6 Best Credit Repair Companies of October 2023

Credit report mistakes are much more common than you might think. And, while you can remove inaccurate information from your credit report yourself, the process is often frustrating and time consuming.

Credit repair companies can make this process easier by doing the heavy lifting for you — obtaining your reports, finding inaccuracies and disputing any mistakes directly with creditors and the major credit bureaus.

We evaluated dozens of credit repair companies by comparing pricing, plans and track record, leading us to pick Credit Saint as best overall. There are, however, other companies that are worth considering depending on your situation. So, if you’re ready to leave bad credit behind, read on for Money’s guide to the best credit repair services of October 2023.

Why you can trust us

Our team has spent hundreds of hours evaluating dozens of credit repair companies based on costs and fees, service packages, customer feedback and industry reputation. We also continuously research information provided by regulatory agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Ultimately, we aim to provide readers with comprehensive reviews and an up-to-date credit-repair guide that reflects the latest in the industry.

Our Top Picks for Best Credit Repair Companies

• Credit Saint – Best Overall
• Lexington Law – Credit Repair Industry Leader
• Sky Blue Credit – Best Value
• The Credit People – Best Guarantee
• The Credit Pros – Best Bonus Features
• Credit Versio - Best for DIY Credit Repair

Best Credit Repair Reviews

Why we chose this company: Credit Saint is our pick for Best Overall because of its clear pricing policies and its array of affordable and comprehensive package options.

The packages — which range from $79.99 to $119.99 — differ in how many claims they’ll dispute a month, from five claims with the basic “Credit Polish” plan to an unlimited amount with the premium “Clean Slate” plan.

Credit Saint offers a free consultation to evaluate your particular situation and identify the next steps you should take. Once you sign up with them, the company assigns an advisory team to your case and schedules calls to keep you informed.

Credit Saint also provides a credit score analysis and gives you access to a credit score tracker to monitor your progress. Some plans include Experian credit monitoring as well. Additionally, the company offers a 90-day money-back guarantee if you don’t see any changes in your credit history after three months.

The company offers three credit repair packages: Credit Polish, Credit Remodel and Clean Slate.

Read full review>>

Why we chose this company: : Lexington Law is our pick for Industry Leader due to its more than 18 years of experience and almost nationwide availability (every state except in Oregon).

Because it’s a law firm and its staff is mostly attorneys and paralegals, the company is said to explore every legal avenue to correct inaccuracies in your credit report. Its account reps — often paralegals — offer personalized support over extended hours, seven days a week.

The company offers four service packages ranging from $59.95 to $139.95 per month, each including credit disputes and creditor interventions — such as debt validation and goodwill letters. Its mid- and high-tier plans include additional perks like a personal finance manager, identity theft insurance and/or a Transunion FICO score tracker.

If you want to track your credit progress, Lexington has a highly ranked mobile app where users have 24/7 access to their credit score analysis, personalized counseling plan and dispute updates.

However, Lexington Law has had its share of legal problems. Recently, the company was accused of charging illegal upfront fees through telemarketing, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has entered a proposed settlement requiring Lexington Law to pay a $2.7 billion fine.

Additionally, in June 2023, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The case is pending.

Despite this, Lexington Law remains a powerful player in the industry and offers the advantage of having an experienced law firm handling your case.

It offers the following credit repair packages:

Read full review>>

Why we chose this company: Sky Blue Credit Repair is our pick for Best Value because it offers a single, low-cost credit-repair package that includes just about everything you need to clean up your credit report quickly.

For $79 a month, Sky Blue provides a detailed analysis of your credit report and draws up customized dispute letters. Its set-up fee is also relatively low ($79), while other companies charge around $100 or more.

Beyond disputing errors, Sky Blue gives credit-rebuilding advice. You can schedule consultations if you have questions about anything credit-related, like card credit offers or loan applications or for advice on how to increase your credit score.

It’s also worth noting that Sky Blue Credit Repair offers one of the most flexible subscriptions on the market. If you want to skip a month of service without canceling your subscription, you can request a pause online. You won't be charged while your account is paused, and you can resume the subscription when needed. This could save you some money on startup fees, which most credit repair firms charge whenever you start using services.

Sky Blue is no longer registered with the Better Business Bureau (companies have to pay annual fees to stay accredited). However, when it was registered, it boasted an A+ rating, and consumer comments were largely positive.

Its credit repair plans include:

Read full review>>

Why we chose this company: The Credit People is our pick for Best Guarantee because it offers low startup fees and lets customers cancel their subscriptions when they need to.

Most credit repair companies offer a 90-day money-back guarantee. Others only refund you for the last month of service. The Credit People, on the other hand, lets you cancel your subscription whenever you want and refunds both the last and previous month's payment.

The company's low startup fees set it apart from competitors. While other credit repair services charge around $79 or more to set up your account and pull your credit report, The Credit People only charges $19. After your account is ready, you can sign up for one of the company’s monthly plans, which cost $79 and $99, until you get the result you want. You can also pay a flat fee of $419 (and no set-up fees) for a six-month plan.

The Credit People’s interface is also a plus — you can monitor updates to your credit report or score from all three credit bureaus from their easy-to-use online dashboard. It also lets you track open disputes and connect to customer service if you have any questions.

The three memberships offered by The Credit People include the following credit repair services:

 

 

Read full review>>

Why we chose this company: Many credit repair companies offer extra perks only with their most expensive plan. We chose The Credit Pros as Best for Bonus Features since it offers useful financial management tools at all price tiers.

The plans include tools like bill reminders and a budgeting system that syncs to your accounts in real time. They also feature TransUnion alerts to track credit score changes and dark web monitoring to check if your personal information (like your Social Security number or address) was leaked.

However, note that the company's most affordable service package (Money Management) doesn't include credit repair services. It only features a financial consultation and credit and identity theft monitoring services, which are often available for a lower cost by identity theft protection services.

To get help in fixing credit report errors, you must subscribe to the Prosperity or Success Plus package. These include unlimited disputes, creditor interventions and cease and desist letters.

The Success plan also lets you access reports and scores from the three credit bureaus and a credit builder loan that can help improve your credit history if you make timely payments.

All plans include access to The Credit Pros' mobile app, which lets you review disputes, receive real-time updates and monitor your credit score and report.

The company's free consultation is available in English and Spanish, something not common in the credit repair industry. However, note that its initial work fee is higher than many other competitors' — $119 for its low and medium tier plans and $149 for its premium plan.

Read full review>>

Why we chose this company: Credit Versio is our pick for Best for DIY Credit Repair because it’s a low-cost alternative to traditional credit repair services and simplifies the often complicated credit repair process.

Even though you can dispute credit inaccuracies yourself at no cost, the process can be time-consuming and stressful. Credit repair software, Credit Versio, can help streamline this process.

The company’s software uses artificial intelligence to scan your credit reports for negative items that may be lowering your credit score. It then organizes them according to the credit bureau that reported it.

If you find a mistake, the software can generate tailored dispute letters based on your credit information and why you believe that item is inaccurate.All you have to do is print out the letter and mail it to the credit bureau.

Credit Versio offers three plans that provide unlimited dispute letters and monthly credit reports and scores. Two give you access to SmartCredit’s credit monitoring platform, and the most expensive plan also includes IdentityIQ, an identity theft protection service.

Adding these services lets Credit Versio keep track of any changes to your credit report in case you need to send out more dispute letters.

Read full review>>

Other credit repair companies we considered

We researched dozens of companies in the process of compiling our list of the top credit repair services. Some companies, however, didn’t make the cut. These are some of them:

Safeport

Safeport Law charges $99 monthly and a $99 set-up fee for its credit repair services. The plan includes challenges to the three main credit bureaus and a credit score analysis and tracker. However, the company only offers one plan, while our main picks have two or more.

Credit Glory

Credit Glory charges $99 per month and a $299 setup fee, which is significantly higher than some of our leading picks. Additionally, the company doesn't include a credit monitoring or dispute tracking service, nor does it offer any discounts.

CreditRepair.com

CreditRepair.com offers a free online initial evaluation that includes your credit score, a negative item summary and a personalized credit-repair plan. It has three service packages ranging from $69.95 and $119.95, which are competitive prices. But, unlike our main picks, the company doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.

Trinity Credit Services

Trinity Credit Services has over nine years in the credit repair business. The company offers a free credit report evaluation and a customized credit repair plan, which you can keep track of online. However, the company isn't clear about service costs and setup fees on their website. Additionally, they don’t provide information about guarantees.

Pyramid Credit Repair

Pyramid Credit Repair has over ten years of experience. It's one of the few credit repair companies offering a discounted plan for couples and 24/7 customer support. However, its setup fees are higher than many of our main picks.

AMB Credit Consultants

While AMB Credit Consultants has more than ten years in the business and offers discounts for couples, there are several drawbacks to its services. For one, it doesn't offer a free credit consultation. Before scheduling a consultation, you must subscribe to a monthly credit monitoring subscription with IdentityIQ for $24.99. Additionally, the company states on its website that you shouldn't use AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the only federally authorized site to obtain free, official credit reports from the credit bureaus.

Creditfirm.net

CreditFirm.net charges $49.99 per month for individuals ($89.99 for couples), which is relatively inexpensive compared to other companies. But the company doesn't offer a free credit consultation, money-back guarantee or additional finance tools.

Credit Assistance Network

The Credit Assistance Network's website is outdated and hard to navigate. There's little to no information regarding the company's reputation on third-party party review sites. Additionally, the company doesn't offer credit repair services. Instead, it forwards you to The Credit Pros, one of our main picks. With this in mind, we recommend signing up with The Credit Pros directly.

Credit Repair Guide

A credit repair agency may help you improve poor credit by working on your behalf to remove inaccurate or outdated information. However, many companies make false claims and lure customers into paying for services that won't deliver any results.

Table of Contents

• What is credit repair?
• How does credit repair work?
• How much does credit repair cost?
• How do credit repair companies work?
• What you should know before hiring a credit repair company
• Differences between debt settlement, credit repair and credit counseling
• How to choose the right credit repair company
• 7 warning signs of a credit repair scam
• DIY credit repair
• Latest news

What is credit repair?

Credit repair refers to the process of improving one's creditworthiness. It often involves reviewing your credit history for inaccuracies and disputing them with credit reporting agencies. If your report has no errors, other credit repair strategies include paying your bills on time and lowering your overall debt.

Taking the time to repair your credit can raise your credit score, which can improve your approval odds for new loans and credit cards with favorable interest rates.

How does credit repair work?

Credit repair is a process that can take months or years, depending on your particular financial situation. However, anyone trying to improve their creditworthiness should follow these steps:

Make timely payments

The first step is to consistently pay your bills on time.Your payment history is the most important factor evaluated by credit scoring models. A 30-day late payment can lower your score by as much as 100 points, and the impact on your creditworthiness is worse if you're 60 or 90 days past due.

Lower your credit utilization ratio

Your credit utilization ratio indicates how much of your available credit you are currently using. It is the second most influential credit scoring factor after your payment history.

When you’re applying for new credit, most issuers or lenders will prefer to see a credit utilization ratio below 30%, which they’ll see as a sign that you’re not over-relying on credit cards or lines of credit.

You can calculate your credit utilization ratio by dividing your outstanding credit card balances by your credit limits. For example, if you have a credit card with a $10,000 credit limit, try to use $3,000 or less every month.

Reduce your overall debt

Reducing your outstanding balances can improve your creditworthiness and increase your approval odds for loans and cards by decreasing your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio.

DTI ratio is an important factor lenders use to evaluate credit applications. It represents your monthly debt obligations divided by your gross monthly income, and experts recommend keeping it at or below 36%. Paying down your loans and credit cards lowers your DTI ratio and shows lenders you can afford to take on new credit.

For tips on reducing debt, check out our guide How much is too much debt.

Check for credit report errors

Credit repair often involves checking your credit reports for errors and reporting it to the credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), you have the right to dispute any information you believe is inaccurate and the bureaus must investigate and delete it from your report if found to be erroneous.

You can fix your own credit for free. However, the process can be tedious, especially if your reports have multiple errors. Credit repair services check your reports for mistakes and contact credit bureaus and financial companies, like banks or debt collectors, to dispute the errors on your behalf.

How much does credit repair cost?

Credit repair agencies typically charge between $50 to $150 per month, depending on the service plan you choose. They also charge a setup fee (also called initial or first work fee) that's often a similar price to the monthly subscription.

This cost generally includes monthly credit report and score analyses and a set number of bureau disputes and creditor interventions. Some companies also provide financial tools like credit score trackers and budgeting software.

However, note that credit repair companies can only help you remove inaccurate information from your credit report, which you can also do for free. (Check out the DIY credit repair section for more details.) If your report doesn't have errors, you should focus on paying your bills on time, keeping a low credit utilization ratio and reducing your total debt.

How do credit repair companies work?

Each credit repair company has its own way of doing things, but most of them follow a four-step process:

Free consultation

The credit repair company will walk you through the process, pull your credit reports from all three bureaus and determine if you’d be a good candidate for credit repair. They may also offer personal finance advice to help you achieve a good credit score.

Limited power of attorney and written consent

The company’s representatives will inform you if they find mistakes in your file. They’ll then send you a written contract giving them limited power of attorney, that is, the legal right to act on your behalf.

Challenge items

Once you give them the legal authority to do so, the company disputes inaccurate items with your creditors and the major credit bureaus. Errors on your credit report can include tax liens or foreclosures that don’t belong to you, duplicate accounts, bankruptcies or outdated information.

Once they’re notified, credit reporting agencies must investigate within 30 days of receiving the dispute. Once they confirm them as errors, they’ll remove them from your credit profile.

Progress reports

The best credit repair companies will track your disputes’ progress and update you frequently on the status of each disputed item. They will usually send progress reports along with an updated copy of your credit report so you can review the changes.

What you should know before hiring a credit repair company

There are some things to keep in mind when you're trying to rebuild your credit history:

Credit repair takes time

It can take from three months to a year to see an improvement in your credit report.

Not all negative information can be removed

Late or missed payments, hard inquiries, charge-offs, repossessions and debt collections can only be removed if the information is inaccurate or outdated.

You have to do some of the legwork

You may have to provide credit repair agencies with documentation to support disputes of negative information on your credit report.

Most companies have setup fees

Most credit repair companies charge an initial fee (also called setup or first work fee) that can range anywhere between $15 to $200. This fee is used to set up your account, which may involve gathering your personal and financial information and creating a strategy plan for your particular credit situation.

Credit repair companies can’t charge you in advance for their services

Once you pay the setup fee (if required), companies can’t make any additional charges unless they prove that the services offered to you in their contract are being fulfilled.

Legitimate credit repair companies should include a copy of the Consumer Credit File Rights

Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), credit repair companies must give you a written contract outlining their services before receiving any payment. Companies must also give you a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law,” a document that states your right to order credit reports and dispute inaccurate information yourself.

You have the right to cancel any services without incurring any penalties within 3 business days

The CROA also states that you have the right to back out of a contract within three business days without any charges or cancellation fees. This is also stipulated by the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC)'s Cooling-Off Rule.

How to choose the right credit repair company

These are some factor to keep in mind when evaluating credit repair companies:

Lookout for false promises

Stay away from companies that guarantee they can remove accurate information from your report or promise you a new credit identity, for example.

For steps on how to deal with negative items that cannot be removed, read our guide to how to repair bad credit.

Check for Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) compliance

CROA establishes clear directives that legitimate credit repair agencies should follow, and it’s important to ensure the company you choose is compliant in every step of the process.

Companies must provide a written contract explaining in detail the services they will provide, how long it will take for them to get results, any guarantees they offer and the total credit repair cost for their services.

You have the right to walk away without penalty within three days of signing the contract if it doesn't meet the requirements.

Read customer reviews

You can check sources like Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Yelp. These are useful starting points that can help you gauge customer experience. However, we recommend complementing what you read with further research — after all, most people post reviews when they’re unhappy with a service, not when they’re satisfied.

Still, if you read multiple reviews alleging similar types of issues, you can consider it a red flag.

Check the regulatory agencies

One of the agencies overseeing the credit repair industry is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This federal organization aims to protects consumers from fraudulent or predatory practices by banks, lenders or any type of financial institution — including credit repair services.

When searching for the right credit repair company for you, it’s a good idea to check the CFPB complaint database and check how many complaints — if any — have been filed against that particular provider.

Compare fees and turnaround times

Reputable credit repair companies will list their prices and services clearly, so consumers can select the right package for their needs. Turnaround time should be reasonable, and the company must keep you updated about the progress.

Look for personal finance tools

Besides their standard credit repair services, some credit repair agencies offer personal finance tools like bill reminders, budgeting software and credit monitoring. Additionally, they may offer free credit consultations, satisfaction guarantees and identity theft protection services.

Differences between debt settlement, credit repair and credit counseling

Debt settlement, credit repair and credit counseling are all in the personal finance sphere, but it’s important to note the key differences between the three methods.

If you’re interested in consulting a credit counselor, you can find a certified one through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. These offer low-cost debt counseling, debt consolidation and debt management plans.

7 Warning signs of a credit repair scam

The credit repair industry has had its share of controversies and scams. It’s important to recognize the red flags indicating a company or agent you’re dealing with might be engaging in some questionable practices.

DIY credit repair

Credit repair companies are helpful if you can afford the service and don’t have the time to dispute the items. However, it’s important to note that you can repair credit issues yourself at no cost. There are also ways to improve your credit score without the help of a credit repair agency.

Here are some steps you should take to repair your credit:

• Request free credit reports from each of the three main credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com (you can get a free credit report weekly through December 2023)

• Examine your reports for any discrepancies, on-time payments labeled as late or accounts that don’t belong to you

• If you spot an error, visit the reporting bureau’s website and file an online dispute

• Include with your dispute supporting documentation (like bank statements) that proves the items your disputing are inaccurate

Credit bureaus must investigate disputed items within 30 days, and delete it from your report if found to be erroneous. They might also delete items from your report if your debtor can’t validate the debt and is unable to provide evidence that it belongs to you.

If you’re up to the task, the first step is to learn how to read your credit report. Once you do, check out our guide on how to remove items from your credit report.

The Cost Of Lower Credit Scores

Bad credit impacts your finances in more ways than you might think. The effects of having less-than-stellar credit aren’t just measured in terms of your ability to gain access to credit but also in how much that access costs you.

While some companies will approve borrowers with fair to poor credit, they will do so at a higher interest rate. This means that the lower your credit score, the more expensive loans will be.

Let's run through a breakdown of how much interest you can expect to pay based on your credit score range. In this example, we’ll assume a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan for $400,000, which is close to the median of home prices in the U.S.

Take a look at this example to see how the difference between excellent credit and fair credit can cost you upwards of $150,000 over the life of a 30-year loan:

* Based on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan for $400,000

Latest News on Credit Repair

• It can be difficult to get approved for a credit card if you have little to no credit history, but there are some cards that have higher approval odds. Read more about them on How To Get a Credit Card With No Credit.

• Several factors can hurt your credit score beyond late payments. Check out What Can Hurt Your Credit Score? to learn more.

• Credit inquiries can impact your credit score, but not all inquiries are the same. Learn more in Hard vs. Soft Credit Check: What's the Difference?

• If your credit record has inaccuracies, check out our guide on How to Dispute Your Credit Report.

• Debt consolidation can make it easier to manage debt, reduce the risk of missed payments and potentially lower how much your pay on interest rates. Check out What Is Debt Consolidation? for more detailed information.

How We Chose the Best Credit Repair Companies of October 2023

In preparing our list of the best credit repair companies — and especially when making our pick for best overall — we took the factors below into account.

Trustworthiness

The companies in our list are reputable credit repair services that have been around for more than ten years and garner mostly positive customer reviews across different platforms. We looked for any history of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) violations and searched the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Database to check their history of customer complaints or enforcement actions.

Product offering

A credit repair service assumes responsibility for writing letters, communicating with lenders and credit bureaus and disputing any incorrect negative items in your credit report. Multiple pricing options, additional financial tools, expert advice and service guarantees helped some companies stand out from the competition.

Pricing options and service guarantees

We preferred companies that offered a variety of pricing options and that had transparent service guarantees, with little to no fine print exceptions.

Sources Used

1. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
2. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
3. AnnualCreditReport.com

Summary of Money’s Best Credit Repair Companies of October 2023

• Credit Saint – Best Overall
• Lexington Law – Credit Repair Industry Leader
• Sky Blue Credit – Best Value
• The Credit People – Best Guarantee
• The Credit Pros – Best Bonus Features
• Credit Versio - Best for DIY Credit Repair