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Fixing Credit For Charge-Offs, Bad Debts And Even More

Aug. 5th, 2010
in Real Estate
by Ken Green

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If you fail to make a scheduled payment on a debt for specified period of time the lender will probably take the steps to charge if off. Debts are usually charged off when no payments have been made for about 3 to 6 months. A charge off on credit report can dramatically reduce your credit rating but the question is whether you should try to repay it or not.

If a lender charges the debt off they are essentially losing profits and they no longer try to collect the debt. However, they do not usually just give up but rather refer it to a collection agency instead, who then tries to collect it. When a debt is referred to a collection agency the consumer needs to make sure that the debt is not being reported on the credit report more than once. Sometimes both the original lender and the collection agency are reporting the debt and it should only be reported one time.

Adverse credit will stay on your report for a time of 7 years from the date of the first delinquency. Any unpaid charge-off will probably be required to stay on your credit report for the full 7 years but it is possible you could get a charge-off removed if you negotiate with the lender and pay it off. Before paying it off though you need to consider how much longer it needs to remain on your report.

Before you decide to pay off the old charge-off ensure that your lender agrees in writing to remove the item from your credit report. This credit repair technique is called a “pay for delete” which is a very effective credit repair solution if you can make it work. It is probably in your best interest to either pay off the debt completely or not at all because partial payments will not serve you.

For those who have a charge-off on your report that is not completely accurate or true you can dispute it and get it removed. The Fair Credit Reporting Act has given consumers the legal right to dispute erroneous information so that their credit report is a true and accurate reflection of their credit history. Any kind of negative listing can be disputed.

You’ll be able to issue credit disputes by yourself and some people have been successful at that. However, you may want to consider enlisting the aid of a professional to make the most of their expertise and experience. There are several advantages if you select a good, credible credit repair agency but if you’re so inclined it can be done yourself.

Once the credit bureaus receive the dispute there is a 30-day window in which to verify the truthfulness of what they are reporting. If it cannot be verified then it must be deleted from your credit report. Because of that you should dispute erroneous information until your report is completely accurate and truthful and your credit history is as positive as possible.

Most of us struggle with credit problems at different times in their lives. Thankfully there are steps that a consumer can take to improve or repair their credit. Contact an experienced and professional credit repair company right now.

about credit repair Students are increasingly worried about credit and credit scores – and for good reason. Student loans are becoming a problem for more and more students. Always know your credit score before speaking to lenders.

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