Credit Repair, 7th edition

Table of Contents......Page 10
Introduction to Credit Repair......Page 14
A. Credit Repair Fast Facts......Page 15
C. Helpful Icons Used in This Book......Page 18
1. Assessing Your Debt Situation......Page 20
B. Face Your Debt Problems......Page 21
C. Understand Your Options for Dealing With Your Debts......Page 22
2. Avoiding Overspending......Page 32
A. Keep Track of Your Daily Expenditures......Page 33
B. Total Up Your Income......Page 35
C. Make a Budget or Spending Plan......Page 38
D. Prevent Future Financial Problems......Page 42
3. Handling Existing Debts......Page 44
A. Deal With Current (or Not Seriously Overdue) Debts......Page 45
B. Use the Form Negotiation Letters Provided in This Book......Page 58
C. Deal With Creditors on Past Due Accounts......Page 59
D. Deal With Collection Agencies......Page 62
4. Cleaning Up Your Credit File......Page 68
A. The Contents of a Credit Report......Page 70
B. Get a Copy of Your Credit Report......Page 72
C. Review Your Credit Report......Page 74
D. Dispute Incomplete and Inaccurate Information in Your Credit File......Page 78
E. Consider Adding a Brief Statement to Your Credit File......Page 81
G. Add Information Showing Stability to Your Credit File......Page 83
H. Avoid Identity Theft......Page 84
5. How Creditors and Employers Use Your Credit Report......Page 92
A. Who Can Look at Your Credit Report?......Page 93
B. How Credit Applications Are Evaluated......Page 94
6. Building and Maintaining Good Credit......Page 98
C. Get Credit Cards and Use Them Wisely......Page 100
D. Open Deposit Accounts......Page 107
F. Obtain a Bank Loan......Page 108
G. Avoid Credit Repair Clinics......Page 109
H. Avoid Becoming the Victim of Credit Discrimination......Page 116
Appendix 1: Resources......Page 120
A. Credit and Debt Counseling Agencies......Page 121
D. Other Publications......Page 124
F. State Consumer Protection Agencies......Page 125
Appendix 2: Federal Credit Reporting and Credit Repair Laws......Page 132
Text of the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act......Page 133
Text of the Federal Credit Repair Organizations Act......Page 193
Appendix 3: Forms and Letters......Page 200
F-1: Outstanding Debts......Page 202
F-2: Daily Expenditures......Page 204
F-3: Monthly Income From All Sources......Page 206
F-4: Dispute Credit Card Bill......Page 208
F-5: Error on Credit Card Bill......Page 210
F-6: Make Payment If Negative Information Removed or Account Re-aged......Page 212
F-7: Request Short-Term Small Payments......Page 214
F-8: Request Long-Term Small Payments......Page 216
F-9: Request Short-Term Pay Nothing......Page 218
F-10: Request Long-Term Pay Nothing......Page 220
F-11: Request Rewrite of Loan Terms......Page 222
F-12: Offer to Give Secured Property Back......Page 224
F-13: Cashing Check Constitutes Payment in Full (Outside of California)......Page 226
F-14: Cashing Check Constitutes Payment in Full-First Letter (California)......Page 228
F-15: Cashing Check Constitutes Payment in Full-Second Letter (California)......Page 230
F-16: Inform Creditor of Judgment Proof Status......Page 232
F-17: Inform Creditor of Plan To File for Bankruptcy......Page 234
F-18: Request Direct Negotiation With Creditor......Page 236
F-19: Dispute Amount of Bill or Quality of Goods or Services Received......Page 238
F-20: Collection Agency: Cease All Contact......Page 240
F-21: Complaint About Collection Agency Harassment......Page 242
F-22: Request Credit File......Page 244
F-23: Request Reinvestigation......Page 246
F-24: Request Follow-Up After Reinvestigation......Page 248
F-25: Request Removal of Incorrect Information by Creditor......Page 250
F-26: Creditor Verification......Page 252
F-27: Request Addition of Account Histories......Page 254
F-28: Request Addition of Information Showing Stability......Page 256
F-29: ID Theft Affidavit and Instructions......Page 258
Appendix 4: How to Use the Forms CD-ROM......Page 266
B. Using the Word Processing Files to Create Documents......Page 267
Index......Page 270
Related Products......Page 290