A few years ago I began the journey of repairing my credit. I wanted a house so I knew that my credit score needed to be better. It took three months to see significant changes but it was well worth it once I walked into my new house.

Credit repair seems intimidating but it is all about research, knowledge, and perseverance. I became obsessed at one point, but I had to be that way if I wanted results. I didn’t have the money nor did I want to pay someone to do what I could do myself.

Repair Your Own Credit

So if  you want to buy a home, a car, or get education loans repair your credit yourself. Credit repair can seem like an impossible task. In reality it can be very overwhelming but it is feasible.

You may have heard that when your credit is bad you need to file for bankruptcy, go to a credit counseling service where they will consolidate your debt, or simply ignore it. These are some valid options but they may not be the best for you.

The American Way

One thing to remember about credit is it is the American way. This doesn’t excuse how credit is abused but we live in a society that operates on credit. With that in mind credit is or can be a problem for everyone.

At some point in time every person has credit problems. In our economy right now the radio and television waves are filled with commercials about credit repair and bankruptcy options. The court dockets are filled to the gills with foreclosure, judgments, and other legal proceedings that have to do with credit defaults.

Repairing your own credit can seem intimidating at first but with a little research and a lot of determination you can get your credit in good shape.

Credit Repair Basics

The basics of credit repair are: check your credit report, dispute inaccurate information, and negotiate repayment terms, get everything in writing, and never volunteer information. The creditor you are dealing with must prove, in writing that you actually owe this debt. If they cannot prove it they cannot collect.

You have the law on your side in the form of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Get familiar with it and learn the tactics needed to repair your credit. For a time you may want to pay for credit monitoring so you can see the results of your work. It may take three to six months to begin seeing changes but it is worth it when you see your credit score going up.

Samantha Gregory

Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.

Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.

She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.