreds of points in a few weeks, and yet only a few companies can live up to that. We selected credit repair companies whose claims were realistic and practical.
Credit Score Estimates
The best credit repair companies can maintain and track the average number of points to improve customers’ credit scores. For example, TheCreditPeople.com estimates its credit score increase at 53 to 187 points. They base their estimates on average increases from past customers.
Monitoring Services
Some credit companies claim they do reliable round-the-clock monitoring. Others use specific techniques to repair clients’ credit scores. If you don’t know anything about credit repair services, you may not know how these companies operate. We selected credit companies with tangible credit repair services instead of just credit monitoring.
Credit Repair Strategies
Most credit repair services work by analyzing credit data in your reports and challenging inaccurate entries. This is a simple job that only requires contacting the three notable credit bureaus. However, the best credit repair companies go beyond merely eliminating mistakes and harmful data from your credit report. They challenge credit bureaus to verify and prove each item on your credit report failure to which they can compel them to do so using legal means.
Customer Satisfaction Refund Policy
It is rare for credit repair companies to guarantee they will improve your credit score. However, the best credit repair companies support their claims with satisfaction and money-back guarantees. For example, Credit Saint offers a 90-day money-back guarantee to clients who may be dissatisfied with their services or results.
UserInterface And Convenience
Some credit repair companies provide a seamless user dashboard that helps you manage and monitor your credit score. Our rankings focused on overall customer service and experience and preferred companies that included better customer experience in their credit repair offerings.
Experience And Reputation
We looked at credit repair services with at least seven years of service. For example, Lexington Law has almost two decades of experience offering credit repair services and improving scores online. We gave special considerations to such companies instead of startups and those less than seven years old.
Why You Need To Have a Stellar Credit Score
If you have a good credit score, it would be easier to get a mortgage or rent a home. It also increases your chances of securing employment. A good credit score can save you a lot of money on auto or home insurance. And yes, you can get a good partner if your credit score reads well. Here are the benefits of a good credit score.
It Can Influence Your Life Partner
According to a 2018 Market Watch survey, 58 percent of Americans assert that they would be very adamant about marrying someone deep in debt. Most participants in the survey indicated that they would go as far as checking on potential mates’ credit scores before taking the relationship to the next level! A tainted credit score is a huge red flag, one that can block you from marrying the love of your life even if everything else seems okay. Do not let a tainted credit ruin your love life.
It Makes It Easy To Purchase Cheaper Car Insurance
The average cost of car insurance in America is $139.50 per month or $1,674 per annum. This figure shoots up to well over $2,100 per annum for individuals with bad credit. Insurance companies in all the states, except California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, can refer to your credit score when determining your premium. This is because drivers with poor credit scores tend to be riskier to do business with, hence the justification for higher premiums. You will save thousands of dollars in car insurance by improving your credit score.
Qualify For Better Credit Cards With Higher Limits
You will qualify for credit cards with higher limits and lower interest rates when improving your credit score. This is because a good credit score is indicative that you are good at repaying your loans. And this means that lenders will be more than willing to do business with you. Thus, instead of a credit card with, say, a $2,500 limit, you will qualify for one with a $25,000 annual limit with several attractive perks and incentives. For instance, some top credit card companies often provide up to 4% cashback on expenses like gas and groceries to clients with good credit scores.
Qualify For Cheaper Mortgage Rates And Faster Approval
Let’s face it, getting a mortgage can be difficult. And it does not get any easier for folks with tainted credit scores. And even if they get a mortgage, they often serve it at a significantly higher rate than folks with stellar credit scores. The result is always a higher total cost on their mortgage. Improving your credit score by at least 20 to 50 points can significantly reduce your mortgage cost and save you thousands.
Have An Easy Time Getting a Rental Approval
If you are renting, then chances are your credit score is getting checked regularly. Most landlords and property management companies ask for credit reports from potential tenants before letting out their properties to them. Finding a safe and affordable place to rent can be a nightmare if your credit score is tainted. Most landlords will prefer tenants with better credit scores to those with bad ones with all factors constant.
Have the upper hand During Negotiations
A bad credit score strips you of any negotiating powers. You will have no choice but accept the lender’s rates. You cannot bargain with them because they understand your options are limited. A lower negotiating power can impact pretty much all your financial decisions. You can overcome all these and strengthen your negotiating ability by improving your credit score.
Qualify For Better Cell Phone Plan
Cell phone operators tend to favor subscribers with stellar credit scores with better contracts. Most often, these contracts do not require security deposits. The result is a better cell phone plan than you would ordinarily get. On the other hand, subscribers with poor credit scores are often compelled to purchase prepaid phones or opt for pay-as-you-go plans that come with very high rates.
No Need For Security Deposit On Your Utilities
Folks with bad or no credit at all are always compelled to pay security deposits on utilities. This is because utility companies anticipate that they are likely to struggle with payments, hence needing a security deposit to take care of late payments. Depending on the utility in question, the security deposit can be $100 to $300. You can avoid the hassle of security deposits by strengthening your credit score.
Get Cheaper Homeowners Insurance Plans
A typical homeowner’s insurance costs around $1,312 per year. However, this amount can double if you have bad credit. Again, the reason for this is simple: people with bad credit scores are riskier to do business with. Insurance companies believe you have a greater risk of a missing payment or committing insurance fraud, so that they will set a higher premium for you.
Walk With Your Head Held High
Oh, yes. A good credit score is proof that you are a responsible human being. It is a testament to the people around you that you are in control of your financial future. An excellent credit score equals higher bragging rights. Even if you do not go around announcing your credit score, an excellent credit score will give you greater peace of mind, and with this, higher confidence levels.
FAQs About Credit Repair Companies
Most people are not informed about credit repair services. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about credit repair services, credit scores, and credit reports.
Q: What is credit?
A: Credit is receiving money, goods, or services with a written agreement to pay for it later with extra interest.
Q: What is a credit score?
A: A credit score is any rating number between 300 and 850. It shows your trustworthiness as a borrower based on the debts you borrowed and repaid in the past.
Q: How does my credit score help lenders?
A: Lenders first check your credit score to estimate if you are eligible to borrow or a risk. If your credit score is low or you are a repeat defaulter, the lender may charge you higher rates—the lower the credit score, the higher the rates, and vice versa.
Q: How do you define a good credit score?
A: Credit experts place an excellent score at 670 and above.
Q: And what is a bad credit score?
A: Anything less than 670
Q: How does my credit score get lowered?
A: Late payments, bankruptcies, multiple credit accounts, foreclosures, and several negative items in your credit report.
Q: How long do items stay on my credit report?
A: Items can stay for as long as seven or ten years, but it depends on the credit bureau. However, bankruptcies and late payments can hurt your credit score.
Q: Why do I have several credit scores?
A: Generally, you have three credit scores from three notable credit bureaus. These bureaus use different tools to track your credit score, although they’ll have almost a similar rating.
Q: What’s the lowest credit score?
A: 300, and it’s also the worst possible credit score.
Q: What’s the highest credit score?
A: 850. It’s the best possible credit score.
Q: Who Is responsible for tracking my credit score?
A: Your credit score is tracked by three leading bureaus in the US, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Q: How is my credit score checked?
A: The concerned person (e.g., lender, employer, or bank) will contact the three main bureaus to check your credit score.
Q: What is a credit bureau?
A: This is a private company that tracks every individual’s worthiness as a borrower. They follow total credits used and other factors to determine if you are worthy of lending or borrowing.
Q: Is there a difference between a credit report and a credit score?
A: A credit score is your ratings showing your worthiness as a borrower, while a credit report is a comprehensive list highlighting the items that affect your credit score.
Q: How do you describe a FICO score?
A: Your FICO score is also a three-digit number developed by FICO, a private company that aggregates your credit score across all three bureaus. Most reputable lenders use FICO to assess the extent of your risk.
Q: How do you calculate a FICO score?
A: Your FICO score includes your payment history, which is usually 35%, the amounts you owe about 30%, the duration of credit history (15%), credit mix (10%), and new credit (10%).
Q: How can I get a good credit score?
A: Make timely payments, maintain a low credit balance, and avoid overborrowing.
Q: How is credit repaired?
A: By removing the erroneous entry from time to time.
Q: How do credit repair services work?
A: Credit repair companies work by checking your credit report for any negative entries they remove. They also challenge credit bureaus about the negative items in your account. Legally, leaders and bureaus must prove each item failure to which they must remove it.
Q: What are the contents of my credit report?
A: Account names, identifying details, credit limits, tradelines, inquiries, collections, credit history, public records, records on late payments, and your credit score are the contents of your credit report.
Q: Can a credit score impact my employment prospects?
A: Yes, credit scores affect your chances of getting a job. Employers are legally allowed to use your credit report to determine your eligibility for employment or promotion. The higher the score, the better.
Q: What is the minimum credit score for buying a home?
A: At least a minimum of 670 can help you qualify for homeownership.
Q: What is the required minimum score for buying a car?
A: To qualify for a car loan, your credit score should be at least 550.
Q: What is credit repair?
A: A credit repair entails removing or addressing negative items on the credit report to improve your credit score.
Q: Are credit repair services legitimate?
A: Yes, there are several legitimate and reputable service providers in the credit repair industry, some of whom are highlighted here.
Q: How long does it take to have my credit repaired?
A: It depends on your credit situation but can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Q: How much do credit repair services cost?
A: The average cost of repairing your credit score can be between $0 to thousands of dollars, depending on the company and your credit situation. Otherwise, a law firm could charge a minimum of $1,000 to repair your credit, while most credit repair services offer pro bono services in exchange for promos and advertisements.
Q: Can I repair my credit by myself?
A: Yes, you need to contact credit bureaus or lenders, ask for your credit report, and request lenders to remove incorrect items.
Q: Can a student loan affect my credit score?
A: Yes, any loan, including student loans, can hurt your credit score. But if you make timely payments, it cannot affect your credit score.
Best Credit Repair Company Services to Use in 2021 Final Thoughts
Millions of Americans have negative items on their credit reports. A bad credit score negatively affects some of the most vital aspects of your life. Not only will it be harder for you to rent or own a home, but even buying insurance or seeking employment will be a challenge.
Having your credit score repaired is the first step to re-organizing your life and your financial future. The best credit repair companies employ proven strategies and tools to improve your credit score in different practical ways. That said, the above are some of the best credit repair companies you should consider using in 2021 and beyond.
Affiliate Disclosure:
The links contained in this product review may result in a small commission if you opt to purchase the product recommended at no additional cost to you. This goes towards supporting our research and editorial team and please know we only recommend high quality products.
Disclaimer:
Please understand that any advice or guidelines revealed here are not even remotely a substitute for sound medical advice from a licensed healthcare provider. Make sure to consult with a professional physician before making any purchasing decision if you use medications or have concerns following the review details shared above. Individual results may vary as the statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
[ad_2]
