Elements of Healthy Credit: Vigilance

Unfortunately, an overwhelming percentage of the population deals with credit challenges of some sort. Regardless of whether the derogatory information in inaccurate or verifiable, less than twenty percent of the population actually upholds their rights to investigate the account. 

In order to build and maintain a healthy credit profile, it's important to stay vigilant in your efforts. Disputing or challenging derogatory information is not the only way to stay vigilant. We've outlined a few ways to maintain healthy credit if you're dealing with derogatory information on your credit report. 

1. Start with your rights. If you have a derogatory item on credit that doesn't seem accurate, it's your right to challenge the validity of that account with the credit bureaus. Reference our blog post on accuracy for the best practices when it comes to disputing. 

2. Go beyond your credit score. When you pull a credit report, we recommend that you dig deep into your credit report, and review each account on credit to ensure that they are reporting fairly. Most people only look at the credit score, which can be deceiving if you don't know what is on your credit report. If you need to pull a credit report, click here. 

3. Work with your creditors. This may sound like an awful task, but it may be fruitful in the end. If you have a legitimate collection or debt on credit, focus on negotiating the best reporting status of that debt before negotiating the balance. This will make a dramatic difference for your credit score in the long term. 

If you have questions, we're here for you. Contact us today at 801-513-2020 for your free evaluation, and don't forget to stay vigilant on building and maintaining a healthy credit profile.