Even when people have the knowledge they need to repair their own credit, they just do not want to take the time to do so. But who do you trust? We wanted to offer our research on who are the best credit repair companies are in the industry for those who want to outsource this chore. You can do a quick search on Google and you will find about 323,000,000 sites for Credit Repair Companies. It is completely overwhelming and you need to know who to trust!
Our Top Credit Repair Picks!
Are There Legitimate Credit Repair Companies?
After doing my research, I discovered that not all credit repair services are bad. I used to help my mortgage clients with their credit repair but I had a dim view of many in the credit repair industry. Now, many of these credit repair organizations are entirely legitimate. They offer a valuable service to consumers who are simply having a rough time and want assistance with their credit repair. After extensive research, these are the companies that come out on top as the best credit repair companies.
Let’s look a little further into some of these companies and why they stand out from the rest.
Our Number One Pick For Credit Repair in 2021!
With a 90 day money-back guarantee you can not go wrong with Credit Saint. Their professional advisors will help you to come up with a viable plan to not only repair your credit but also how to restore it. The program is backed up by Credit Saint’s 90-day money-back guarantee, and you can expect a full refund if you don’t see negative items removed in the first 90 days.
You can’t beat that! There is virtually no financial risk from hiring them to help you to remove negative items. Their Consumer Advocate Rating is 4.8 / 5 (Excellent) and they have an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau!
Best Credit Repair Companies of 2020
- Offers a free consultation
- 90 Day Money Back Guarantee
- A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Offers a free consultation
- 90 Day Money Back Guarantee
- A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Offers a free consultation with a FICO Certified Pro
- A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Free Mobile App and Online Portal
- Transparent pricing starting at $19 per month
- Offers a free consultation
- $19 Start-Up Fee
- C+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- 4.7 out 5.0 Rating | 271 ratings and in business since 2001
- #1 Credit Repair App
- Free Credit Report and Initial Consultation
- C Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- 4.7 out of 5 | 22k ratings and in business since 1991
We will go over each company in more detail but first I want to show you what you should be looking for in a credit repair company and why people choose to go with a professional to help them.
Why Do People Choose Credit Repair Companies?
According to a recent survey of approximately 1,500 consumers by U.S. News & World Report, many Americans are unsure about their credit scores and how to improve them. It is nice to have an expert on your side who will show you the way and teach you how to manage your credit in the future.
When you have credit issues and low credit scores it may mean you will pay higher interest rates and get unfavorable loan terms. You will pay more in interest and it is frankly a waste of money. You could be doing something with that extra cash to further benefit your life! Repairing your credit would allow you to get a more competitive interest rate. You will save money on your monthly payments when you are able to lower your interest rate.
How The Best Credit Repair Companies Work
Many folks do not want to take the time to repair their credit themselves. A credit repair company can improve your credit score in exchange for a fee. If you find repairing your credit overwhelming hiring an outside company to assist you with your case may be the best choice. Credit repair is not an overnight process. Credit repair companies have the experience and knowledge to tackle credit issues that could be difficult to resolve on your own.
It’s important to talk about the steps that go into actually rebuilding your credit. Unfortunately, repairing your credit is a long game. It takes time and hard work. Nothing you can do will result in an immediate fix other than a couple of tips I have offered you, and repairing your credit can often be a time-consuming and confusing process.
I’ve selected these organizations as examples because they offer the best way to improve credit safely and efficiently. They do this every day so their results can be faster and better than doing it yourself because they have a complete understanding of how the credit system works. I will show you what to look for from whatever organization you choose.
Trust Reviews and Ratings From The Top Companies
You have several ways to check out what a company has done over the years. There are organizations that have an objective rating system. The first one, of course, is the Better Business Bureau. You can check other organizations as well like Consumer Reports.
Actionable Results
You need to know that your credit repair specialist will be able to provide you with specific results. Most will focus on reducing the number of bad debts on your credit report and more upfront information gives you peace of mind.
Clear Pricing and Guarantees
Don’t trust organizations whose website is not clear about their pricing or guarantees. You need to know upfront what the costs are associated with hiring someone to repair your credit score. You will want to make sure you read the entire contract and ask questions if you do not understand something.
Excellent Customer Service and Support
When you’re dealing with something as important as your credit, you need to know that you can quickly get the support that you need and deserve. You want to make sure they have a live advisor that will be available to help you. I would also ask if there is a minimum response time from your advisor if you reach out.
Free Consultations
Every person’s situation is unique. Understanding the perfect way to repair your credit is not the can generally be done from you looking at a website. The best credit repair companies are willing to provide you with a free consultation. This way you will be able to make sure the service is a good fit for your particular needs.
The best credit repair companies will never ask you to do anything that is illegal or unethical. If you’re asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable like obtain false information, that’s a pretty good indication that you’ve chosen the wrong company to handle your credit repair case! Immediately report any credit repair specialist who asks you to falsify information by contacting the FTC.
What is the Credit Repair Organizations Act?
The Credit Repair Organizations Act is a federal law that became effective on April 1, 1997. The law was created because there were consumers who had suffered in the hands of credit repair scams. The CROA ensures that credit repair companies follow very specific regulations. The regulations that matter the most are:
- Credit repair companies are prohibited from taking consumers’ money until they fully complete the services they promise.
- They are required to provide consumers with a written contract. They must state all the services to be provided as well as the terms and conditions of payment. Under the law, you will have three days to withdraw from the contract.
- Credit repair companies are forbidden to ask or suggest that you mislead credit reporting companies about your credit accounts or alter your identity to change your credit history.
- They cannot knowingly make deceptive or false claims concerning the services they offer consumers.
- They cannot ask you to sign anything that states that you are forfeiting your rights under the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Any waiver that you sign cannot be enforced under the law.
The industry is now fairly well regulated to protect consumers from unscrupulous companies that will either take your money or worse get you in trouble with the law.
Now let’s get into a deeper review of the companies I suggested you use.
Reviews
Credit Saint
Credit Saint is a New Jersey-based company that has been providing credit restoration services to consumers for over 15 years. They offer comprehensive packages based on your needs. Credit Saint was number one and the best overall on my list. Why? They checked all the boxes.
- BBB A+ Rating
- 90 Day Money Back guarantee
- Excellent Customer Service
- Online access with progress reports
- Customer education
- Cancel anytime
- #1 pick for several consumer advocacy publications
- 15 years in the industry
There are three packages to choose from with Credit Saint.
- Credit Polish – Medium Aggressiveness – $99 Set Up $79.99 monthly
- Credit Remodel – High Aggressiveness – $99 Set Up $99.99 monthly
- Clean Slate – Very High Aggressiveness – $195 Set Up $119.99 monthly
Every client has different needs and levels of credit issues. Credit Saint has offered these customers a more customized approach to credit repair with packages from medium to very high. Whether you just have a few credit issues or if you are trying to remove judgments and bankruptcies,
Credit Saint claims to have an aggressive approach to credit repair. Each package will offer you different degrees of credit disputes. The most aggressive package is the Clean Slate and will go as far as disputing legal actions like judgments and bankruptcies.
You will be assigned a team of credit advisors will who will start with your free consultation. I liked that you will be in direct communication with the same team. They will remain in contact with you for updates and further monitoring of your credit situation.
Credit Assistance Network
- BBB A+ Rating
- Free Consultation
- 90 Day Money Back Guarantee
- Customer education
- Online access with real-time progress updates
- Discounts for couples or friends
- 16 years in the industry
Credit Assistance Network offers an initial flat fee for individuals and couples. After that, they charge per deletion so you are not Being charged a flat rate.
Pay For Results Plan: $179 per individual and $279 per couple for the first payment, and $50 per confirmed deletion per bureau. $75 for public records.
Benefits of using the Credit Assistance Network plan:
- One-on-One Consultations with a Certified FICO© Professional
- Unlimited Disputes
- Debt Validation letters to creditors
- Goodwill Letters to creditors
- Cease and Desist Letters to Collection Agencies
- 24/7 access to your Client Portal
The Credit Pros
- One-on-One Consultations with a Certified FICO© Professional
- A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- Free Mobile App and Online Portal
- Transparent pricing ranging from $19 – $149 per month
- It offers identity protection and many other services.
The Credit Pros is an attorney owned service and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s 5,000 fastest growing companies 5 years running, I like their transparent pricing and they offer many extras for those who are looking for a more comprehensive package. The Credit Pros also has an A+ BBB ranking so they are a solid choice with a solid reputation.
I like that you are getting a consultation with a Certified FICO Professional. This gives you the confidence that you are getting accurate information from professional who is certified to follow a code of ethics for the industry. They are trained specifically about the five categories that determine your credit score, how to analyze your credit report, and how to communicate that information to you. They are trained to recognize identity theft as well as the proper steps required to report inaccurate information to the three reporting bureaus.
Their packages start at $19 per month and go up to $149 per month.
The Credit People
The Credit People offer two plans to assist you with repairing your credit. You can choose from a monthly plan or a flat rate plan. The monthly plan has a start-up fee of $19 per month and is $79 per month. There is also a 6-month flat rate plan that charges $419 and will save you $74 over the monthly plan.
- Offers free consultation and you can cancel your monthly plan any time
- $19 Start-Up Fee with two plans that fit every budget
- C+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- 4.7 out 5.0 Rating | 271 ratings and in business since 2001
- Access to all three credit reports and credit scores.
- 24/7 access online with real-time updates.
The Credit People offer results in 60 days or less. I do like that they offer to show you all three credit bureau reports and their scores. As far as I know, they are the only ones to offer this at the time of publication. If you are planning on purchasing a home this is huge. The reason is that mortgage lenders always look at all three bureaus in a tri-merge credit report when determining your eligibility for a mortgage.
Lexington Law
- #1 Credit Repair App
- Free Credit Report and Initial Consultation
- C Rating with the Better Business Bureau
- 4.7 out of 5 | 22k ratings and in business since 1991
Lexington Law has been in the credit repair industry since 1991. They are one of the most popular credit repair businesses in the marketplace today. They have flexible plans for every budget that allows you to customize your experience.
Lexington Law is a constant in an ever-changing credit repair industry. They have helped over 500,000 people with inaccurate credit reports. Lexington Law uses a patented process to assist people with their inaccurate credit items.
There are three packages with varying service levels that they offer and prices range from $89.85 to $129.95
- Concord Standard
- Concord Premier
- Premier Plus
Credit Repair Statistics
There was a study published by the Federal Trade Commission. The study found that five percent of people have an error on their credit report. At least one of their three credit reports showed something that was not accurate. Since errors on your credit report may lower your credit score it is important to fix any mistakes. Having a lower credit score could hurt your ability to obtain new credit or can make the terms of your existing credit less favorable and more expensive.
The study was conducted and it was suggested to the participants that they use the Fair Credit Reporting Act to resolve any disputes. The study also found that:
- One in four consumers found errors on their credit reports that would affect their credit scores.
- One in five consumers that had an error on their report and were able to have it corrected by the credit reporting agency after it was disputed, on at least one of their three credit reports.
- Four out of five consumers who filed disputes experienced some modification to their credit report.
- More than one in 10 consumers saw some change in their credit score after the CRAs corrected the errors on their report.
- Approximately one in 20 consumers had a maximum score change of more than 25 points and only one in 250 consumers had a maximum score change of more than 100 points.
Can I Fix My Credit Myself?
Yes you can! This is the good news. If you have the time and money is an issue you can do your own credit repair and it is absolutely free. It will just take some effort on your part. There are a few questions to ask yourself:
- How much personal time can I dedicate to credit repair?
- Do I have the needed security information to access my credit reports?
- How quickly do I need my credit repaired? Is there a purchase that will not happen with my current credit situation?
- How much money are you losing due to high-interest rates and fees?
- Am I willing to write letters and provide sound documentation, if necessary, to dispute inaccurate information?
- Am I fully versed on the credit reporting laws so I can make a sound argument for my case? Do you fully know your rights under the law?
Repairing your credit can be easy until it is not. Things can come up in life that takes our focus from the task at hand or you can experience roadblocks as you begin your disputes. You can always begin the process and then if things are not going the way you expected then hire a professional.
The Results
Whether you are repairing your credit yourself or hiring a company that specializes in repairing credit the results can be varied. I have read many reviews where people’s credit scores have dropped because of the credit repair work that is being accomplished.
Sometimes when you remove a negative item it could lower your score. Why? Because the history, even though it might have had some negative information, was feeding a positive attribute into your score. Here is an example.
A closed credit account, 2 years old, that had 10 payments that were 30 days late is removed. Here is what you also removed. A credit account with 14 payments made on time that was 2 years old. If you have the credit account completely removed it can actually drop your score. Your goal would be to challenge the late payments if they are inaccurate. Not have the account completely removed. Do you see the nuances that you need to be aware of before repairing your credit yourself?
When you are working on your credit you will want to focus on repairing the information and not just raising your score. You may be able to raise your score 20 points or 100. This will depend on how low your current score is and what you are able to accomplish. The lower your current score is the more dramatic of an increase you might see once the repairs take effect. If you are at a 680 score and correct a couple of things your score may only go up 20 points or less. There are many factors that can change your score.
The bottom line is that hiring a credit repair company to do your repair is usually better than doing nothing at all when you have negative items on your report.
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