There are many companies which sell credit repair tips and solutions. There are software programs, books, newsletters and a range of services directed at those who are in need of bad credit history repair. But, the best credit repair tips and solutions are the free ones, at least in the opinion of this writer.

Did you know that the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, are required to provide consumers with one free copy of their credit report every year? If not, you are not alone. Some people know that the reports are available, but do not know where or how to obtain copies. Companies which sell credit repair tips and solutions often sell information about where to obtain copies of your credit reports. They often advertise in such a way as to lure in consumers who are looking for bad credit history repair or just the free annual report that they are entitled to by law.

Visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Older books containing credit repair tips and solutions will not have this address. It was created by the three major credit bureaus in response to a recently enacted law, so anything that was written before 2005 will not have this information. If you are attempting bad credit history repair on your own, then you will want to visit this site first. There is no charge for these reports, but the credit bureaus are allowed to promote credit repair tips and solutions that they sell on this site. Just click no thanks on the offers until you get to a secure site where you can enter your personal information. Most credit repair tips and solutions offered by the credit bureaus will not help you achieve bad credit history repair.

Bad credit history repair can be a frustrating and time consuming process. In order to avoid a little frustration, have your personal information available when you visit the credit report site. In order to verify your identity, you will be asked certain questions about past or present accounts or previous addresses. And, make sure that you spell the website address correctly or you may end up at an impostor site. One impostor site sells credit repair tips and solutions and information about bad credit history repair, but does not provide you with your credit reports. Another impostor site calls their monthly newsletter “My Free Credit Report”. All of this is an attempt by businesses to confuse consumers, causing more frustration and lost time.

After you pass up all the offers, enter your personal information and finally get to view your credit reports, you may be surprised. There may be a lot of information on your credit report or just a little, depending on the types of credit that you have and the length of time that you have been using credit. You may be expecting to see a “credit score”. If so, you will be disappointed. The free credit reports provided by the credit bureaus do not include your FICO or any other relevant scores. They contain information that is used to calculate your credit scores. When you are trying to achieve bad credit history repair, you may run into a number of little disappointments and frustrations. Be prepared.

If you actually want to view your credit score, the number most commonly used by creditors is the FICO score. FICO also sells credit repair tips and solutions and they charge consumers to view their own credit score. They charge lenders and financial institutions as well, but it does seem that consumers should be able to see this information without being charged. Since that is not the case, be ready with a credit card. You can use a prepaid or a secured credit card if you do not have another type. If you do not qualify for a regular credit card, get a secured card. The FICO credit tips and solutions suggest that a secured credit card which is handled properly will help you repair bad credit history over time. This is not an immediate fix, but if you credit score is very low, then it is a good idea to build “good” credit history as you attempt to repair “bad” credit history.

There are too many credit repair tips and solutions to mention in this one article. This writer and the other writers at Credit Fix Solutions have compiled a large number of credit repair tips and solutions. We strive to provide accurate information about how to repair bad credit history. Visit us at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com

Patsy Rose is one of the writers at Credit Fix Solutions, a resource for free credit repair information.