Frequently asked questions
The questions people ask before they hire us
We have answered these the way we answer them on the phone, which means some of the answers are less encouraging than the ones you will read elsewhere. Accurate expectations are the foundation of a working engagement.
How much does this cost?
It depends on what your file requires, and we quote it after the free review rather than before. A file with a handful of documented inaccuracies is a smaller engagement than one involving identity theft, a mixed file, or a furnisher that has already refused to correct the record. Where a matter proceeds to litigation under the federal consumer statutes, attorney fees are recoverable from the defendant, which changes the economics substantially. You will always know the fee structure in writing before you engage us.
How long will it take?
A straightforward file often resolves in two to four months, because the bureaus generally have thirty days to complete a reinvestigation and most files require more than one cycle. Cases involving fraud, merged records, or a resistant furnisher run longer. Litigation adds months. Any provider quoting a guaranteed number of days is describing something outside their control.
Can you remove accurate negative information?
No, and neither can anyone else. Accurate, current, verifiable information stays on the report for the period the statute allows. What we remove is information that is inaccurate, incomplete, obsolete, unverifiable, or attributable to someone other than you. In our experience that category is far larger than most consumers expect once all three reports are reviewed line by line.
How many points will my score go up?
No one can answer that honestly in advance. Scoring models weigh recency, severity, balances, account age, and mix in combinations that vary by file. Removing one collection from a file with six other delinquencies produces a different result than removing the only derogatory item on an otherwise clean report. We can tell you which items are hurting you most and what removing them is likely to change in direction, not in points.
I already disputed and was told the information was verified. Is anything left?
Usually yes, and that is often where the strongest cases begin. A verification response raises procedural questions that a consumer generally cannot pursue with consequence: what the bureau actually did, which business it contacted, what the furnisher reviewed, and whether the information supplied was ever forwarded. Those questions carry legal weight when the party asking them can act on the answers.
Will disputing hurt my credit score?
Submitting a dispute does not lower your score, and a dispute notation on an account does not by itself reduce it. What can matter is timing. Some mortgage underwriting systems will not proceed while an account carries an active dispute flag, so if you are within weeks of closing, tell us and we will sequence the work around it.
Do I have to sue anyone?
Most clients never do. Litigation is the remedy of last resort, used when a bureau or furnisher has been given notice, evidence, and an opportunity to correct the record and has refused. The earlier stages simply carry more weight because the correspondence comes from a firm that files those cases when necessary.
What documents do you need from me?
Government identification, proof of your current address, all three credit reports obtained within the last thirty days, and any documentation supporting the items you believe are wrong. That may include payoff letters, settlement agreements, bankruptcy discharge orders, forbearance approvals, or an identity theft report. We will send a specific list after the initial review.
Can you help if I filed bankruptcy?
Yes, and post bankruptcy files are among the most consistently inaccurate we see. Discharged accounts must report a zero balance with a discharged status, and many do not, particularly when the debt was sold before the case closed. Continued collection reporting after a discharge can also implicate the discharge injunction, which carries its own exposure for the furnisher.
What if the accounts are not mine at all?
That is either identity theft or a mixed file, and the remedies differ. Identity theft supports a blocking request with an FTC identity theft report, which is faster than an ordinary dispute. A mixed file requires addressing the identifiers and matching logic rather than deleting individual entries, or the stranger's accounts simply return. We handle both.
Do you serve my state?
All fifty states and the District of Columbia. Credit reporting is governed primarily by federal law and the bureaus operate nationally, so the substance of the work does not change with geography. Everything is handled remotely.
Can I cancel?
Yes. Our engagement agreement sets out your cancellation rights in writing, and federal law governing credit repair services provides a three day right to cancel. We do not use long term lock in contracts.
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