I thought it would be useful to have a page with all of our recommended resources for building credit and improving your credit score in one place. Many of these tools and services have been mentioned before across the forum, but this should give you a great overview of all of the services and tools that are out there to help you start building or rebuilding your credit.
Professional Credit Help
- CreditRepair.com: CreditRepair.com can eliminate inaccurate items from your credit report. On average, its members see an 11.6 negative items removed from their credit reports, and an average gain in their credit score of 40 points – all in just 4 months. Visit their website or call CreditRepair.com at (844) 346-3175 for a free consultation and to learn more.
- The Credit Pros: Get a free credit consultation with a credit expert who can help you to improve your credit.
- Jeanne Kelly: Jeanne and her team of highly trained credit specialists delivers practical advice and insight in respectful, private one-on-one phone-based coaching sessions. Hire them for a one-time review to help you get going! You can call Jeanne directly at (866) 283-8818
Credit Cards If You Have Limited, Poor, Fair or Average Credit
If you are looking to apply for a credit card we recommend the following card. You can also view the full list of the best credit cards for building credit here.
- Milestone® Gold MasterCard®: This is a great credit card for people with fair / average / limited credit. It has a pre-qualification tool that allows you to see if you are pre-qualified without impacting your credit score. Plus, it reports to all three major credit bureaus. It has an annual fee of $35 – $99, depending on your credit worthiness.
- Milestone® Gold MasterCard®: This version of the Milestone card is designed for those who suffered a major credit event and still have poor credit. It is an unsecured card that provides you a great way to build and access credit. And it too allows prior bankruptcies, reports to all major credit bureaus, and has a pre-qualification tool with no impact to your credit score. The card does have an annual fee of $0 – $99, depending on your credit worthiness.
- CapitalOne® QuickSilverOne® Rewards: A rewards credit card for those with fair or average credit! It does have an annual fee. Apply now on CreditSoup®!
You can learn more about these card in this article.
Credit Scores
- Check Your Credit Scores Here: The first step in building or rebuilding credit is to check your credit scores and report so you know where you currently stand.
- Get Your Credit Reports: You can get your current credit reports from the three credit bureaus here.
- myFICO: You can get your current credit reports from the three credit bureaus here. myFICO is the leading expert in providing actual credit reports, scores and information to consumers online.
Identity Theft Protection
Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. Last year there were over 12 million victims of this faceless crime. IdentityForce is the most trusted identity protection service, and it is available to individual and families across the U.S. Offer the best in protection, and do more for your bottom line.
IdentityForce offers the following protection:
- Protection backed by a nation-wide $1 million insurance policy
- Daily 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring
- Continuously monitor your personal information to detect illegal trading and selling
- Instant notification when your personal information is being misused
- 24/7 fully-managed restoration services by Certified Protection Experts
- Free Two Week Trial
Free Credit Score Tools & Services
- AnnualCreditReport.com: AnnualCreditReport.com is a free service that allows you access to*a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Unfortunately, these reports do not include your credit score from those bureaus. For that, you will need to pay extra or check out one of our other recommended resources.
- CreditSesame: 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool with no credit card required or trial period. Credit Sesame makes managing personal credit online, owing less in interest and saving on mortgage, loan and credit card payments easy!
- Personal Capital: Track your bills and budget, make sure you have a payment reminder set up, and start monitoring your savings and investments. Good payment history = good credit score.
Tools for Eliminating Debt
- My Total Money Makeover: Dave Ramsey has helped a lot of people get out of debt. Although I don’t agree with him on the fact that ALL debt is bad debt his courses can be a godsend to those who are stuck in the debt trap.
- Personal Capital: Before you can eliminate debt you need to have a budget. Personal Capital is great for tracking expenses. Plus, you also can keep track of your investments and retirement accounts. Watch your debt shrink and your wealth blossom all in one place!
Useful Guides
- Master Your Credit Score – Free E-Book. : Everything you need to get started repairing your credit score – best of all it’s free for CreditForums members.
- Official FTC: Credit Repair Guide : Great overview of your rights as a consumer, how to recognize a credit repair scam, and a sample dispute letter example.
- First Steps To Rebuilding Your Credit Score: If you are trying to rebuild your credit score you will want to read this.
I will update this list periodically as new tools and services become available or if I stumble across anything else useful.
We highly encourage you to Register for CreditForums and start posting if you are trying to improve your credit score. I’ve found that collaborating with others on this forum can be a HUGE help and we would love to follow along on your journey.
