Writer: Adam West
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
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There are several reasons to look for quick credit repair. Having good credit could save you a lot of money if you’re on the verge of making a big purchase. Maybe you’re the recent victim of identity theft, or you just found inaccurate information on your credit history that’s unfairly bringing down your credit score.
Whatever the reason, we can recommend a credit repair agency for you. We’ve spent years researching every credit repair company to enter the market. This has given us insight into what you should look for, whether you need to remove a small amount of negative information or if you need a complete credit remodel.
Below we break down the different services offered by each credit repair agency.
Credit Repair Companies That Work Quickly
Credit repair aims to remove any inaccurate or unverifiable details from your credit history. But it also offers several other perks, like credit counseling, monitoring, goodwill letters, and score tracking, among other helpful services.
- Since 2004, Lexington Law Firm clients saw over 84 million items removed from their credit reports
- Get started today with a free online credit report assessment
- Cancel anytime
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Better Business Bureau | In Business Since | Monthly Cost | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| See BBB Listing | 2004 | $139.95 | 8/10 |
Lexington Law is our top-rated credit repair service for many reasons. Since 2004, Lexington Law Firm clients have seen over 50 million collections removed from their credit reports.
Instead of hiring people off the street for their call centers, Lexington Law pairs you with trained paralegals and lawyers who focus on credit repair and will assist you in your credit repair journey.
- Best-in-class support
- In business since 1989
- Rapid 35-day dispute cycle, tailored to your situation
- 90-day 100% money-back guarantee
- Low $79 cost to get started, cancel or pause membership anytime
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Better Business Bureau | In Business Since | Monthly Cost | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 1989 | $79 | 9.5/10 |
Sky Blue Credit Repair® was one of the first credit repair firms on the internet. And since 1999, the company’s unconditional 90-day money-back guarantee has helped it become a leader in the field.
With Sky Blue Credit Repair, there’s no need to choose between multiple service tiers. They offer a single service package that provides the same benefits to every client.
- Free online assessment
- CreditRepair.com members saw over 8.8 million removals on their credit reports since 2012
- Free access to your credit report summary
- Three-step plan for checking, challenging and changing your credit report
- Online tools to help clients track results
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Better Business Bureau | In Business Since | Monthly Cost | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| See BBB Listing | 2012 | $69.95+ | 8/10 |
CreditRepair.com is one of the oldest and most trusted agencies on the internet. CreditRepair.com members saw over 8.8 million removals on their credit reports since 2012. This company provides a helpful correspondence with each of the major credit bureaus to ensure you have a fair and accurate credit report.
In 2023, CreditRepair.com members saw over 60,000 late payments removed from their credit reports.
- Credit Firm has helped consumers improve their credit scores for more than 20 years
- No hidden fees — just $49.99/month
- Credit Firm uses every legal tool and procedure allowable by law to remove as much derogatory information as possible from your credit reports to increase your credit scores
- 97% of our clients refer us to friends and family
- See official site, terms, and details.
| Better Business Bureau | In Business Since | Monthly Cost | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1997 | $49.99 | 8.5/10 |
CreditFirm.net has been helping clients improve their credit for nearly 30 years. The firm also has a reputation for getting results, which is why 97% of its clients are satisfied enough to recommend its services to their families and friends.
Once you sign up, CreditFirm.net dives into analyzing your credit reports from all three major bureaus, pinpointing derogatory information that can be removed. The process is so thorough that, on average, clients see 9.7 items removed after just three months.
What Is Credit Repair?
Credit repair focuses on eliminating inaccurate, outdated, or unverifiable entries from your credit history. This can include a variety of information such as:
- Late payments
- Loan or credit card balances
- Misspelled names or addresses
- Outdated information that should no longer exist on your report
- Accounts that don’t belong to you
- Unauthorized credit inquiries
Every negative mark on your credit history can slash dozens—sometimes even hundreds—of points from your credit score. If you’re trying to build credit, this can undo all your hard effort.
The credit repair agency you hire will pinpoint this data and file a dispute letter with each credit bureau that shows this information. The credit bureau will then initiate an investigation into the matter and, if it rules in your favor, it will remove the item in question.
The credit repair agency you choose will need to send a unique dispute letter to each credit bureau for every negative item you wish to challenge. For instance, if there’s an incorrect late payment on your credit account reported by all three bureaus, your credit repair team will need to file three separate disputes and patiently await the results from each investigation.
Most credit repair services charge a monthly service fee. Some may also add an account setup or first-work fee before starting on your case. The amount of time it takes to complete your case will depend on the number of items that require disputes.
Some services may allow you to pause your account at any time with the ability to resume work later. But very few services will offer to complete your entire task for a flat fee.
But contrary to popular belief, a credit repair agency cannot promise to remove anything from your credit report.
Beyond challenging inaccurate information, a credit repair service can also help with goodwill letters and collection settlement negotiations. These may help remove an accurately reported negative item from your credit history.
In addition to credit repair, your service might offer credit monitoring, counseling, score tracking, financial coaching, and identity theft protection, among other valuable resources.
How Can I Fix My Credit Immediately?
There’s no way to completely wipe your credit report of negative information in an instant. But you can employ certain services and tactics if you need a quick credit score boost, including:
- Pay off debts: When your credit utilization ratio improves and your overall debt decreases, you can see a quick jump in your credit score the next time your scores are calculated, which is usually every 30 days.
- Use Experian Boost: A service from Experian will allow you to add nontraditional bills, such as your electricity bill, with a positive payment history to your Experian credit report. This can help add a few points to your credit score — whether you have good credit or bad credit.
- Conduct your own credit repair: You aren’t required to hire a credit repair service to file a dispute with a major credit bureau. Each bureau makes it easy to file a dispute independently through its website and gives you access to a dashboard with real-time investigation updates.
- Become an authorized user: Being added as an authorized user on someone’s credit card can help you lengthen your credit history, raise your available credit, and add positive payment history to your credit reports.
- Keep your applications to a minimum: Every time you apply for a credit account or loan, the lender may require access to your credit report, which will leave a hard inquiry on your credit history. Too many of these could negatively impact your credit score. Don’t apply for new credit unless it’s necessary.
While Experian Boost can give your Experian credit score a quick lift, other methods won’t provide instant results. That’s because there’s no magic way to boost your credit score in mere minutes or hours.
Lenders will report your latest information to each credit bureau every month. That means it could take up to a month for any new data to post to your credit history. If you pay off debts or take another path toward improving your credit score, plan on at least one month to see the fruits of your labor.
What Can A Credit Repair Company Fix?
Credit repair companies excel at tackling various credit report issues, but they mainly focus on removing negative or unverified information.
Errors sometimes sneak onto your credit reports. For example, a credit card company might wrongly report your credit limit or balance. A lender could incorrectly note a missed payment when you actually paid on time. Even small errors, like a wrong address, can lead to automatic credit application denials.
When you’re on the hunt for the best credit repair company, find one that not only disputes and removes negative items but also offers tools to elevate your credit standing.
This may include submitting goodwill letters to attempt to remove an accurately reported late payment or negotiation assistance if you want to pay off a collections account and have it removed from your credit history. A credit repair service may also offer one-on-one credit coaching and identity theft monitoring.
One thing a credit repair service should never do is promise to erase every negative item from your credit report. This isn’t feasible or legal. If a company guarantees this, it’s likely a scam and won’t fulfill those promises.
How Do I Spot a Legitimate Credit Repair Company?
A trustworthy credit repair company won’t make promises about guaranteed results. They’ll guide you through the process without requiring full payment upfront.
Avoid companies that charge a flat fee and require payment in full before starting work. Almost every legitimate credit repair agency charges a monthly fee for services rendered. This protects everyone involved because you can cancel and owe nothing more if you aren’t pleased with the service.
But if you pay everything upfront, you have no recourse if the company doesn’t deliver on its promises.
Other red flags to look for include:
- A company that can’t — or won’t — answer your questions about its services.
- A company that urges you to file an untruthful dispute
- A company that has a bad rating with the Better Business Bureau
- A company that can’t show previous successful disputes
- A company that doesn’t provide easy access to customer service
- A company that doesn’t comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act
As with most things in life, if something seems too good to be true, it likely is. Don’t fall for a credit repair scam that promises you the world and only leaves you with an empty wallet. Trust your gut and do your research.
If you feel you may be part of a credit repair scam, you can file a report with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to initiate an investigation.
After years of extensive research, we confidently recommend the services listed above. They boast a proven track record of success and ethical practices. You can trust these professionals to deliver on the services you hire them for.
How Long Does Credit Repair Take?
The amount of time it takes to complete your credit repair journey will depend on the number and complexity of items you need removed.
For instance, if you only need to remove one negative entry, you’ll find it much simpler than dealing with the aftermath of identity theft, where you might have a lot of incorrect details on your credit reports.
Credit repair companies usually charge on a monthly basis, and it’s wise to plan for at least six months of payments to see results—though the exact time may vary depending on your situation.
The reason it takes so long is that the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives each credit bureau up to 30 days to investigate every filed dispute. Since many credit repair companies limit how many disputes they’ll file each month on your behalf, you may need several months to file all your necessary disputes. You’ll have to wait to see the results and then wait again for credit score updates if a credit bureau rules in your favor.
Take advantage of the free consultation that most agencies provide to prospective clients. During this meeting, you’ll go over your credit report and create a plan to fix any issues you have. Your credit counselor won’t be able to tell you how long it will take to complete the job, but you can get an idea if you’re looking at more or less than the average six-month time frame.
How Much Does Credit Repair Cost?
Every credit repair company charges a different price for its services, and many offer multiple tiers of services.
Most reputable credit repair agencies require a monthly fee. In most cases, you can cancel or pause your account at any time. Some may even offer a money-back guarantee if there’s no change to your credit report within the first 90 days of service.
Below is a breakdown of the most popular credit repair services and their monthly cost.
- Lexington Law: $139.95 per month
- Sky Blue Credit Repair®: $79 per month
- CreditRepair.com: $69.95 to $119.95 per month, depending on the tier you choose
- The Credit Pros: $139 per month
- CreditFirm.net: $49.99 per month
- Ovation Credit Repair: $79 to $109 per month, depending on the tier you choose
- AMB Credit Consultants: $99 per month
- The Credit People: $79 per month
- Pyramid Credit Repair: $99 per month
As you see above, the prices for each service vary wildly. But keep in mind that some services offer far more than basic credit disputes.
Your monthly fee may also entitle you to credit score updates, credit consultations, credit monitoring, identity theft monitoring and solutions, and financial literacy modules.
Which Bills Help Build Credit?
Not every bill company reports your account to a credit bureau for placement on your credit report. But some bills that don’t report may still require access to your credit history to determine whether you’ll need to pay a deposit to initiate service. The most common example of this is a cellphone plan.
The bills that typically affect your credit rating are:
- Car payments
- Mortgage payments
- Student loan payments
- Credit card payments
These all include some sort of credit or loan extended by a bank or other loan servicer.
Regularly paying recurring bills like rent, utilities, and insurance on time shows your reliability. You can leverage these payments to boost your credit score slightly by enrolling in a program like Experian Boost.
This free service looks at your recurring bills and will add on-time payment information to your Experian credit report.
On-time payments can add points to your credit score, but late payments will have the opposite effect. Experian Boost doesn’t consider accounts with past-due payments that would harm your payment history.
And remember that these changes will only appear on your Experian credit report to help your Experian FICO 8 Score — not your credit reports with Equifax or TransUnion.
How Long Do Negative Items Stay On My Credit Report?
The length of time negative items remain on your credit report will vary. For instance, a late payment won’t stick around as long as a bankruptcy. A hard inquiry won’t hurt your score nearly as badly as a foreclosure.
As a general rule of thumb:
- A late payment can remain for up to seven years.
- Collections or charge-off accounts remain for up to seven years from the original delinquency date.
- Bankruptcy public records can remain as long as seven to 10 years.
- Other negative items, such as a repossession or foreclosure, can remain for up to seven years from the date of the first missed payment that led to negative status.
- Inquiries can remain for up to two years, but only affect your credit score for one.
It’s important to keep in mind that recent entries carry more weight on your credit score than older ones. For example, a late payment from two months ago will impact your score more than one from five years ago.
That’s why you’ll notice a positive change as you move beyond your financial mishaps and swap out those negative items for positive data on your credit history. Over time, these mistakes will have little impact on your credit score as long as you stay responsible and avoid adding new negative information to your credit report.
Some items can remain for longer than their typical lifespan under certain circumstances. For example, a charge-off account can restart its clock if the original debtor sells it to a collection agency.
A collection agency can also restart the clock under certain circumstances if you communicate with the company and admit that you owe the debt. It’s important to understand the dos and don’ts of communicating with a collection agency.
Can I Repair My Own Credit?
The credit bureaus make it easy to dispute inaccuracies on your credit reports.
In the past, consumers had to print out a form and mail it to each bureau for each item they wished to dispute. In addition to the time it spent in the mail, you still had to wait up to 30 days for a decision, plus the time it took for the resolution letter to arrive in your mailbox. Petitioners had to wait nearly two months to resolve a single negative item with one credit bureau in some cases.
Thankfully, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion have hopped into the digital age, and all offer a digital platform for submitting disputes. It’s a much easier process that allows you to follow the ensuing investigation with real-time results.
Before you switch into dispute mode, get copies of your free annual credit reports. This will show you all the data credit scoring models use to calculate your credit scores, including your open and closed accounts.
This is where you can search for inaccuracies or other disputable items. Get a copy of your credit report from all three bureaus to make sure inaccurate items don’t appear on more than one report. Once you’ve found the information you want to dispute, you can follow the basic instructions on each bureau’s website to begin the process.
Find Quick Credit Repair Solutions Today
Dealing with poor credit isn’t easy. A low credit score can impact much more than just your ability to secure a loan or credit card. Each negative mark might lower your credit limit, increase your interest rate, and even affect your job prospects.
Kickstart your credit recovery by tackling any inaccuracies or unverifiable items that are dragging down your scores. With the quick credit repair options we discussed, you can dive right in today and quickly map out a clear plan.
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