How to repair your credit: step by step

You can do every step below yourself for free. We wrote this so you know exactly what a credit repair company does, and whether you even need one.

1. Get your free reports

Get all three reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Look for accounts that aren't yours, wrong balances, wrong dates, duplicates and late payments you didn't make.

Send a dispute to each bureau that shows the error, with copies of your proof. The bureau generally has about 30 days (sometimes 45) to investigate.

Pay on time, keep card balances low, and don't open many accounts at once.

You can dispute for free on your own. If you'd like help, we're here.