SAMPLE CHAPTER

The Credit System

It's sad but true. A large percentage of Americans suffer from a blemish on their credit reports. A blemish that prevents them from obtaining new credit when they need it most. Bad credit is embarrassing, humiliating, and depressing because most credit ors believe a bad credit report dictates a persons worth and value as a responsible human being.

Most people with bad credit are not "deadbeats" nor are they unwilling to pay their obligations. In fact, if your like most people, you probably maintained a good credit profile until an unforeseen circumstance like a layoff, medical problem, or divorce prevented you from making a few payments in a timely manner.

The truth is that most people struggle long and hard to meet their obligations but the money coming in just doesn't meet the bills going out. If you find yourself in this type of situation, you must be very careful and selective about which bills get paid. If the circumstances become serious enough, you may even have to file for bankruptcy protection.

You are not alone. You're not the first person to decide to put food on the table or keep the electricity on rather than paying a credit card bill. You can be sure that most people would rather protect their family and their loved ones first, and then pay their creditors. Even the collection agents, the ones that call and 0harass other people about their obligations, would certainly protect themselves first if faced with the same tough decision.

Now, by knowing, understanding and utilizing your legal rights you can begin taking the steps of regain the good credit you once had and reward yourself with the confidence necessary to rebuild your financial independence and freedom. Of course you must protect your new credit report with honesty, integrity, and common sense.

So, as you begin your journey to establish a new credit report, I would first ask you to stop feeling guilty about your previous inability to pay your creditors. It may or may not have been your fault. That is and will remain in the past. Look forward to a new start, new credit report, and a new chance.

As publishers, we are not engaged in giving any legal or accounting advice. If you desire and want professional legal advice, please go to our Legal Services Page to get the legal representation you need at a price you can afford.

Introduction

Unfortunately today, we live in a society that determines our net worth and value as a human being by the type of credit file we have. If your credit report is good, chances are you will receive and partake of some of the better things in life. But the opposite couldn't be more true if your credit report is bad. There are very few creditors who will extend good credit to people with bad credit.

But what if it wasn't your fault? What if you had to make the simple choice between eating and making your car payment? What if a job lay-off, a medical emergency, or some other personal crisis prevented you from making a timely payment? Should you be forced to pay for this for the next seven to ten years?

The credit bureaus are judge and jury in relation to your credit file. But there is one difference. A judge will at least give you the chance to defend yourself in court before passing judgment. And in America we are SUPPOSED to have a chance to face our accusers BEFORE judgment is passed. This is entirely untrue when it comes to your credit file.

The truth is that your creditors and the credit bureaus have been swapping information about you behind your back for a long time. You are not asked or given any benefit of defense when this happens. It is in effect legal gossip!

The system, as it stands today, does not give you the opportunity to defend yourself before inscribing your credit file with negative information, even if it is not yours! You must prove to them that the negative information on your credit file is incorrect, invalid or otherwise erroneous before they will remove it. That means in their eyes, you are GUILTY until proven INNOCENT.

You might wonder how a system like this is allowed to operate in our DEMOCRACY, in a country where we've been brought up to believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Why aren't we extended some courtesy by the credit bureaus? Why don't they give us a chance to defend ourselves before placing negative information on our credit files?

Good questions, aren't they? You may not like the answer though... THEY DON'T HAVE TO! The credit bureaus are private companies and corporations. They are in business to make a profit. And that profit comes from one place and one place only: YOUR CREDITORS.

Your creditors pay to see your credit file information and believe it to be true and correct. They also reciprocate by exchanging your credit information with the credit bureaus. So... your creditors pay the credit bureaus and the credit bureaus are in business to make a profit. Where do you fit in? You don't.

Unfortunately you are just another number in the vast data bank of numbers. Your credit report and the information it contains are not important or of any consequence to anyone but you. That's why you are the only one that can do anything about it.

Well my friend, that's why I put this information together and developed this unique program. I have seen too many people destroyed by the credit reporting system. I have watched helplessly by the wayside as their credit files were corrupted and their self dignity was destroyed in the process.

So many people with poor credit have done their best to make timely payments but couldn't because of a personal problem or another. Should they pay for this both financially and emotionally for the next seven to ten years? I don't believe so. I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I believe that you deserve a second chance, no matter what the previous circumstances were. Put those problems behind you now. It's time to move on and re-establish a good credit file.

YOU CAN remove past negative information it will take time and tenacity. The process is simple but it's not easy. It will take some work on your part, but if you're serious about getting a second chance, you won't mind.

Congratulations! You are about to take the final steps necessary to begin a brand new life with good credit! Study the material, use the information and get a new start!

A Few Comments On Credit Repair Companies

Over the past fifteen years or so, many "Credit Repair Companies" or "Credit Clinics" have opened up across the nation. Their main purpose is to help the individual remove incorrect and negative items from their credit report. Unfortunately, some of these outfits are scams from the word "GO" and have given the whole industry a bad name. They take the consumer's money and then tell them it will take month s to get results, then disappear without a trace. With the information we have provided you with here, you have no need to take that chance. If, however, you decide to hire one of these companies, check them out!

First, if the sales person or company uses the word "Guarantee" or "Delete", Run and don't look back! There is no way to "Guarantee" that ANYTHING will be removed from the credit report! Think about it for a minute. Unless he or she is going to "hack" into the credit bureau's computer, how can he guarantee anything? The Clinic is NOT the one that "deletes" the information!

Ask to see their license, get a copy of it, and then contact your State's Secretary of State to make sure that the company has obtained and maintained the necessary license and/or bond. In the State of Nebraska all companies, organizations, or individuals that provide credit services MUST (with NO exceptions) obtain a "Credit Services Organization License". If they charge a fee BEFORE they provide the services they promise, they MUST also maintain a $100,000 Surety Bond for TWO YEARS after they cease doing business in the state. While you are on the phone with the Secretary of State's office, ask if there have been any unresolved complaints against the company. Find out how long they have had their license as well.

There have been a number of credit clinics that guarantee to remove any derogatory items from consumer's credit report.

Contact the Attorney General's office in your state as well, see if there have been any complaints and find out if they are under any kind of investigation. The Better Business Bureau is also another good organization to check. My company wasn't just LISTED with the BBB, we where actually members of the organization as well.

If the firm tells you that you can not take a day to think about it or that it is a 24 hour offer tell them to take a hike! They where trying to scam you! Tell them that you want a copy of the contract you will be signing and any disclosures so that your attorney can take a look at it. If they balk, again, good for you, you just flushed out another con-artist. Call the Attorney General to have them investigated so no one else will fall into their trap! To have unlimited contracts reviewed by an attorney, and tons of other legal services, please visit our Legal Services Page.

For five years I owned and operated a company here in Omaha that not only assisted individuals and families re-establish their credit reports and obtain new forms of credit; but we also helped establish a budgets, and save money. The last two items were more important than the first two! If nothing else, TIME will repair a damaged credit report. But without the proper savings and budgeting, the smallest disruption in an individual's cash flow will destroy the BEST credit report. In fact, the "better" the credit, the more potential for damage there is!

I will encourage you to go to your local book store and obtain a book on budgeting. Talk to a family member, friend, or clergyman to get help on setting up and sticking to a budget. One of the reasons people run into the credit situations they do is because when the emergencies hit, there is nothing to fall back on. Don't let it happen again! Protect your good credit and your good name!

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