Best credit repair companies, plus expert tips for finding your best option
In today's unusual economic environment, keeping up with your debt payments and keeping your credit intact may be difficult. After all, budgets are being stretched thin and the cost of borrowing has skyrocketed, creating a tough environment for those who owe money. But even with a perfect payment record, your credit could be harmed by inaccurate and fraudulent items in your credit report. According to a study by Consumer Reports and WorkMoney, 44% of respondents discovered at least one error when reviewing their credit reports.
If your credit is less than ideal, you should take steps to improve your credit, since maintaining good credit is essential for qualifying for financing like mortgages and cars. If your reports show mistakes, you have the right to dispute them to get the bad marks removed. You can do this yourself on the websites of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. However, you may prefer to let a professional handle it. Fortunately, there are many credit repair services available online. But as you might imagine, some credit repair companies are better than others — so it's important to know what to look for during your search.
Find out how the right credit repair companies can benefit you now.
Here are our choices for the best credit repair companies in 2024 across five categories.
Best overall: Credit Saint
Credit Saint is a veteran player in the credit repair space, helping over 200,000 clients improve their credit since 2007. One of the best ways to assess a company's reputation is by listening to what its customers say. To that end, Credit Saint has earned a 4.8-star rating from over 12,000 reviews on Google and an A rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Credit Saint offers many services like disputing items with the credit bureaus, creditor interventions, inquiry tracking and more. You have three packages to choose from depending on your needs: Credit Polish ($79.99 monthly), Credit Remodel ($109.99 monthly) and Clean Slate ($139.99 monthly).
If Credit Saint fails to remove any "questionable items" from your credit report, the company backs its service with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Explore your top credit repair options with Credit Saint online today.
Best for experience: Lexington Law
Founded in 2004, Lexington Law has 20 years of experience helping its clients fight to remove inaccurate information from their credit reports. Lexington Law claims their licensed lawyers and paralegals fight for your rights according to consumer protection laws.
The company provides a free credit repair consultation to explore its credit repair services and determine the best path for you. The company offers a single package priced at $119.95 per month. Military members are eligible for a 50% off discount on initial work fees, while spouses are eligible for this discount only at sign-up.
Best for value: Sky Blue Credit
Blue Sky Credit offers a wide range or services in The company offers a basic package for a $79 monthly fee that includes access to your credit reports and scores, credit bureau disputes and individual consultations.
At $99 per month, its full-service package is more affordable than many competitors. This package provides inquiry disputes, debt validation letters and cease and desist letters, among other features.
While other credit repair companies offer sign-up discounts for spouses, Sky Blue Credit offers a discounted monthly rate for couples—$119 for basic service and $149 for full service.
Best for speed to repair: The Credit People
The Credit People offers three credit repair packages: Standard ($99 monthly), Premium ($119 monthly) and Flat Rate ($599 six-month flat rate). The company aims to limit your risk with a money-back guarantee. You can cancel anytime and The Credit People will refund your payment for that month as well as for the previous month. For clients with a six-month flat rate, the company provides a full six-month satisfaction guarantee.
You can begin service with The Credit People for $19, and the company will get started immediately. You can cancel within the first seven days of service if you're not satisfied, otherwise you'll be charged the monthly fee.
The Credit People acknowledge that the time horizon for repairing your credit depends on your unique situation, and they claim the majority of their clients receive responses to their letters within the first 45 to 60 days.
Best comprehensive services: The Credit Pros
If you don't want to pay for more for services you don't need, The Credit Pros services are worth a look. The company offers three packages, ranging from the simple and affordable Money Management plan ($69 monthly) to the all-inclusive Success Plus plan ($149 monthly). Its Prosperity plan ($129 monthly) falls in the middle, offering most of the features of the Success Plus plan minus its Credit Builder Program.
The Credit Pros offers unlimited disputes with the three major credit bureaus through its more comprehensive packages. Unfortunately, you can't get bureau disputes and creditor interventions with its basic Money Management plan.
The Credit Pros offers a 90-day money-back guarantee to ensure your satisfaction.
How to find the best credit repair company
Choosing the best credit repair company starts with checking their reputation. Sadly, there are some shady companies in this space you want to steer clear of. For any company you're considering, read their reviews on Google and their Better Business Bureau (BBB) or Trustpilot ratings. It's also a good idea to look up information with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to find out if there are any current or past legal actions against the company.
From there, you'll want to make sure the company's services and prices line up with your needs. It's a good idea to compare services from multiple credit repair companies to find the best balance of features and price. Most services offer a free initial consultation, where you can ask important questions, such as how long it will take to see results.
Finally, make sure any company you're considering offers a money-back guarantee so you can recoup your money if you're unhappy with the service you receive.
Can you repair your credit fast?
Improving your credit score is typically a gradual process rather than a quick fix. While certain actions like paying down high credit card balances or removing legitimate errors from your credit report can sometimes yield noticeable improvements within 30 to 60 days, meaningful credit repair generally takes six to 12 months of consistent positive financial behavior. The timeline largely depends on the severity and types of negative items affecting your score.
Beware of companies promising to "fix your credit overnight" or remove accurate negative information — these are red flags. "Credit repair scams also frequently target financially distressed consumers who are having credit problems. These operations lure consumers to purchase their services by falsely claiming that they will remove negative information from consumers' credit reports even if that information is accurate," the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states on its website. Legitimate negative marks like late payments, collections or bankruptcies can legally remain on your report for seven to 10 years. No company, regardless of their marketing claims, can magically erase accurate information.
The most effective approach combines addressing legitimate errors through the dispute process while simultaneously building a positive credit history through on-time payments, reducing debt and maintaining low credit utilization. Patience and consistency are key - focus on sustainable financial habits rather than quick results.
How much do credit repair companies usually cost?
Credit repair companies typically structure their fees in one of two ways: monthly subscription models or pay-per-deletion plans. Monthly subscription services generally range from under $100 per month to about $150 per month, with initial setup fees often added at the beginning.
Pay-per-deletion models charge you only when negative items are successfully removed from your credit report. These companies typically charge $50 to $150 per deletion, depending on the type and difficulty of the item being challenged. While potentially more cost-effective if you have just a few negative marks, this approach can become expensive with multiple issues across three credit bureaus.
When evaluating costs, consider that many credit repair actions can be performed independently at no cost beyond postage and your time. The value proposition of these services hinges on their expertise in navigating the dispute process and the time saved by outsourcing this work. Some companies also offer tiered service packages with additional features like identity theft monitoring, financial coaching or cease-and-desist letters to collectors at premium price points.
Credit builder vs. credit repair
Credit repair and credit building represent two distinct but complementary approaches to improving your financial profile. Credit repair focuses on addressing the past by identifying and disputing inaccurate, outdated or unverifiable negative information on your existing credit reports. It's essentially a cleanup process that aims to remove items unfairly dragging down your score. "Credit repair is important because it enhances your purchase power, opening doors to better financial opportunities and lower interest rates, saving you money in the long run," says Dutch Mendenhall, CEO of RADD Companies, a portfolio of financial companies.
Credit building, by contrast, looks toward the future by establishing a new positive credit history. This approach utilizes tools like secured credit cards, credit builder loans or becoming an authorized user on someone else's well-managed account to demonstrate responsible credit management going forward. Credit building is particularly valuable for those with thin credit files or who are recovering from significant negative events.
Are there alternatives to credit repair companies?
The most cost-effective alternative to hiring a credit repair company is handling the dispute process yourself. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives consumers the right to challenge inaccurate information directly with the credit bureaus through their online portals, by phone, or via certified mail. This DIY approach costs nothing but time and allows you to address the same issues a paid service would target.
Bank and credit union membership often include complimentary credit monitoring and educational resources to help understand your credit profile. And, many financial institutions offer secured credit cards, credit builder loans and other products specifically designed to help rebuild credit. These tools, combined with consistent on-time payments and responsible debt management, can achieve similar or better results than paying for credit repair services.
How can you spot a credit repair scam?
Legitimate credit repair companies operate within strict legal boundaries established by the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Red flags that may indicate a scam include demands for upfront payment before any services are performed, promises to remove accurate negative information or suggestions to dispute everything on your report regardless of accuracy. All of these practices are either illegal or highly unethical.
"A simple rule to follow is 'Don't pay upfront,'" The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) states on its website. "Under the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies can't request or receive payment until they've completed the services they've promised. Some companies will structure monthly payment plans to try to avoid this requirement. You should know that all forms of upfront payment before services are completed are illegal."
Reputable companies will provide a written contract detailing your rights, explain exactly what they can and cannot legally do and avoid making specific guarantees about point increases or timeframes. They should also never discourage you from contacting credit bureaus directly or suggest you provide false information in the dispute process.
Tim Maxwell contributed to this report.
