Saturday, August 20th
2022 Credit Repair Company Reviews
Credit Repair
- Free online consultation
- 8.2 million removals and 26+ million challenges and disputes since 2012
- Over 850,000 clients in the last 10 years
- Most clients see a 40-point increase in their credit score in six months
- Monthly fees from $69.95 to $119.95, plus first-work fee equal to one month's payment
Credit Repair has been around for over 10 years. In that time, they proudly proclaim that they helped over 850,000 clients, with more than 8 million removals and 26 million challenges and disputes. According to their data, the average Credit Repair customer sees a 40-point increase in their credit score within the first six months.
Prices aren't obvious
Credit Repair offers "a service for all budgets" . Their least expensive option is Basic; it's what they recommend for anyone who has just a few negative items to get removed from their credit report. Moderate is the mid-range tier, and Aggressive is, well, for anyone with a lot of items to address. However, Credit Repair doesn't take the next obvious step and tell you what those levels will cost. You'll have to do their free online evaluation first: with a soft pull on your credit (that won't impact your score), you'll get your score, a summary of all negative items, and a recommended credit solution. And that's when they'll tell you what your particular solution will cost.
You'll pay about $100/month or more
It felt unnecessarily complicated to have to dig way into Credit Repair's blog to find their pricing. Why not just come out and say it, like your rivals do? If the article we found is accurate to current pricing, you'll pay $69.95 for the basic (also labeled as Direct) plan, $99.95 for standard, and $119.95 for advanced. Those are all monthly fees, plus a "first-work fee" equivalent to a one-month payment.
Doesn't spell out the benefits
What will you get? All packages come with bureau challenges, inquiry assists, goodwill intervention, and credit score updates (quarterly on direct/basic and standard, monthly on advanced plans). Your extra $30/month on standard plans only gets you a FICO Score Inquiry Assist service, for you to dispute unfair or inaccurate inquiries on your account. And advanced? That will come with "more" challenges, creditor interventions, and cease/desist interventions - but since they never specify how many of those you get with the other two plans, it's hard to tell if it's worth it to get "more" .
Lackluster BBB rating
It's never a good thing when a company has a bad rating from the Better Business Bureau. Unfortunately, Credit Repair has a "D" there: an improvement over the "F" they used to have, but still nothing that's going to leave you impressed. Then again, there were only 85 complaints filed there over the last three years, and several of those were from clients who didn't take the time to read the fine print of what they signed up for. Credit Repair representatives appear to be taking the time to respond appropriately, regardless of the reason for the complaints.
Costs
- Ranges from $69.95 to $119.95 per month
- First-work fees equal to one month of service
Some clients say yes, some say no
Still, customer feedback overall here is a mixed bag. You've got the people who went to the BBB to register their complaints, and yet there are over 400 individuals who gave Credit Repair a perfect five-star rating. You can see some of those positive comments if you visit this company's social media pages (if you're willing to sift through the spammy crypto reviews that no one at Credit Repair seems to be in a hurry to delete).
Actively helpful on social media channels
Speaking of social media, we were glad to see this company actually taking the time to post helpful things on a regular basis. Some of their rivals give the impression of having abandoned their IG or FB pages, but we were able to learn more about building credit, discover new financial blogs to follow, and watch a video about credit in posts as recent as the day before this evaluation.
Still room for improvement
Overall, we think that Credit Repair is on the right track but that they still have a long way to go before we'd trust them with our financial well-being. This service would benefit from offering more transparency, particularly with pricing, and we'd like to see many more positive client reviews by the time of our next evaluation - not to mention a higher rating from the Better Business Bureau. In the meanwhile, check out the higher-ranked credit repair services we researched.
More Credit Repair Company Reviews
Which Credit Repair Service is the Best?
Americans have finally started to understand the importance of a good credit score: from 2011 to 2021, the nationwide average increased from 689 to 714! Anything over 700 is considered to be "good" and can be the key to opening doors financially - everything from renting an apartment to securing an auto loan or mortgage may rest on your credit report.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands what goes into a positive credit history. Late payments, applying for multiple credit cards in a short period of time, or even problems with mistaken identity can all lead to a less-than-excellent credit profile. Some people get lured in by the promises of low monthly payments or 0% APR credit cards, only to find themselves drowning in debt.
Credit Repair Company FAQ
Continued from above...
That's where credit repair services enter the picture. These providers work to dispute items on your credit report that might be inaccurate, unverifiable, or erroneous. Depending on which company you choose, the service might also include cease and desist letters, goodwill letters to help you qualify for credit in the future, credit monitoring to keep you on track, and one-on-one coaching.
You shouldn't expect miraculous, rapid increases in your credit score - most credit repair processes result in a modest increase of about 40 points, though some may bring you up by 100 points or more - but it could be what makes the difference for your financial goals and credit needs.
As you start to explore the possibility of credit repair, you'll soon see that there are many providers hoping to gain your business as a client. Which one is the best for you? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you decide:
- Services provided. What is included in your monthly fee? Will you get a certain number of challenges and disputes or is it unlimited? Is credit monitoring included? Will you get coaching on managing your finances going forward, so that you can avoid needing credit repair down the road?
- Fees. What will you pay for the services you receive? Is it month-to-month or a one-off cost? Is there an initial work fee or setup cost? Also, many services expect that you will have a credit report in hand at the time of your first consultation; some include that with your fees, while others charge you for it. Be aware that you can request your credit report once per year for free: the CFPB recommends using AnnualCreditReport.com to get yours from all three of the major credit bureaus at no cost.
- Results. The best credit repair services tell you what to expect and how quickly. It can take a month or two before your credit score changes, even if your provider is working diligently behind the scenes on your behalf.
- Reputation. The Better Business Bureau isn't a big fan of the credit repair industry, so it's not uncommon to see reputable providers with a less-than-stellar BBB grade. Rely on client feedback to paint a clearer picture instead. Do customers say the credit repair service was effective? Was it worth the money they paid? Did their assigned reps update them regularly with the progress made on their credit reports?
To help you get your finances back on track, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular credit repair services available today. We're confident that this information will give you everything you need to choose the right partner in your journey towards a fantastic credit report!
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