Steps to Repair Your Credit

By LaToya Irby, About.com Guide

You don't have to live with bad credit. While the thought of repairing your credit might be intimidating, it can be done. Start by figuring out what's hurting your credit score. Then take steps to minimize the damage. Finally, start adding some positive information to your credit history. Hiring a credit repair company might be an option, but make sure you get the facts before you put down the cash.

Decide How Much Credit Repair You Need
Check Your Credit for Free
Repair Your Bad Credit
Rebuild Bad Credit
Fight Identity Theft

Decide How Much Credit Repair You Need

The first step in credit repair is evaluating your current credit. That means figuring out what's in your credit history (your credit report) and how it's being meausured (your credit score). If you've never ordered your credit report or credit score before, now is a great time to look at both.

Check Your Credit for Free

Checking your credit is an essential part of credit repair. Here are some ways to check your credit report and credit score for free. Beware, a few of these do require you to sign up for a subscription using your credit card. In those cases, you have to cancel before the trial ends or you'll end up getting charged.

Repair Your Bad Credit

You've looked over your credit report, what you do next depends on what's in your credit report. You might be able to remove some negative information. Or, you may have to take care of delinquencies the old-fashioned way - paying them off and moving on.

Rebuild Bad Credit

Getting rid of the bad information is only part of journey to better credit. Getting a better credit score means rebuilding your credit. Adding positive information to your credit history will help boost your credit score.

Fight Identity Theft

Identity thieves can ruin your credit seemingly beyond repair. There are tools you can use to fight identity theft and get back your good credit standing.