There are no shortcuts or magic programs that fix your credit report. You must have some patience since there are certain legalities and time frames that have to be met. You must understand the credit repair processes if you want to legitimately remove any negative items, and not have them reappear. You can't complete the process overnight, but if you follow along with this article, you will have the basics you need.
The System
Getting a copy of your credit report is the first step everyone needs to take. 3 major credit reporting agencies exist and you will often see them abbreviated CRA. The 3 CRA's are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. The easiest way to get your credit report is to go to annualcreditreport.com and follow the instructions. This will usually not cost anything since you can get a copy of your credit report every 12 months for free.
After you get your credit reports make sure you read them and if something is wrong or inaccurate, make a note of that item. You are going to dispute these erroneous items, but don't worry, it is free to file a dispute, and it is also private. To fix your credit score you need to be somewhat aggressive, CRA's won't fix anything unless you alert them. They are in business for the lenders benefit not yours!
There are a 3 options you can take when you find an item you wish to dispute, mail, phone, or online. The method recommended by most credit repair experts is to file your dispute by mail. By using mail you can keep a paper trail that will also allow you to follow up on any issues or problems that may arise. You should make a copy of the letter, when it was sent, and send by certified mail so you can keep track of when they received your letter. If you don't have a good filing system, at least keep all the correspondence in one manila folder or an envelope.
Once the CRA's have finished their investigation, they will send you a new copy of your credit report and a letter showing what they found. Compare the new report with the old one and make note of what changes were made. Some of the items you disputed may come back verified while other items may have disappeared. If something is marked as verified, don't consider that the final result. There are methods of disputing this, and this technique is more advanced, but just know that the CRA's are lazy and don't really investigate. They simply rely on what the company reporting the debt says.
It is normal to feel overwhelmed, and just realizing that you need to fix your credit report is a great start. Understand the basics and if you need help, there are do it yourself programs.
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There is more helpful information about Fixing Your Credit at: Fix My Credit Report.
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