What do the professionals know that you don’t? Why are they able to get credit repair success for their clients?

Here are three important tips that you can (and should) use when doing your own credit repair:

First, start by cleaning up your account profile. Your profile is your name (correct spelling, no nicknames, etc.), address, and social security number.

Don’t make the rookie mistake of firing off disputes before you have corrected any account errors. You must do this cleanup with both the major and minor credit reporting agencies, as explained in Repair Your Credit Like the Pros DEEPER DIVE. For example, Experian purchased Clarity Services. So if you aren’t getting cooperation from Experian, it might be because Clarity Services has your name or SS# wrong.

Second, look for factual errors. Those are the inaccuracies, such as incorrect dates, dates that don’t match from one credit bureau to another, false balances, etc. Never specify to the credit bureaus what the specific issue is, because then they will correct your error and smugly leave the offending account on your report for the remaining seven years. Use the letter in the DEEPER DIVE book to get the account legally removed.

(With 27 new letters, there is one available for every circumstance.)

Third, employ only one reason at a time. If you put all your “arrows” in one letter, you will have none left for the second round if they fail to respond as instructed — which often happens and which is why there is a lawsuit against one of the credit bureaus right now.

Of course, there are many more vital, useful, and important tips for success in the book; but let this be a reminder for you and an inspiration — because when credit repair is executed like the pros, it does work.

Credit repair is not dead; in fact, I would say it is more active now than ever. However, if you send off a terrible letter that destroys your credibility with the bureaus or that tries to remove every negative thing at once, or that sounds like a bunch of legal gobbledegook, because that’s exactly what it is and you got it for free off the Inernet and you don’t even know half of what it means yourself — then you are going BACKWARDS not FORWARD.

Credit repair pros charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars to legally delete negative items and clean up your report. So picking up a guide like Repair Your Credit Like the Pros DEEPER DIVE for less than sixteen bucks is a super bargain. Invest in yourself, take the time to do it right, and then execute your financial strategy with confidence!

You can do this! God bless.

If you are ordering your credit reports from the secondary credit reporting agencies, like the pros do, then you need this updated contact information.

I personally called each one of these and spoke with a representative to verify the information.

1. Innovis has closed their office in Houston. They integrated with a fraud prevention company called Alloy on April 1st..
   800-540-2505
   Innovis
   PO Box 530088
   Atlanta GA 30353-0088
   
2. LexisNexis has not changed. For your LexisNexis report, you can order by phone, online, or by mail. All three options are acceptable. https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request
   
3. Sage Stream has been purchased by LexisNexis. Sage Stream’s old phone number is now answered by LexisNexis. Your Sage Stream report is now the same as your LexisNexis report. There is no longer a separate Sage Stream report.  So now you have one less report to order and dispute—yay!
   
4. Clarity Services has a new PO Box. This is because Clarity was bought by Experian; however, they are still two separate companies with two different credit reports. You can order your Clarity report online, by phone, or mail. I now believe that ordering online for speed and to save postage is fine for your Clarity report, but you can choose for yourself.
   866-390-3118
   PO Box 16
   Allen, TX 75013
   866-390-3118

Were you contacted by Blackstone Legal about paying a debt?

Blackstone Legal, owned by Ryan and Michell Evans, are in deep trouble with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for coercing consumers to pay fake debts.

They lied to people, telling them if they did’t pay, they would be sued, face wage garnishment, and have their credit ruined.

Now Blackstone Legal and its associates are permanently banned from the debt collection business. In addition they face a judgment of $8,254,368, and they are required to turn over most of their assets. You can read more about this at https://tinyurl.com/49464pb3.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF A DEBT COLLECTOR CONTACTS YOU

1. Make sure the company is legitimate by doing a Google search with their name + lawsuit and their name + complaints.
   
2. Gather your documentation so you are ready to check the dates and balances.
   
3. Make sure the debt belongs to you. If you co-signed for a loan and the person didn’t pay, then unfortunately, that debt belongs to you, the co-signer. But if you don’t recognize it and think it isn’t yours, you have the right to have it verified.
   
4. Take immediate action! Don’t procrastinate or delay, because if you wait too long, you may lose certain legal rights or the situation could get even more complicated and difficult to fix. It will not go away if you ignore it, so make that phone call or send that letter NOW not later.
   
5. If needed, contact a professional for help. That might be an experienced, ethical credit repair business (I can provide recommendations) or a local consumer credit attorney.
   
   Remember, you have legal rights and recourses. But at the same time, if you owe a bill, then that bill must be paid. No one can purchase goods and services and then just not pay — that is the same as theft. If a hardship prevents you from being able to pay, contact the creditor immediately and ask for assistance with your situation. Most creditors will work with you to set up a do-able plan.

There are so many things wrong with this so-called dispute letter that it is sure to fail.

It was no surprise that a young woman told me she receive a total rejection from the credit bureaus after sending it.

It was worth exactly what she paid for it: $ ZERO. Actually, it’s worse than zero, because now there’s a bogus letter in her file with the credit bureaus.

Let’s look all the problems with the letter below (so you don’t make the same mistake.)

Dear Credit Bureau Representative,

I received a copy of my credit report and found the following FCRA violation:

1. The Date Opened is not the same for each bureau. Do I have a duplicate account with you?
   Problem: The credit bureaus don’t compare with one another. That’s your job, not theirs.
   
2. The Date Last Activity is not the same for each bureau.
   Problem: So what? That statement accomplishes nothing.
   
3. Incorrect Date of last payment is not the same for each bureau.
   Problem: That doesn’t mean theirs is wrong, and it’s not their concern what the other two bureaus show.
   
4. High Balance and Balance Owed are not the same. Is this a duplicate account?
   Problem: : Balances are expected to vary bureau to bureau because they don’t all receive and update informatio on the same day. It does not indicate a duplicate account. It is irrelevant.
   
5. Closed Date is only shown on TransUnion, but not on Experian and Equifax.
   Problem: In addition to everything above, not all creditors report to all three credit bureaus.
   
6. Past Due Amount Shown – How can a charge off have a past due amount?
   Problem: This is a valid issue, but asking them to explain how is not going to get it deleted. Do you want an explanation or a deletion based on erroneous information reporting?
   
7. Late Payment Date is not the same for each bureau.
   Problem: What do you want them to do, fix the late payments to match? Update the late payments? You are not helping yourself in the slightest with this.
   
   In addition to all the problems I’ve stated above, you cannot send out a catch-all dispute letter like this and expect to receive a good result.
   
   It is obvious to the credit bureaus that you are using a letter you downloaded from the Internet, and they do not take kindly or respond positively to that.
   
   Less than a year ago, I wrote 27 new dispute letters and included them in Book 2: Repair Your Credit Like the Pros DEEPER DIVE. Along with each letter is an easy-to-understand explanation.
   
   Credit is still a hot topic and dispute letters DO work, but only if they make sense. And if they sound sincere. And if you customize them a little bit, like I recommend, it will boost your success as well.
   
   Good luck and best wishes, and don’t give up! You CAN take control of your finances and improve your credit. Every month of paying on time helps improve your credit rating. And if there is anything negative on your report, it must be accurate and verifiable to remain.
   
   

Apple/Siri CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT:

At any time since 2014, have you owned an iPhone and used Siri? (This opportunity expires 5/30/2025)

Siri was listening when it wasn’t supposed to listen. That is a privacy violation. In January 2025, a class action lawsuit was settled where claimants will receive $20. If we represent you, we will opt you OUT of the class action case and represent you in a private case, which could be worth thousands of dollars. Sign up here:
https://applelawsuit.resolvelawconsumerclaims.com/apple-lawsuit?

utm_source=Credit%20Admiral&utm_medium=External&utm_campaign=Siri

(This is from my colleague Matt Liistro, National Credit Fixers.)

Approximately 30 million Americans cannot qualify for a home loan because their credit is too thin. It is not bad credit blocking them out of homeownership, but skinny credit!

When a mortgage professional says a credit report is “thin,” it means there is not enough information on it to properly judge the risk of lending.

If you want to borrow $300,000 to purchase a home, and the only account on your credit card is a $50 gas card, that is not enough information for the underwriter to go by in order to determine if you are risk-worthy of a $300K loan.

In fact, FICO reports that they cannot award a credit score if…

You have only one account.

You haven’t had credit long enough to judge a payment pattern.

You haven’t used credit in two years.

Ideally, you want to have one or two major credit cards (Visa or MasterCard) plus another account, such as a store card, gas card. Even better if one of your accounts is a closed-ended loan, such as a student loan or auto loan.

Having a mix of a closed-end loan + major credit card + one more account is ideal for earning a top credit score of 740+ in one year.

If you keep your credit card balance low compared to the limit, and pay the entire balance on your credit card each month, and pay all loans and credit on time every month, then it only takes one year to go from 0 to 740.

All of this vital information and more is in Build and Protect Your Credit Like the Pros.

When you know how the credit scoring system works, YOU are in control of your credit rating. And that is how it should be. Your credit report reflects your personal financial integrity, so make sure yours is TOPS!

Did you send Experian a sincere letter asking for an investigation or disputing a negative item on your credit report? And did Experian send you back a form letter of denial with no specific reason regarding your account? You aren’t the only one!

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against Experian for what they are calling “sham investigations.” Fake investigations. Not doing their job.

This has been going on for a long time, and I wrote about it in Repair Your Credit Like the Pros. This lawsuit is long overdue!

Here is what my colleague, Mr. Erik Kaplan, owner of the ethical credit repair service, THD Credit Consulting, wrote about it:

Why this lawsuit matters to you:

Your credit report should accurately reflect your financial history. When mistakes happen, you have the legal right to dispute them — and credit bureaus are obligated to conduct a reasonable investigation. If Experian or any bureau cuts corners, here’s how it can effect you:

• False negative information, such as incorrect missed payments or defaults, can lower your score.
• Errors that show higher balances or duplicate accounts can artificially inflate your credit utilization ratio, negatively affecting your score. 
• Mistakes that shorten your credit history or misreport public records like collections or bankruptcies make you appear riskier to lenders. 

In your next dispute letter, you might choose to mention this lawsuit and that you expect to receive a satisfactory response that includes (what you asked for, such as a deletion) or a specific explanation of the investigation, including the contact information for the decision-maker and how they arrived at their conclusion.

Remember, there is updated and new information in Book 2: Repair Your Credit Like the Pros DEEPER DIVE that you don’t want to miss.

For more information about the lawsuite, see here.