7 credit repair companies for Americans

Side by side

We list these companies without scores, stars or rankings on purpose, and it is worth explaining why. Credit repair is a service where the outcome depends almost entirely on what is actually sitting on your reports, and a company cannot lawfully remove information that is accurate and current. Slapping a scored "best" label on this would imply a result none of them can promise. So instead we describe what each company offers and point you to the free route first.

• What credit repair companies do: they review your reports and file disputes over items they believe are inaccurate, unverifiable or outdated, and follow up with the bureaus and creditors.
• What they cannot do: remove accurate, timely negative information, guarantee a specific score, or create a new credit identity (that last one is illegal).
• What they charge: an ongoing monthly fee, and often a setup or first-work fee, for work you can do yourself at no cost.

Here is the part the industry would rather you not dwell on: every dispute a paid company files, you can file yourself at no cost. If the negative items are genuine errors, doing it yourself is often faster and just as effective.

1. 1Get your reports free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only federally authorized source, and review all three bureaus for errors.
2. 2Dispute inaccuracies directly with each bureau (online, by phone or mail) and with the company that reported the information. The bureaus generally must investigate, usually within 30 days.
3. 3Include copies of supporting documents and keep records of what you send and when.
4. 4For identity theft, use the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov for a free, official recovery plan and pre-filled dispute letters.
5. 5For accurate negatives, focus on time and habits: on-time payments and lower balances rebuild your score, and most negative marks age off after about seven years.

The Credit Repair Organizations Act is a federal law that protects you when you work with any credit repair company. It is worth knowing these rights cold before you hand anyone a dollar.

• No upfront fees: a company cannot charge you until it has completed the services it promised.
• Written contract: you must get a written agreement describing the services, the total cost and how long it will take.
• Three-day cancellation: you can cancel for any reason within three business days at no charge.
• No false claims: companies cannot lie about what they can do or advise you to misrepresent information.
• If a company breaks these rules, you can report it to the CFPB and your state attorney general.