I recently saw a sign that said: “720 scores in 30 days guaranteed.” Since no one can truly and legally make this kind of guarantee I naturally knew that something was wrong. My team and I immediately investigated to find out more information. The company was selling alternate social security numbers. These types of numbers are illegal, even though the company in question promised otherwise on their website, and something you want to stay away from. (By the way, I sent out a secret agent, aka “Credit Man,” to remove these fraudulent signs from the side of the road so no one else would have the chance to be taken advantage of or to fall for this scheme.) Another common credit scam that has gained popularity in recent years is used by companies who will sell you seasoned credit cards to falsely elevate your credit scores. This practice is also illegal and you want to stay away from these companies as well. It is 100% possible to fix and improve your credit with a little time, a good plan, and some hard work. In the business of credit improvement, shortcuts are always either a scam or illegal. If it sounds too good to be true, then you want to avoid it.
Many people want help correcting inaccurate and erroneous information on their credit reports. Many others want help building excellent current credit but don’t who they can trust. It is important to be careful who you trust when it comes to correcting your credit report. There are a lot of companies out there who are scamming customers. These companies will take your money, will not help you to legally correct the errors, and – in the worst of cases – you may never even see them again.
Another factor to keep in mind when choosing a company to help you with your credit is that many companies desire to keep you in their program as long as they can. Why do these companies desire to keep you in their program so long? The reason is so they can continue to collect a monthly, residual fee for as long as possible. These companies are in no hurry to help you reach your goals. Our goal at HOPE, for over 12 years, has been to help you graduate from our program as quickly as possible. Because of this fact, our clients are our best referral source. When a HOPE client hears of a friend or family member having credit problems they are quick to say: “I know who can help you because they helped me.”
At least 25% of our clients have had a bad experience with ‘credit repair” companies in the past before they come to see our credit experts at HOPE. We love these customers because know we can restore their confidence that someone is doing things correctly. Integrity is at the center of all we do.
Remember, you always have the right to try to fix your credit on your own. However, most people simply do not have the time or the knowledge on the subject to do so. Also, those who try to fix their credit on their own usually pay more money in the long run than they would if they hired a reputable, professional company to assist them. If you would like to know more about the HOPE Program, please give us a call at 704-499-9696. Our team would love to hear from you and to answer your questions. You can be sure that the HOPE team will take great care of you.
About the author: Ron Lambright has been a credit expert for over 12 years and is the Executive Director of HOPE - a company he helped to found after struggling to overcome personal credit issues on his own twice before. He is a regular guest on radio talk shows and is featured weekly as the premier credit expert at training seminars in the Charlotte, NC region and up and down the East Coast. Ron is an expert on teaching consumers how to achieve a "loan ready" credit report, improving credit scores, and an expert in the fields of business financing and business credit as well. You can connect with Ron on the HOPE Facebook page by clicking here.