Category:
Credit Counseling

How to Remove Negative Items From Your Credit Report

By Michael Knisley | March 24, 2026

Anything negative that shows up on your credit report — missed payments, big balances, debts turned over to collection agencies, bankruptcies – is … well, undesirable. It can undo the…

Best Companies to Fix and Restore Your Credit

By Maureen Milliken | February 17, 2026

Bad credit has a huge negative impact on so many parts of your financial life. The impact isn’t just on what rates you pay on credit cards and loans, or…

Can I Pay Someone to Fix My Credit?

By Tom Jackson | January 9, 2026

Millions of Americans must deal with wrong information on their credit reports every year. Many of them hire someone to deal with it. That can be a colossal waste of…

Do Credit Repair Companies Work?

By Phil Sheridan | January 8, 2026

Credit repair companies do work, but that may not be the full answer you need. In fact, the real question is whether you need a credit repair company at all?…

Does Closing a Bank Account Hurt Your Credit?

By Sarah Brady | August 22, 2025

As a credit expert and a former NFCC-certified credit counselor, I know firsthand that many people are confused about what goes into their credit scores. So, I want to break…

Credit Counseling

By Max Fay | July 11, 2025

What Is Credit Counseling? Credit counseling is a free service that provides help with budgeting, solutions for becoming debt-free, and tips for managing your money successfully. Credit counseling is offered…

Debt Management vs Bankruptcy

By Tom Jackson | March 12, 2025

When faced with overwhelming debt, many people think bankruptcy is their only way out, but there’s another option you may not have heard about. Debt management is a debt relief…

Debt Management vs Bankruptcy

By Tom Jackson | March 12, 2025

When faced with overwhelming debt, many people think bankruptcy is their only way out, but there’s another option you may not have heard about. Debt management is a debt relief…

Does Credit Repair Work?

By Sarah Brady | February 21, 2025

“Credit repair” probably sounds like it should be something helpful, right? After all, what could be wrong with wanting to repair your credit? But when it comes to financial services…

Marriage and Credit Scores

By Pat McManamon | December 18, 2024

Getting married will not affect your credit score. When you say, “I do!” in exchanging wedding vows, you don’t mean exchanging credit scores. “When you get married, you have two…

Sources:

  1. McCauley, M., and Telemaque, T. (2024, April 30) Almost half of participants in Credit Checkup study find errors on credit reports; more than a quarter find serious mistakes. Retrieved from https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/almost-half-of-participants-in-credit-checkup-study-find-errors-on-credit-reports-more-than-a-quarter-find-serious-mistakes/
  2. N.A. (2025, September 5) Is it possible to remove accurate but negative information from my credit report? Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/is-it-possible-to-remove-accurate-negative-information-from-my-credit-report-en-1249/
  3. N.A. (2025, January 13) Everything you need to know about credit repair scams. Retrieved from https://www.usbank.com/financialiq/manage-your-household/establish-credit/How-spot-credit-repair-scam.html
  4. N.A. (2021, May) Disputing Errors on Your Credit Reports. Retrieved from https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/disputing-errors-your-credit-reports
  5. N.A. (2023, November) Fixing Your Credit FAQs. Retrieved from https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fixing-your-credit-faqs
  6. N.A. (ND) A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf
  7. N.A. (2024, December 12) How do I dispute an error on my credit report? Retrieved from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-dispute-an-error-on-my-credit-report-en-314/
  8. N.A. (ND) Chapter 7 & 13: How Long Does Negative Info Stay on Credit Report? Retrieved from https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/faq/negative-reasons/how-long-negative-information-remain-on-credit-report
  9. N.A. (2024, November) Understanding Your Credit. Retrieved from https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/understanding-your-credit