Your right to dispute
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act you can dispute inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — for free. The bureau generally has 30 days to investigate.
Free Education
Resource center
Know your rights before you spend a dime. Straight talk, no hype.
Get your free reports
You can pull your reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Check every account, balance, date and personal detail for errors.
Collections 101
Debt buyers like Midland, Portfolio Recovery and LVNV buy old debts. You can request validation of the debt. Under the FDCPA, collectors can't harass, threaten or mislead you.
Lawsuits don't mean automatic removal
A company being sued doesn't delete your account. But it's a reason to review how the account is reported and dispute anything that's wrong.
What actually moves your score
Payment history and credit utilization matter most. Keeping balances under 30% (ideally under 10%) of your limits helps.
Building credit the right way
Primary credit builder accounts in your own name build history. Authorized-user tricks and 'new identity' schemes are risky — avoid anyone promising a CPN.
Getting funding ready
Lenders look at your score, income, debt-to-income, and documentation. Getting organized before you apply improves your chances.
Business credit basics
Form your entity, get an EIN, a business bank account and phone, then open vendor accounts that report to Dun & Bradstreet to build your PAYDEX.