Right now, many credit card companies and other lenders (car loans, mortgage loans, etc.) are tightening their standards. Without good credit, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a loan of any kind. In this climate, it is no surprise that credit repair agencies are starting to push their services. But do you really need a credit repair “professional” to help you improve your credit score?

The answer is no.

Improve your credit score on your own

The fact of the matter is that, by law, credit repair agencies can’t do anything for you that you can’t do for yourself. In most cases, the best that a credit repair service can do is help you dispute negative items on your credit report and help you develop a plan for paying down debt. And these are things that you can do for yourself, free of charge.

The best ways to improve your credit score are:

  1. Pay down debt.
  2. Pay bills on time.
  3. Get rid of inaccurate information on your credit report.
  4. Avoid applying for new credit for at least three to six months.

It may take time for your credit score to improve, and that is to be expected. Credit repair usually takes 30 to 90 days, or longer, depending on the efforts you make, and the current state of your credit. Be wary of companies promise to fix your score immediately. Either they are scamming you, or they are using methods that are considered somewhat suspect. Your score may improve for a short period of time, but long-term such methods are mostly ineffective.

While credit repair agencies can help those who feel overwhelmed with getting started, for the most part is is possible to improve your credit score on your own. The FTC has great information on credit repair, including how to avoid scams.