FAQ’s

I have been denied credit, is there anything I can do about it?

Nearly 90% of Americans, just like you, have some “blemish” on their credit reports.  Due to the nature of the credit reporting industry, those blemishes can be mistakenly included on your record.  Frequently, credit reports contain outdated information, unverifiable, negative items, or totally inaccurate entries.  Under the law, the credit reporting companies must remove such information.  You should check your credit report and see why you were, or may be denied credit.  Then, as a Strategy Credit Repair customer, you can do something to correct the mistakes and have your credit corrected. 

How exactly does the credit reporting system work?

The credit reporting system is literally millions of computer files about individual consumers, which are maintained by three credit agencies.  The files contain personal information about you – how much you owe, how have you paid your debts, your employer, your social security number, public records, etc.

How does my information get into my credit files?

When you agree to accept credit from a bank, most retail stores, or fill out an employment application – if a credit report is used as a background check – you give the creditor the right to provide information to any credit reporting company.  Additional information about you comes from public records, such as court records, debt collection companies, and even the utility companies.

Who can request information about my credit?

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a credit reporting agency may only disclose your credit report if someone is:
a. Granting credit, reviewing your account, or collecting on your account   
b. Reviewing you for employment purposes   
c. Reviewing you for insurance  
d. Reviewing your eligibility for a license or government-related benefits.
e. Providing information for a business transaction, such as renting an apartment 
f. An IRS subpoena  
g. Someone to whom you have given written permission   
h. A court order 

How many credit reports have errors or inaccurate information.

Some experts say that as many as 90% of credit reports contain errors that are inaccurate, erroneous, or obsolete information that can cost you the credit you deserve.

Who can remove items from my credit report(s)?

Only the credit reporting agencies have the power to remove items from your credit report.  But, as required by law, the credit reporting agencies must delete inaccurate, erroneous, or obsolete information.

Is it legal to remove negative or derogatory items from my credit report(s)?

Yes it is, your right to dispute items on your credit report is explicitly granted by the United States Congress in the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970, Section 168e (and other laws). Unfortunately, because it requires extra work to investigate as the law mandates, the credit bureaus would have you falsely believe that there is something wrong with disputing items on your credit report.

How long does credit restoration take?

You should see your first results within 30-45 days. We feel confident that a significant portion of your results will appear within the first 60 days. However, your participation in this process is equally important. This is a detailed and skilled procedure that may take up to 180 days to achieve the results you are seeking.

Is credit restoration really possible?

Yes absolutely, however, State and Federal laws prohibit us from saying that removal of all negatives can be guaranteed. Any information, no matter how accurate, which cannot be verified within a reasonable amount of time according to law, can not be included on your credit report and deleted.

Can deleted items show back up?

Although rare, there are times when a credit will eventually verify information that has already been deleted from your credit report. The federal law requires a credit bureau to inform you prior to re-listing a previously deleted item. This same federal law makes it more difficult than ever for a credit bureau to re-list a deleted item. Therefore, although it is technically possible for a deleted item to reappear on your credit report, it is highly unlikely. If an item reappears on your credit report we can again dispute it at a future date and work towards a permanent deletion.

Can I apply for new credit during this restoration process?

We ask that you do not apply for new credit unless it is absolutely necessary during this process. In addition, you will be supplied with updated credit reports as the negative items are removed.

Should I continue to pay my bills?

Whether an item is deleted from your credit report or not, if the underlying debt is still owed you are still responsible for it. Removal of such an item from your credit report is only a temporary solution. If the debt is still accurate and owed, the creditor or collection agency can, and most likely will, re-report the item to the bureau.

Will paying collections and charge offs improve my credit?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work this way. When you pay down an existing debt the negative item in your credit report doesn’t go away with the debt. Instead, when you pay this debt the creditor will report this payment as late and the seven-year time period will re-start. So, even though you have paid, they will report it as a late payment. Even worse, generally a current negative listing is not treated any better than an unpaid negative listing. Therefore, you get no bonus points in respect to your credit report for doing the right thing and bringing your account current.

Is it possible to remove bankruptcies, repossessions and foreclosures from my credit reports(s)?

Any unverifiable, inaccurate, outdated or misleading item can be removed. Bankruptcies, repossessions and foreclosures are considered negatives and derogatories just like a late payment, though more severe in the amount of points deducted from your credit score. We have had a lot of succerss removing these type of accounts as well.  

How long will it take to raise my score?

Through our service, 92% of our clients see their credit score increase 10 points or more in the first 35 days. Over the full 180-day term of the contract, the average credit score increase is 101 points.

How will I know if I am getting results?

You will receive all results first-hand by mail from the creditors and the credit bureaus. You will need to forward the originals to us by through your customer portal or by email.

Do I need to hire an attorney to represent me durring the restoration process?

No you don’t, however, we work with many attorneys and if a situation arose that required legal counsel we have experts we refer our clients to.  

Is having good credit really that important?

Yes it is, very important!  It is your credit report that creditors use to determine if they will extend credit to you.  If you have inaccurate information on your report, you may be turned down for the loan you need or get stuck paying unnecessarily high interest rates which really cost you in the long run.  

What items can you help remove?

With our assistance and document processing, our clients have had great success with bankruptcies, foreclosures, collections, charge-offs, repossessions, medical bills, credit card debt, inquiries, late payments, old addresses, judgments, tax liens and student loans.  

Can I restore my own credit?

Disputing the credit report is easy.  Getting results from the credit bureaus is amazingly difficult, complex, and infuriating.  It is not coincidence that the Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints against the credit bureaus that any other type of business.  Remember, the credit bureaus are primarily interested in protecting their profits.  Investigating your challenge consumes that profit.  Short of sparking a mass number of lawsuits, the credit bureaus seem to do everything in their power to discourage consumers from making progress in their restoration efforts.

Given some experience and study, you could do some of what our staff does.  It is much like your right as a citizen to represent yourself in court. However, most people choose to utilize a credit correction company to represent them because we understand this complex system better.

Also, a major factor to consider is the amount of time and follow up required coordinating disputes with all three credit-reporting agencies.   Credit repair today has systematized the disputation of credit through a trained staff and a custom designed software package and actual communication with the creditors.  Restoring your own credit is like representing yourself in court; it is possible, but you must decide if you are willing to take the time and assume the risks of doing it yourself.

Do you guarantee your work or warranty your services?

We believe in complete satisfaction, and that is why we have a no-risk money back guarantee policy. When dealing with so many variables and unknowns, we cannot guarantee the exact outcome of a client’s case. The client must agree to follow our instructions and recommendations, which includes not allowing companies to pull their credit unnecessarily, not applying for new credit unless absolutely necessary, not missing or being late with any payments on their credit accounts, not making major purchases on credit cards or increasing balances on existing credit cards unless absolutely necessary and the client must send all correspondence received from credit bureaus to our office within seven days of receipt.

What we can guarantee is that we will always make you our priority because your credit and financial health is a priority to you. We emphasize customer service because our reputation is our foundation and we strive to serve every customer with integrity and genuine concern, we’d love the opportunity to do the same for you.

We are so confident that we can improve your credit health and positioning with all three credit reporting agencies. After 90 days if we have not been able to improve your credit file by removing any derogatory items from your account and you do not feel as though we worked your case with maximum effort and diligence, we will gladly offer you a full refund for this service.