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I must get asked this question about 100 times per month about credit restoration companies and if their validity and ethics are a sound proven way to fix their credit issues. While I always advise my clients that yes when erroneous data appears on their credit they have the ability to dispute the process themselves.

Now when I get the answers of I don’t have the time or resources then yes I would advise them to use a nationally recognized company that can provide a proven method for removing erroneous data. Credit repair can take an average of 4 to 6 months or even longer in some cases.

If you don’t take the time to correct the issues on your report and review the credit bureaus reporting process at least once per year then you are leaving your self open for a whole bunch of problems. Data that has been on your credit report for some length of time can be more difficult to resolve than newer data that was just added.

Also you have the added problem of possible identity theft which is the fastest growing white collar crime in America. Your Social Security Number is your gateway to the financial world, driving world, medical world, credit access and many other areas of life that most people take for granted.

Your credit rating effects your insurance rates, job availability, interest rates and education in many instances. Your financial A.K.A. Your credit report shows your ability to repay debt and handle financial obligations. Your credit report shows the entire credit reviewing public your financial responsibility.

So when looking at a credit repair company you need to make sure that they have the ability to remove erroneous data, challenge bankruptcy, judgments, foreclosures, have the ability to remove mortgage late payments and credit inquiries, renegotiating student loans, refinancing and many other areas of credit.

You want to see testimonials and ensure that you are always dealing with a quality credit repair company who is compliant with all credit restoration laws in every state across the nation. This can seem like a daunting task but if you approach it from the prospective that this is enhancing your financial future.

Credit restoration is a totally legal process, just remember that no one can “guarantee” your score or guarantee the item(s) to be removed. If they do RUN! This is the sign of a scam or scheme. Credit restoration is a way to remove derogatory and misinformation from your credit report. If you took on the debt it belongs to you, and no one else, which means that you need to repay it.

Illegal or immoral practices have given these companies a bad wrap in the past yet with the advent of technology, new laws in place and a better fraud detection system you can rest assured that your safety and protection are the credit repair companies number one goal for you as their client.

Having a credit specialist on your side is like having someone there monitoring your identity 24/7. Combined with the power of having the fair credit reporting act laws leveraged in your favor. Credit is one of your keys to financial empowerment and freedom

• Why land banking is far less risky than traditional real estate Not to say that all real estate doesn't carry some form of risk to the owners of the property, sure there are always risks associated with any type of investment. This reflection comes from recent events that took place in San Francisco, CA. City building inspectors had been saying......
• Using college education funds for real estate Many people aren't aware of the little laws in the IRS tax code that states not what you can put into these types of accounts, they state what you can't put in their instead. So while people are using stocks and going mad with the market place activities, others are......
• Top five reasons to own pre-developed real estate in a down market Many investors are rushing in to swoop up the great deals in real estate with our current state of economic trends. With many foreclosures on the market and more arriving there everyday. However with all of the great deals on the market there are tons of profits to be made.......
• How to strategically plan for your retirement When it comes to planning for retirement you really have only a few choices to make for your future. Strategically speaking many people take the approach of “I hope it works.” People really never give their retirement a thought until it's to late. When they decide it's time for retirement......
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• Real Estate Forecast 2009 As a member of the school's Real Estate Club, I got a pretty interesting update on the real estate forecast for 2009. This is just the summary. The whole article was signficantly bigger. A lot of it is obvious, but it's still a good comprehensive list. Serious dislocation has resulted......
• Real Estate Investing - How I process investing advice or any advice for that matter Well....I am finally back home and trying to catch up from vacation....my email box is loaded and my voice mail is hungover.....both begging for attention.....I will get to it later. There is so much media and talk about our economy....that it is difficult not to doubt one's investing strategy...especially as......
• Real Estate Investments - Good Idea or Bad Idea? Right now, if there was a market that had bad news written all over it, it would be real estate. The housing crisis has made investors jumpy, the economy appears to be tanking and home values are plummeting across the country. Would you believe that this is actually a good......
• Honing Your Investing Skills Has Never Been Easier. Sign Up for Our Free Commercial Real Estate Investing Videos! [/caption] Greetings from Cedar Crest, NM.  We are officially in the monsoon season...so "they" say.  The title "monsoon" gives the wrong impression...I think. I understand that the "monsoon" season is a time when an area receives most of it's rain....but I think the word "monsoon" is a little dramatic.    Maybe......
• Is It Still A Good Time To Invest In Real Estate? Well, it depends on a lot of factors. Like where you're investing. There's a really good site called Housing Tracker that tracks the inventory and median home price for major cities. It has a pretty simple interface and its a great resource. Looking at Los Angeles I saw the inventory......

Sounds funny that your credit card companies and the credit bureaus share some trade secrets that are actually in place to do you more harm than good. For example many credit card companies wil extend you credit even if you can’t really afford it.

When you apply for credit the credit card companies only do a surface check to see if your finances measure up and to check your credit score if you fit in there box you win. A life of debt that you weren’t prepared for.

Debt that seems to grow faster than you can pay it off. Also you win some hidden fine print that states your can make the minimum monthly payment options that include taxes and possible additional charges you were not prepared for.

Next in line is the credit bureaus which were never designed to do anything more than create revenue. These bureaus are a double edged sword, first business that issue credit pay to report your payment and credit obligation repayment This is the first source of revenue.

Secondly these same bureaus who report our financial history also sell our information to other credit issuers to send us more credit offers. This is the second stream of revenue for these giant credit reporting bureaus. Most consumers never realize this and keep on going through life and wondering why this and why that.

Credit is big business and the effect of misuse of credit is dangerous. Just look around to see the negative affects on the economy. We have not seen this type of financial devastation since the great depression of 1929 according to the experts we learn from everyday.

So with this knowledge you can protect yourself by opting out of the marketing lists, using a professional service such as LifeLock to protect your identity and remove you from all of the major marketing channels, removing you from junk mail and opting out. Also LifeLock will place fraud alerts on your credit reports to prevent false issuing of credit to someone other than you.

The main reason we are on these lists is so we can be bombarded by direct marketing companies, credit lenders and other direct sales professions to trigger our impulse in buying. Where else should you get your data from some outside source or the one place that knows your deepest secrets in making purchases.

If you are exposed at your weakest level and the companies who compete are vying for your business than why would I as a marketer want to gather your intelligence from anyone else? I can see where you shop, where you have applied and received credit, where credit was denied and so on.

Take warning that in today’s modern world information is king right up there with cash. Which makes more sense today; robbing one bank or stealing identities and robbing thousands of identities for the same purpose and never leave the comfort of my own living room.

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• Two Debt Settlement Companies Defendants in New Illinois Lawsuits As many consumers are busting their hump to get out of credit card debt, there are still companies out there who are happy to take advantage of an unfortunate situation. Two so-called debt settlement firms are under the microscope for alleged deceptive practices in the state of Illinois. Aliso Viejo,......
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