Need a higher score?

Bad New / Good News

Bad News: Usually, it takes between 30 and90 days to get errors on your credit report corrected when you dispute them through the credit bureau.

Good News: We have a service that allows us to get errors corrected in as little as 3 business days. Credit repair is one of the services we offer to our clients. This helps you get the best possible mortgage for your circumstances. We can walk you through this process when you apply for your credit repair program. We offer a free

In general, there are strategies you can live with to make sure when you apply for a loan your score is as high as possible.

Make sure that the information each of the three credit reporting bureaus has on you is consistent and up to date. Order a copy of your credit report about once a year, and dispute any inaccuracies.

Note: Theoretically, if a series of credit reports is requested on your behalf during a limited amount of time, your score goes down until time passes without any inquiries. Changes in the law though have made "consumer-originating" credit report requests not count so much. Also, a series of requests in relation to getting a mortgage or car loan is not treated the same as a number of credit card requests in a limited time. This is because the credit bureaus, and lenders, realize that people request their own credit reports to keep up with what's on them, and smart consumers shop around for the best mortgage and car loans.

Unsolicited credit card solicitations in the mail don't count against your credit report, so don't worry.

The two main components of your credit score are your payment history and the amounts you owe. Bankruptcy filings and foreclosures, which can stay on your credit report for as long as 10 years, can significantly lower your score. It's never a good idea to take on more credit than you can handle.

Late payments work against you. It's extremely important to pay bills on time, even if it's only the monthly payment.

Don't "max out" your credit lines. Since the size of the balance on your open accounts is a factor, lower balances are better. Once your balance goes over 30% of the maximum allowed, your score starts to suffer.

It's said that by carefully managing your credit, it's possible to add as much as 50 points per year to your score.