CreditFactors

CreditFactors is the subscription site with the most complete and up to date information about FICO credit scores and what and how to dispute with credit bureaus and collectors.

New 12/07:  The CreditFactors LEGAL knowledgebase

While I am NOT an attorney, I have been litigating against CRAs, creditors and collectors since 2001. I am adding my research for my pending litigation to the legal knowledgebase.

If you can't find answers to your questions in the CreditFactors knowledgebase, you can post in the subscriber forum. 

CreditFactors Resources

  • develop your strategy & order the right credit reports for your purpose
  • decide whether it's worth the effort to improve your credit
  • analyze the reports & detect relevant incorrect data
  • analyze FICO Score Factors & improve your scores
  • determine what to dispute, what NOT to dispute and how to dispute
  • preparing for bankruptcy - long term planning
  • "after bankruptcy" common incorrect reporting
  • "hard" and "soft" inquiries, FICO deduplication
  • permissible purpose and $1,000 statutory damages
  • dispute collections, negotiate and settle debts
  • your rights under the FCRA - FDCPA - FCBA - RESPA
  • legal resources for pro se litigants

The most common mistakes that can NOT be undone

  • Disputes of derogatory accounts that actually increase scores

    It is usually impossible to get closed accounts re-reported after deletion due to disputes of old and irrelevant late payments. Even the deletion of a charge-off can lower FICO scores because the account history increases the scores by more points than are lost due to the charge-off.

  • Payment of collections, judgments or liens

    A collection (reported as such), judgment or lien reported as PAID will not increase FICO scores and you lose your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act once a collection is paid. While accounts may have to be settled in some situations, there are legitimate ways to try to get deletion first.

  • Submission of false or frivolous disputes as by credit repair outfits like Lexington, Bradley Ross, Credit Attorney, etc.

    The credit bureaus may refuse future legitimate disputes of relevant incorrect data and it gets even more difficult to prevail in court when the credit bureaus can document that you lied in your disputes. You may not plan on suing, but when the credit bureaus know that you submitted frivolous or false disputes, they can make it even harder for you to get the credit you deserve.

  • Reviewing credit scores other than FICO scores and following the CRAs', Fair Isaac's and Suze Orman's advice

    Only the FICO scores are used to rate mortgages. The scores sold by the credit bureaus are a total fraud and nothing but a way to get your money while at the same time keeping your FICO scores low due to often much higher scores and their horrible advice. I also documented how Suze Orman tailors her advice to lower your FICO scores, to assist creditors and collectors and to increase profits for credit bureaus by damaging your credit rating.

If your delinquent accounts were charged off over 2 years ago and you haven't had new late payments, your FICO scores should be at least 650. If they aren't, find out why.

I have been researching FICO scores and credit reporting for many years.

I frequently update the site as I discover new software bugs and "malfunctions" (see http://creditlegislation.org) and because credit reporting, scoring and collection practices continually change.

10/12/07: My press release: Collection Agency Focus Receivables Management sued for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act while collecting a DirecTV disputed account

6/21/07: My Open Letter to the members of the House Financial Services Committee.

The $45 6-months subscription includes access to the subscriber forum and you can post questions, specific accounts or score factors for personal assistance.

If you want to permanently LOWER FICO scores, please copy the

Lexington Law or Bradley Ross dispute letters.

If you're serious about improving your FICO scores, subscribe to CreditFactors and before you dispute anything, learn what NOT to do. Credit scoring is complicated and it takes time to learn what and how to dispute, but worth the effort if you are financing big ticket items such a car or home. 

More info is at the CreditFactors FAQ.

Learn what to dispute before you dispute!

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$45 for a 6-months CreditFactors subscription

$75 for a 1-year CreditFactors subscription

Personal Credit Review, Credit Analysis, Recommendations and Disputes

If your FICO scores are critical (as for a mortgage) or you're not very detail oriented or too busy to study score factors and to analyze your reports, I may be able to personally review your reports (as time permits), discuss your situation with you, make recommendations and draft your disputes.

I can also assist you with preparation for bankruptcy or help you decide whether to simply default on your debt.  Long term planning is critical and you can position yourself for good FICO scores in the near future.

FICO Credit Score Analysis - Recommendations - Disputes

Debt Negotiation and Settlement

If you need to settle accounts, I may be able to help you with the negotiations and settlement. However, at least 50% of my clients who asked me to settle accounts ended up not settling because it was not necessary. A client saved over $50,000 because none of his old debts needed to be settled. Clients had judgments vacated instead of paying them because they were not properly served or tax liens removed because there were legitimate disputes.

Paying judgments, liens and collections will not increase FICO scores.

That's why it is so important to review your reports and your needs first.

Flat rate Debt Negotiation & Settlement

TESTIMONIALS & REFERENCES

Instead of relying on testimonials that you can't possibly verify, please have a look at what I do. Much of my credit research and litigation is published, but I will never be a "credit guru" on radio or TV. Credit scores are extremely complex and to my knowledge, I'm the only person to document scoring software bugs and violations, to publish my research and to document how corrupt the entire system is. Below are links to a few of my many projects.

Christine's Credit Litigation

I am NOT an attorney and it's tough to prevail in federal court as a consumer litigant. However, it's not always about "winning", it's about getting the issues publicized and getting creditors and CRAs to change their practices.

Since 2003 I litigated to have the Capital One credit limits reported. I lost in 2006. I appealed (decision pending) and in summer 2007, Capital One FINALLY started to report the credit limits.

Of course it cost me many thousands of dollars and I feel like I'm 120 years old, but if just a few other people stood up for their rights and published their complaints to regulators and legislators and their litigation, many millions of families would not be struggling to pay their bills, they would have the credit they deserve.

I recently filed my appeals court opening brief regarding judge Broomfield's refusal to remove my unredacted credit reports from the court's public record on PACER and the dismissal of collector American Agencies due to PERJURY by Experian's Kimberly Hughes regarding inquiries and the ruling that American Agencies did NOT attempt to collect the disputed debt when it asked me to reconcile the statements and advise how much I owe.

I'm also suing Focus Receivables and collector James Hurd for extorting payment of a disputed and entirely bogus debt. Hurd threatened to report the collection to the credit bureaus if I didn't pay. As of 1/08, they deny any wrong doing.

The socalled subprime crisis put millions of homeowners in foreclosure because the regulators maliciously decided to stop enforcing all mortgage advertising laws and regulations and because incorrect and incomplete credit reporting and buggy FICO scoring software cause artificially low scores.

I'm suing Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and NCO for their refusal to terminate compromised or illegally used consumer credit report accounts and the totally false illegal junk fax mortgage advertisements. I will document how the corrupt regulators ignored my complaints and gave scummy outfits like Dana Capital the green light to deceive and lie and to force millions into foreclosure.

Most of the court filings and exhibits are at CreditCourt.

Christine's Objection to the Hillis / Slack v. Equifax & Fair Isaac Class Action

My exhibits document that Suze Orman's advice is tailored to assist collectors and creditors and to lower FICO scores. I don't expect to be able to change the proposed settlement, but at least some of the deceptive practices by Fair Isaac and Suze Orman are now on the public record and if consumers care enough to put pressure on their elected officials, an investigation or new legislation could make credit reporting and scoring a little less corrupt.

Christine's Press Releases and Open Letters

Christine's Credit Research

A bankruptcy filer can get much higher scores than someone without any derogatory accounts.

That's why you should not hire a credit repair company - they are incompetent and will most likely cause PERMANENT damage to your credit. There is a LOT more to improving credit scores than deleting bad accounts.

The credit bureaus make it extremely difficult to see what effects the FICO scores:

  • Experian reports "paid as agreed" to consumer, "not paid as agreed" to creditors. (the screenshots)

Christine's Submissions to Regulators

Analysis of credit reporting and credit scoring problems
- a lot of reading, but explains many issues


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