Any Advice on where to start?

[kikilu]

Hello,

I am trying to repair my credit, and don't know where to start. I have done my research on the internet, and this has me more confused than when I started! There are so many scams out there. Also, is it legal to obtain a new CPN number? This options sound fishy to me. Thanks for your help!

[Trish]

Hi kikilu. Welcome

It is illegal to change your CPN number......and any business that offers that is a scam.
This site is not selling anything. We are all here to help each other by giving and getting advice regarding credit repair. So no worries. There are some really good threads here that can explain thing to you.

First go into the Beginner's Credit Information section and just start reading.

To break it down simply......these are the first things you want to do (or read up on):
1. Opt out
2. Get your reports directly from the 3 main CRAs (TU, EX and EQ)
3. Update/delete all personal info on your reports
4. Triage your reports and start your plan of attack so you can decide what accts need to be disputed, what accts need to be paid, which accts need goodwill letters, etc.

So hopefully that will get you started in the right direction.
Then once you've started reading and going through the steps listed above, if you have any specific questions, feel free to post them and we will do our best to help.

[MDI]

Start here with these steps:
You will first need to order your credit report from the 3 bureaus below:
1. Experian
Tel#: 1.888.397.3742
Website: Experian | Contact Us | Informed Decisions, Smart Solutions

2. TransUnion
Tel#: 1.800.888.4213
Website: TransUnion - Check Your Credit Report and Credit Score Online, Instantly and Securely

3. Equifax
Tel#: 1.800.685.1111
Website: Equifax: Credit Reports, Credit Scores, Protection Against Identity Theft
There are several ways that you may qualify for a free credit report:
• If you have been denied credit recently.
• If you feel that you have been a victim of identity theft.
• If you receive any type of public assistance.
• If you are unemployed, and will be job hunting.
• You also, are entitled to one free credit report a year. www.annualcreditreport.com

Once you receive your credit reports, it is time to start reviewing all the open and closed accounts, collections, judgments, liens, etc.
Before you start looking at all the accounts on you credit report, you need to familiarize yourself with the layout of the report. All 3 of the credit reports will have a different format, so it is very important to get yourself comfortable reading the reports.