When it comes to credit repair and you have found yourself in a bad credit situation, self-help might be the best route for you to go.  It seems we are bombarded daily and often with companies who claim that they can help you repair your credit for a small fee but many of these companies don’t do much at all.  The truth is, in many instances, self help credit repair is not only possible, but really the way to go for some people.

It isn’t as difficult to repair your own credit (to an extent) as many people might think.  In fact the newest trend in credit repair is actually the self help road.  But if this is something you’re serious about attempting, you’ll need follow a few simple steps first.

Start by pulling a copy of your credit report from all three credit reporting agencies:  Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.  You are entitled to one free credit report per year from all three bureaus thanks to passage of the FACT Act.

After you get your credit reports, the next self help step is to thoroughly examine those reports and check to see that every little piece of information is 100% complete and accurate.  Most of the time, there are going to be errors of some type.  In fact, studies show that there’s more than a 79% chance,  your credit report will contain an error. These errors can vary from a past due account that has been paid off, to an invalid account number, to a debt that was never yours in the first place.

If you find errors, you need to contact the credit reporting agencies in writing.  You might be asked to provide proof of the error (which, most likely, will never make it to the creditor anyway so I wouldn’t suggest sending them anything) and in this case, you should respond with “You send me proof that this is, in fact, correct. I’m not the one responsible for ensuring the accuracy of my credit report, you are”. In turn, they are required to notify you in writing of their decision to either remove it from your credit report, correct it on your credit report, or leave it as is.  Be diligent in this endeavor.  An accomplished self help credit repair program entails being aggressive when it comes to your information and the accuracy of that information.

Another part of a self help credit repair program includes the development of a long-term plan that will help you keep your credit use under control and a plan for not getting into credit problems again.  Sure, credit counselors can help you do this (which could, in fact, speed the process a little), but as long as you’re truly dedicated to putting up a fight for the long run, then it may not be necessary to consult with a credit counselor.

Do a little research and you’ll find that there is plenty of information available on the Internet. But I must caution you that not everything you read online is accurate – well, most of you read will be inaccurate. As a Professional Credit Expert myself, I’ve read lots of misconceptions about credit and credit repair in online articles which is really disheartening to see but there is some decent information out there as well as. You just need to know how and where to look. The Start Fresh Credit Community is a good place to start.

And just keep in mind that repairing your credit yourself requires a commitment on your behalf, but it’s very possible that in the long run, you may be quite pleased with the results – knowing that you did it yourself just makes it that much better!