You are ready to embark on your journey of repairing your credit. How long does it take for the credit bureaus and creditors to respond to your requests?
Generally, the rule is, credit repair can take anywhere from three to six months to resolve all of the disputes the average consumer needs to make. Of course, there are always exceptions. If you only have a few simple errors to correct or you repair your credit every year, it may not take you as long. You could get it accomplished in just over one month.
Your initial attempt at credit repair will be the most daunting. You will need to get a credit report and sign up at all three credit bureaus to use their individual disputing systems. Although they are easy to use, some people can feel overwhelmed by keeping track. You will need to keep track of which accounts are being reported to which bureaus. You will also want to keep track of the timeframes of when you filed your disputes.
How Long Does It Take To Raise Your Score?
It is possible to raise your credit score within one to two months. It may take even longer, depending on what’s dragging down your score. How you handle it matters as well.
We will go over some of the tips and tricks to raise your score. I have given these to people over the years to help raise their score quickly.
- Pay off debt. Get as many balances on your revolving credit lines below 30% of your credit limit. An example of this is if you have a credit limit of $1000 you do not want a balance of more than $300.
- Conversely, you can achieve this by asking for a credit limit increase from your credit card companies.
Both of these improves your credit utilization rate, which is 30 percent of your credit score.
- Charge small amounts to an inactive credit card account.
- Apply for credit that you know will be approved.
- Pay off a collection account or have it removed* if it is more than seven years old
*Removing a collection account can actually backfire on you when trying to raise your score. Although it is rare, I have seen some scores drop. If you attempt to do this then you need to be aware that it does not always work in your favor.
How Long Does It Take To Clear A Bad Credit History
Generally speaking, bad credit will take seven to ten years to fall off of your credit report. Some bankruptcies and judgments can take even longer. We go over the differences so you know exactly where you stand.
Late Payments
Generally speaking, negative information such as late or missed payments, accounts that have been sent to collection agencies, accounts not being paid as agreed, stays on your credit reports for approximately seven years. Often they will not come off automatically so it is important to check the last activity dates on your credit report.
Judgments
Although judgments can only remain on credit reports for seven years from the filing date, it doesn’t mean they’re simply going to go away at that time. In most jurisdictions, a judgment creditor can have the judgment re-filed before it expires. This varies from state to state.
Even if a judgment is no longer on your credit report it will still remain at the courthouse and can be found there in a variety of searches. This will affect you if you are looking to purchase a home or if an employer does a background check on you.
Bankruptcies
Bankruptcies are a little different. Bankruptcy is not easily forgotten once you file. Chapter 13 bankruptcies, which can run for up to five-year repayment plans and then from the time of completion take another 7 years to be removed from your credit report and 10 years for Chapter 7 bankruptcies.
Is It Faster To Pay Someone To Fix Your Credit
That question solely depends on you. Credit repair companies are only doing what you can do your self. They are disputing the bureaus and creditors in basically the same way you are. If you have less time and more money then a credit repair company would be a great option. However, you could also put that money towards any debt on your credit report thus improving your score.
The speed in which credit repair happens depends on your tenacity in getting the job done. Your initial credit report repairs will take more time. Because frankly it has not been done before. You will need to review your reports, look at records and make sure you have your facts straight before you attempt to repair your credit.
Unless you are working crazy hours, two or three jobs, and truly do not have the time, you can do this on your own. You will have online access to the bureaus and you will be able to get sample letters from the internet. It is just a matter of commitment and resolve, to get the job done.
The question you need to ask yourself is, how quickly do you need your score to be improved if you do not have the time to commit?
Is It Worth It To Have A Credit Repair Company Fix Your Credit
Some say the peace of mind knowing a professional is handling the repair process is priceless. After you have evaluated your personal situation you can ask yourself these questions.
- Is it within my budget to hire a credit repair company?
- Do I have the time to commit to repairing my own credit?
- Will using what time I do have, impact my quality of life in a negative way?
ll in all, the answer to the question of whether credit repair companies are worth it is very much a typical, “Yes, but…” Regardless if you do it yourself or hire someone to repair your credit, there are no guarantees. Yes, credit repair can work to remove certain negative items from your credit reports. But it doesn’t work for every type of item. It definitely isn’t an instantaneous, magic credit score booster.
Timing Your Credit Repair Strategy
If you are thinking about purchasing a home or a car you will want to know where you stand with your credit report and score before you apply. My recommendation to my own children was to start monitoring their credit as soon as they turned 18.
However, not everyone has a mom in the banking industry teaching them to do this. Putting it off is not wise. I find in life if you ignore something it can only compound the issues. Puttin something at the forefront will help you to achieve your
Mortgages
When my daughter had her career started and was able to be self-sufficient, I recommended that she go through the mortgage pre-qualification process. I wanted her to understand what it takes to purchase a home even though she was not in the market quite yet.
Too often I have had folks at my desk who started looking at homes and had never once seen their own credit report much less know what they would need to qualify for a mortgage.
If you are planning on wanting a home I recommend that you start looking at your credit report a year before you are ready to buy. It can take this long to get your credit score and debt to income rations in a position to borrow. If it does not take a year to repair your credit you will be in that much better of a situation at the end of that year.
Automobiles
Automobiles are a little easier to qualify for over mortgages. I would recommend that you prepare 3-6 months before purchasing a car. Late payments will be of concern to an auto lender so you will want to make sure they are cleared up and your debt to income ratios are in line.
Wrap Up!
Repairing your credit can take a month or two or up to a year depending on the issues. With the right tools or the right credit repair company, you can get your credit repair process started as soon as possible. This way you do not miss out on opportunities.
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