How Avoid Being Scammed by Credit Repair Agencies
The credit card crunch has hit consumers at an all time high. Many consumers are desperate and reaching out to many different avenues in their desire to pay off their debt and repair their credit. Many consumers are being scammed by credit repair agencies that are only after their money and have no intention of helping consumers repair their credit.
Do your research on the credit repair company you decide to go with. Make sure the company you choose is backed by an accredited lender and the BBB. Call them and ask them questions regarding how they will be able to help you get out of debt and repair your credit report. Ask them how long before your credit will be repaired and back on the road to recovery.
You should never have to pay an upfront fee for a credit repair agent to help you get out of debt. Some agencies take consumers last few dollars to help them get out credit card debt and then they have trouble again making the monthly payments. This causes the vicious circle of debt to continue to grow and never relieving the consumer from making high payments to pay off debt.
Make sure you get the full details of the programs you are signing up for. What will be the total interest rate or fee that will be applied to your account? If you are looking to repair your credit you need to ask the credit repair agency all about the hidden fees or other long term accruals that the company may apply further down the road. This could actually mean it will take you longer to pay the debt off then it would if you were to pay the balances off on your own.
Try to avoid signing on to services with a credit repair agency if you can help it. Many companies claim they can help you repair your credit overnight and that is not true. With a little time and effort you can repair your own credit by paying your bills on time and keeping your balances low.
Copy what credit repair companies do. Credit repair companies simply work with your creditors and combine all of your debts to create one low monthly payment. By contacting your credit card companies individually you may be able to lower your monthly payments and pay your debt off faster.
Staying away from credit repair agencies and doing what they do for you without having to pay the long term charges is a great way to save money and save yourself the hassle of possibly getting scammed. You need to make sure if you decide to go with a credit repair agency that you do not accrue other debt during that time, it is very important in the recovery of bringing your good credit back to life. Pay your debt off a little at a time and pay the minimum amount due on time is the best way to get your bad credit back on track.