Are you looking for professional help to improve your credit score? We have reviewed 42 credit repair companies and have selected 7 that could help you challenge credit inaccuracies, dispute negative items on your credit report and raise your credit score.
Advertiser Disclosure
1
AI-Driven Credit Repair
The Credit Pros
- The Credit Pros has been in business for more than 10 years.
- Provides one-on-one consultations with a Certified FICO® Professional, unlimited dispute letters, debt validation letters to creditors, goodwill letters to creditors and cease and desist letters to collection agencies.
- 3 credit repair packages to choose from, with the lowest package priced at just $69/month plus a $119 sign-up fee.
- All packages include 24/7 access to a client portal, as well as ID Cover Darkweb monitoring, TransUnion alerts, real-time account sync, bill reminder and a budgeting system.
- A streamlined sign-up process only takes 90 seconds.
2
In Business Since 1989
Sky Blue Credit
- Sky Blue has been in business since 1989, which says a lot about the company.
- Condition-free 90-day refund policy
- One tier service takes the guesswork out of choosing a package that is right for you.
- Priced at just $79 per month, and $40/month for additional members, Sky Blue is an extremely affordable option for credit repair.
- Every single feature is included in the $79/month package, including Pro Analysis, 35-day dispute cycle, customized dispute and re-dispute letters, score assistance, debt validation, goodwill letters, cease and desist letters, credit rebuilding, and access to phone support.
- Ability to pause the membership for a month if needed
- Includes a couple’s discount, with the total monthly cost for a couple at just $119/month.
3
Almost 1.5 Million Credit Issues Removed
The Credit People
- The Credit People has been in business for over 15 years and has had nearly 1.5 million credit issues removed for their customers.
- Provides your credit reports and scores when you begin working with them.
- Includes access to all 3 credit reports and scores
- Provides a 24/7 online account access for easy credit management
- Could help you with credit report issues such as late payments, collections, charge-offs, foreclosure, repossessions, bankruptcies, tax liens, judgements and more.
- Provides a free credit evaluation so that you can see if The Credit People are a good fit for you.
- Includes live customer service through phone, chat or email
- Offers a satisfaction guarantee where you can cancel at any time and not be charged for that month, plus get a refund for the prior month’s payment.
- Pricing is either $79/month or $419 for 6 months, with all of the features and services included.
4
24/7 Phone Support
Pyramid Credit Repair
- Pyramid Credit Repair has 10+ years of experience in fixing credit.
- Provides 24/7 phone support and dedicated account managers, making it easier to work with them and ask any questions
- Includes a free credit repair evaluation
- Individual start at a competitive $79/month, though the couple’s package is $299/month, making it significantly more expensive than what some of the other credit repair companies offer for couples.
- Includes an online dashboard, monthly progress reports, creditor interventions, score analysis, custom dispute process, text and email alerts and more.
- Offers a 90-day money back guarantee.
5
BBB Accredited
Credit Saint
- Credit Saint has been in business for 15+ years and is a BBB accredited credit repair company
- Includes a 90-day money back guarantee
- Includes a free credit consultation
- 3 credit repair packages to choose from: Credit Polish, Credit Remodel and Credit Premium, with prices ranging from $79.99/month to $119.99/month, plus an initial work fee.
- All packages include a score tracker and a score analysis
- All packages include an online dashboard with full analysis and progress reports.
6
CreditRepair.com
- Has helped with over 7.5 million removals on behalf of their members since 2012.
- Has sent more than 23 million disputes and challenges on behalf of their members.
- Provides a free consultation where you learn your credit score, negative item summary and recommended credit solutions
- Pricing starts at just $49.95, making CreditRepair.com one of the most affordable credit repair options.
- Works with all 3 credit bureaus.
- Provides ID Theft Insurance, FICO® score update, bureau challenges and disputes, creditor interventions, a personal online dashboard, score tracker and analysis, email and text alerts and more.
7
Most Clients Served
Lexington Law
- Includes a free credit report consultation.
- Has been helping people fix their credit since 2004.
- Lexington Law has had an astonishing 77 million items removed from their customers’ credit reports.
- While not all credit repair companies are lawyers, Lexington Law is a law firm.
- Provides 3 levels of credit repair: Concord Standard, Concord Premier and Premier Plus.
- According to their website, 77% of their clients who have had their credit scores improved saw an average increase of 40 points.
- Provides a military and spouse discount.
- Includes Fraud Alert and Identity Protection
Delaware has a lot to offer ranging from picturesque views to horse races and casinos galore. While there is plenty to distract you, for those who have bad credit, life is infinitely more difficult. There was a time in the recent past where credit was passed out like candy to consumers who were itching to spend. This led to more people than not using multiple credit cards for both luxury purchases and their everyday needs. Over time, unchecked spending can lead to more debt than you can repay which in turn will result in late payments, overdrawn accounts, and negative marks on your credit report.
If you are dealing with bad credit due to excessive credit card debt, a Delaware credit repair company can help. They can work with you to consolidate your credit card debt, get rid of late payments, and put you back on the path to healthy credit.
Overview of the credit industry in Delaware
Delaware has an average cost of living. It’s only slightly higher than the national average. Similarly, credit card debt in Delaware is also just over the national median, sitting at $5,400, around $200 over the US average.
Credit scores in Delaware are average, sitting at 714, which is the same as the national average. While this is a good score, there’s a lot of room for improvement. If your score is around this number in Delaware, you may want to check out credit repair to potentially help you improve your credit score and access better credit options.
Laws that effect credit repair in Delaware
Delaware has a state law that dictates a few specific requirements for credit repair organizations that operate within the state. Delaware Code 2401 places a few boundaries around the credit repair industry, including requirements for:
- Surety bonds of at least $15,000
- Registration as a credit service organization (CSO) with the Delaware Secretary of State
- Specific disclosures in customer contracts, as laid out specifically in the code
- Contract periods to expire every 180 days
- Provisions for customers to cancel contracts within 3 business days of signing, or to request a full refund within 10 days of signing
Delaware’s state laws are quite comprehensive compared to many other states. They build on top of the existing federal law, the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). This law deals with misrepresentation of information about credit repair services, specific billing practices that must be followed, and how contracts should be set up.
Do you need a lawyer to do credit repair in Delaware?
While Delaware does require credit repair organizations to be registered, there’s no requirements for these companies to be law firms or to have lawyers doing the credit repair work. This is a service that doesn’t require legal expertise or certification, and can be done by anyone. Technically, you can even do it yourself, but considering the length and complexity of the process you’re usually better off working with a credit repair organization instead.
There are lots of reputable credit repair organizations to choose from with the state of Delaware, giving you the flexibility to work with a company you can trust.
Credit repair process in Delaware
How is credit repair done in Delaware? Here’s the basic process:
Step 1: Credit report requests
There are 3 major credit bureaus that record credit events for everyone in the US. Certain businesses in Delaware are required to report to at least 1 credit bureau, so you need to request a report from all 3 separately to make sure you get a complete picture of everything that goes into your credit score calculations. Every 12 months, you’re entitled to a free credit report from each bureau, but you can also pay for one if you’ve already gotten your free report within the last 12 months.
Step 2: Analyzing credit reports
After you’ve received your credit reports from all 3 bureaus, you need to take some time to go through all the entries and look for inaccuracies. Most inaccurate information is the result of entries put on your report mistakenly, but some can be a result of fraud. Whatever the case, you should be able to see inaccurate credit report entries quickly if you look at your reports closely.
Step 3: Sending dispute requests
Dispute letters have to be sent to every credit bureau with incorrect information on their reports. If you want the information changed or removed, you need to send these letters to each bureau individually, detailing each specific issue you discovered. Once these letters are received, the credit bureau must investigate the entries mentioned to see if they’re legitimate or not.
Note: Credit repair is a process that anyone can do for themselves, but the simplicity of the steps is deceptive. This process is tedious, involving highly specific dispute letters and a lot of follow ups to keep the credit bureaus on task. Credit repair companies take the hassle out of the process for you, handling everything from start to finish.
Why Knowing Your Credit Score Is Important
If we asked you to write down your credit score right now, would you know the actual number? For those with less than perfect credit, it is common to not know the score and this is part of the problem. Knowing your score is important because your credit rating plays a big role in your life and your ability to secure financing, land a job, or even get approved to rent a new apartment. For those suffering from less than perfect credit who want to improve their score, the first step is getting a copy of your credit report so that you can make changes that will have a positive effect on your life.
Credit Repair & Credit Card Consolidation
Working with a local DE credit repair agency will help you repair your credit and get a handle on your debt in a variety of ways. One way to get started on fixing your score is by getting rid of bad debt and consolidating the rest. Consolidating your credit cards can help you save money and pay off your creditors faster, but it also has an additional positive effect. Your credit score will increase after starting your consolidation program and will end up substantially higher upon its completion.
Of course, just like any other repayment program, the key is payment consistency. If you miss payments, make late payments, or otherwise wise stray from your consolidation plan, your credit score will suffer and in extreme cases, you may even be disqualified from participating in the program further. A quality credit repair company will work with you to stay on top of your bills and help you track your progress until you have reached your credit score goal.
Things To Consider During Credit Consolidation
Credit card consolidation can help get your credit and your financial health back on track, but you should also take steps to avoid falling back into the same traps that led you to consolidation in the first place. Some of the most common tips are to avoid impulse and unwise spending choices, limit your expenditures and try to stick to your budget. As your credit score improves, you may be tempted to open another line of credit as pre-approval offers start to pour in. Avoid these offers since bad debt is what you are trying to eliminate. Instead of using credit, use cash. This is a good way to see how much you are spending and limit the amount that you spend.
Why Should You Use a Credit Repair Agency?
While you can work on your credit on your own, consolidations are best left to the professionals. A Delaware credit repair company will be able to help negotiate an affordable rate and manageable payment terms on your behalf. Also, there is less stress involved when you leave the endless hours of phone calls and waiting on hold up to someone else. Credit repair agencies also know the tips and tricks used in the industry to help get late fees and many other charges eliminated so you will end up saving money as well as saving time. Moving your balances all to one or two accounts is also not an easy feat. Once your balances are moved, a credit agency will work to have the original accounts removed from your credit report to help boost your score.
Common questions and answers:
-
How significantly can you improve your credit score in Delaware?
Credit scores are based on a few different factors, with one of the largest being your credit history. If there are mistakes on your credit report, they could be reflecting poorly on your credit score and causing it to be lower than it should be. Removing these incorrect entries is vital to keeping your credit score as high as possible, since inaccurate data involving missed or late payments can have a catastrophic impact on your credit score.
-
How much does credit repair cost in Delaware?
The time it takes to complete credit repair will greatly impact the total cost for you. Credit repair is paid at a per month rate, with the average amount ranging between $95 - $195 per month. Although this is average rate, you can access credit repair service in Delaware for anywhere between $79 - $199 per month, with most companies charging a one-time setup fee in the beginning of the contract period.
-
How long does the credit repair process take in Delaware?
Even though credit bureaus have to respond to your dispute letter within 30 days, the process for credit repair can take between 3 – 6 months. It’s a long process that often involves a lot of following up with each credit bureau until the issue is fully investigated and resolved.
-
Are there any cities or towns in Delaware where you cannot get credit repair?
Credit repair can be done in all 79 cities in Delaware, as well as every town and county. There are no location-specific restrictions placed on credit repair companies in the state. While Wilmington, Dover, and Middletown probably have more credit repair organizations within their city limits, they can be accessed by anyone statewide, including in smaller cities like Kenton, Port Penn, Farmington, or Odessa.