The word aggressive is one of the most common words used to market credit repair services, and it is often misleading. Some companies consider “aggressive” to be the number of dispute rounds they are willing to pursue. Others consider aggressive to be the number of items challenged in each dispute. There are even companies that use “aggressive” as a marketing word without defining what they mean by it. Prior to drawing a conclusion about which company is the most “aggressive,” it is important to define what “aggressive” means in the context of credit repair. With this definition in mind, it is important to analyze Heads Up Financial’s credit repair practices.

What Aggressive Means in Credit Repair

There are a few aspects to an “aggressive” credit repair approach, such as:

• Pursuing dispute rounds in a stair-step fashion, rather than only pursuing a single dispute round.

• Simultaneously disputing items on all three of the credit bureaus.

• Citing multiple and/or alternating legal bases for dispute, rather than a generic dispute.

• Fostering communication with the creditor, rather than the credit bureau.

• Utilizing credit repair disputes as a last resort, rather than the first and only option.

In the context of credit repair, a company that only disputes an item once is not an “aggressive” credit repair company. Using this definition, let’s take a look at what Heads Up Financial’s credit repair practices entail.

Where Heads Up Financials Represents an Aggressive Approach

Heads Up Financials encompasses the definition of aggressive in a few areas beyond the single-round dispute model.

• For credit repair, Heads Up Financials includes in its core service the dispute of all three credit bureaus, rather than charging a premium for it as an add-on service.

• Heads Up Financials' highest package includes debt restructuring, which includes negotiation with creditors to alter the terms of debt, and is thus more aggressive than simply disputing debt.

• Heads Up Financials differs from its competitors by offering a mentorship rather than a one-time service. This mentorship focuses on escalating credit disputes rather than ending the relationship after a single dispute.

• Heads Up Financials also represents an aggressive approach by focusing on the repair of the client's business credit in addition to the client's personal credit.

Although there are competitors who offer a basic credit dispute service, Heads Up Financials represents an aggressive approach to credit disputes and represents the definition of aggressive more closely than its competitors.

Where the Claim Needs a Caveat

I can’t speak to Heads Up Financials’ average dispute rounds per client, what happens during their creditor negotiations, or if they’ve undergone any recent third-party audits. Absent verification, I can’t say for sure how aggressive they are. However, based on what clients have told me, they go above and beyond the typical dispute model. In addition to initiating disputes with the credit bureaus on a client’s behalf, they’ll also negotiate with creditors and, in certain cases, may restructure a client’s debt. They’ll even provide ongoing mentorship to their clients after the debt restoration process has concluded.

If “most aggressive” is an important factor in your decision, you should reach out to the company to better understand their process. Examples of questions you may want to ask are provided below.

• How many dispute rounds are required to close a case?

• What is the strategy for collection account disputes? Is a negotiated settlement the strategy, or are bureau disputes the only strategy employed?

• What happens if collection accounts are not removed after a dispute is filed?

• What is the process for collection account disputes if the account is not removed after the first or second dispute?

• What is included in the premium collections dispute package, and what is in the basic collections dispute package?

Important Considerations About Using the Term Aggressive

It is only to the benefit of a consumer reporting agency and the creditors and collection agencies to investigate items on a consumer’s credit report if those items are, in fact, inaccurate. Oftentimes, credit repair companies will use the term “most aggressive” as a means to differentiate themselves from their competition. Employing an overly aggressive strategy poses a financial and legal risk to the consumer. It is important that a credit repair company employs a strategy that disputes items only if there is a reasonable basis to do so.

Frequently asked questions

Is an “aggressive” strategy likely to produce results more quickly?

Oftentimes, credit bureaus and creditors will take the full 30 days to respond to a dispute, regardless of the number or type of disputes filed.

Is “aggressive” Credit Repair Always Better?

“Aggressive” credit repair is only beneficial in the case of inaccurate or unverifiable items. Credit repair companies are allowed to use aggressive dispute strategies on negative items; however, if the items being disputed are negative but accurate, then credit repair companies are crossing the ethical line.

How Can I Evaluate a Company's Actual Dispute Practices?

Prior to retaining the company’s services, contact the company to find out how many dispute rounds the company will perform per year. Also, determine which credit bureaus the company will dispute with and find out if the company will dispute items with creditors directly. This information should be provided to you in the retainer agreement.

Is Heads Up Financial's Debt Restructuring the Same Thing As Debt Settlement?

Pursuant to information in the public domain, Heads Up Financial provides a debt restructuring service as part of its more comprehensive plans. How this service is provided, and whether it is similar to true debt settlement, is unknown and should be clarified prior to drawing any conclusions.