Best Credit Repair Companies

FowlerandFowler.net is the most trusted credit repair company offering a personalized credit repair program that can help you to get your credit back on course.

Over the last several years, credit repair companies have made some real progress when it comes to weeding out the scammers. If you stick to the top 5 or 6 credit repair companies listed on the web, chances are you won’t find yourself cheated in the end. But there’s no guarantee you’ll walk away satisfied, either. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face with credit repair these days is avoiding disappointment.

The reality is nearly all credit repair companies operate the same way. They dispute everything negative on your credit report, in hopes the credit bureaus can’t verify the information. But this doesn’t work as often as they’d have you think. And when it does, it’s usually older items with low-dollar amounts, which probably aren’t hurting your score much in the first place.

The good news is some credit repair companies do outshine the others. And while most companies look similar on the surface, you can always spot the better ones when you know what to look for. So here are some of the main things to watch for if you’re hiring someone to fix your credit.

Be cautious about dispute-only companies.

You can always dispute with credit bureaus on your own, so choosing a company that relies solely on disputing may not offer a lot of bang for your buck. Despite what they tell you, there’s no magic letter, no special jargon or scary legal threats that’ll get you better results. You dispute, the credit bureaus ask the creditors to verify, and they either do or they don’t—period.

There are some instances where dispute-only companies can cause you problems. Disputing a collection that’s nearing the state statute, for example, can prompt a creditor to hurry into court to get a judgment against you. Avoid this by making sure your credit repair company maps out a repair plan designed around your specific circumstances, such as the age of your accounts, the dollar amounts you owe and the laws specific to your state.

Never choose a company with up-front fees.

Credit repair companies that ask you for a payment before they do any work is illegal. The Credit Repair Organizations Act prohibits all credit repair companies from accepting any form of payment until services are performed.

Beware of credit repair review sites.

We’re yet to see a single review site that doesn’t get a commission or affiliate fee from the best credit repair companies they’re reviewing. Not surprisingly, the top-rated sites usually also happen to pay the highest fees. This is no indicator that the company itself does a great job with credit repair. More or less, it may show that the true reputation of their service is questionable.