Compare top credit repair services or dispute inaccurate items yourself for free. Expert guidance on removing negative items and rebuilding your credit score.
Get Free Credit Consultation →Credit repair is the process of identifying inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable negative items on your credit report and disputing them with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the legal right to dispute any item on your credit report, and the bureaus must investigate and remove items they cannot verify within 30 days.
Credit repair companies do this on your behalf — sending multiple simultaneous disputes across all three bureaus, following up on investigations, and escalating unresolved disputes. Everything a credit repair company does, you can do yourself for free — the value they provide is expertise, volume, and time savings.
| Item Type | Can Be Removed? | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Inaccurate account information | Yes — FCRA dispute | Dispute with bureau citing specific inaccuracy |
| Account that isn't yours | Yes — FCRA dispute | Dispute as identity theft or error |
| Outdated items (7+ years) | Yes — legal right | Dispute for removal past reporting deadline |
| Late payments (accurate, recent) | Sometimes | Goodwill letter to original creditor |
| Collections (accurate) | Sometimes | Pay-for-delete negotiation |
| Bankruptcy (accurate) | No (until 7–10 years) | Wait for automatic removal |
| Recent accurate late payments | No | Build positive history instead |
| Company | Monthly Fee | Setup Fee | Guarantee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Saint | $79.99–$139.99 | $99–$195 | 90-day money-back | Best overall results |
| Sky Blue Credit | $79 | $0 | 90-day money-back | Best value, flat rate |
| The Credit People | $99 | $0 | 60-day money-back | Transparent flat pricing |
| Lexington Law | $99.95–$139.95 | $14.99 | None | Name recognition |
The legal dispute cycle is 30 days — bureaus must respond within 30 days of receiving your dispute. Most people see initial results in 30–60 days (first items removed). Significant improvement (50+ point score increase) typically takes 3–6 months as multiple dispute rounds are processed. Complex situations with many negative items can take 6–12 months.
Everything you need to make a confident decision
Compare top credit repair services or dispute inaccurate items yourself for free. Expert guidance on removing negative items and rebuilding your credit score.
Get Free Credit Consultation — Free, No Obligation →