There are a lot of services out there that promise you that they will be able to help you repair your credit score, but they’re going to charge you an arm and a leg to do it for you. As a frugal person, I’m here to tell you right now that you don’t need anyone to help you repair your credit score, because you can do it on your own. That’s exactly what I did when I used to have a bad credit score, but I was able to correct it.

If you’re curious as to why you should worry about your credit score, you should look over some of my past posts on how a good credit score can be very beneficial to you. Basically, having a good credit score will help you save money in a lot of areas in your life, so it’s important you take good care of your score. Below, I’m going to go over some tips that will help you repair your credit score. Scroll down to get started.

#1. Dispute Claims

It’s very important that you dispute claims with all three of the credit bureaus. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to knock a lot of the items off of your credit score that you’re disputing. When a credit bureau isn’t able to verify a claim on your credit report they have to knock it off.

 #2. Dispute via Snail Mail

A lot of people have moved onto the digital age and they’d rather dispute things online, rather than going with good old fashioned snail mail. Yeah, it may be more convenient, but you’re not going to truly receive any sort of documentation that is a record of when the dispute was received. Also, you won’t be able to dispute certain things online, either. It’s important that you go the snail mail route, so you have a paper trail and you’re able to provide physical documentation that will help you backup your disputes.

#3. Be Persistent

It can take a long time for your credit score to start going up, so you can’t allow yourself to become unmotivated or give up. Don’t be surprised if it takes as much as year for you to see any progress. Stay persistent, take a step at a time and it will be worth it.

#4. Get a Free Copy of Your Credit Report

Every year you’re allowed to receive one free copy of your credit report. I highly suggest that you check out your credit report every single year and take advantage of this freebie.

#5. Go Over Your Report

It’s important that you look at your credit report and take note of any errors or inaccuracies. Make sure you take notes of them.

#6. Document Everything You Do

It’s important that you take notes and make copies of every single thing you do. That way, you always have physical proof of your efforts.

#7. Play the Waiting Game

Once you send in your dispute, the CRA has 30 days to respond to you. They have to include proof in their response, as well, in regards to the inaccuracies you’re disputing. If they don’t provide you with proof in 30 days, they have to remove the inaccuracy from your account.