Everyone’s credit situation is completely different, so how long it takes for you to achieve your expected results depends on the number of derogatory credit items on your reports, your participation in getting credit reports to us, and the level of credit bureau cooperation. We will do our part, the auditing and creating dispute letters based on your reports, usually within 48 hours from the date we receive them. Most of the wait-time after is usually spent waiting for the credit bureaus or creditors to respond.

You will receive updated credit reports from all three credit bureaus after 30 to 45 days. At that time you will see what was deleted and will need to mail the originals to us so that we can continue working on the remaining items. You will actually know what was deleted before we do, which is why it is so important that you forward all credit bureau correspondence within a few days of receiving it. If the credit agency does not respond to your dispute letter, do not be alarmed, a new dispute letter will be generated when your file is reviewed by the processing center every 60 days.

Credit scores give lenders a fast, objective measurement of your credit risk. Before the use of scoring, the credit granting process could be slow, inconsistent and unfairly biased. Credit scores – especially FICO® scores, have made big improvements in the credit process.

Credit scores give lenders a fast, objective measurement of your credit risk. Before the use of scoring, the credit granting process could be slow, inconsistent and unfairly biased. Credit scores – especially FICO® scores, have made big improvements in the credit process.

Scores can be delivered almost instantaneously, helping lenders speed up loan approvals. Today many credit decisions can be made within minutes. Even a mortgage application can be approved in hours instead of weeks for borrowers who score above a lender’s “score cutoff”. Scoring also allows retail stores, Internet sites and other lenders to make “instant credit” decisions.

Using credit scoring, lenders can focus only on the facts related to credit risk, rather than their personal feelings. Factors like your gender, race, religion, nationality and marital status are not considered by credit scoring.

If you have had poor credit performance in the past, credit scoring doesn’t let that haunt you forever. Past credit problems fade as time passes and as recent good payment patterns

Lenders who use credit scoring can approve more loans, because credit scoring gives them more precise information on which to base credit decisions. It allows lenders to identify individuals who are likely to perform well in the future, even though their credit report shows past problems. Even people whose scores are lower than a lender’s cutoff for “automatic approval” benefit from scoring. Many lenders offer a choice of credit products geared to different risk levels. Most have their own separate guidelines, so if you are turned down by one lender, another may approve your loan. The use of credit scores gives lenders the confidence to offer credit to more people, since they have a better understanding of the risk they are taking on.

With more credit available, the cost of credit for borrowers decreases. Fewer bad loans to write off makes the credit granting process less costly for lenders, and they in turn are able to pass this savings on to customers in the form of overall lower interest rates. Without the use of credit scoring, interest rates would be significantly higher.

Review your credit reports to keep a step ahead of identity theft.

This is the single biggest factor which affects your credit score.

Keep at least one of your oldest accounts open and active if your credit history is less than 15 years old. The longer the history, the higher your score.

Use at least a couple credit accounts (ideally a home or auto loan and one credit card) regularly. This shows that you can manage credit; if you never owe anything, there’s no track record on your ability to pay it back.

Pay down high revolving balances as quickly as possible. The scoring model deducts significantly for consumers using more than 50 percent of their credit card limits. More than 90 percent usage is an even brighter red flag.