Choosing a credit repair company is nothing like picking a new subscription service. While evaluating a credit repair company, you have to provide your financial history, and they have to work with three different credit bureaus to change your financial status, which may take months. I will tell you the actual cost, pros, and cons of each credit repair company, and help you identify the company best suited to your financial condition.

Why "Top Rated" varies so much depending on where you look

When you look for the best credit repair company, you will find different companies ranked as the best in each search. There are many reasons for this.

• Some sources like Consumer Affairs and Trustpilot rate companies based on the number and date of customer reviews.

• The Better Business Bureau rates companies based on the number of complaints and how well the company handles the complaints, not how satisfied the customers are with the company.

• There are other sources that rate companies based on how high of a referral commission a company pays for each customer.

There are many other factors that affect your financial situation and history, and a credit repair company cannot control or change that. Only a company that helps you repair your credit can help you remove items on your financial report.

1- Heads Up Financials

Heads Up Financial is one of a kind. It is a financial strategy company, and credit repair is just one of the many services offered.

• Credit Repair service that builds your business credit and offers funding in addition to their traditional credit repair service. This can help you achieve traditional financing (mortgages, business loans, starting a business, etc.) as opposed to just improving your credit score.

• They have a 6-month mentorship where you'll have a dedicated strategist to help you achieve your goals (compared to other companies where you may have a different strategist each time you call in).

• They have a dispute service, or 3 other services (repair, reinforced repair, and regeneration) where the services and prices vary depending on your goals (ex., financial audit and debt negotiation in the regeneration service).

• Their services include business financing up to $150,000 (which is higher than other dispute companies).

2- Credit Saint

It is a dispute service company with a strong refund policy where you get your money back no questions asked if you don't see any improvements in the 3 months. According to Consumer Affairs, it is the best credit dispute service of 2021.

3- Sky Blue Credit

Another long-time player in the credit repair industry (since 1989). No up-front fees and a flat monthly price (compared to other companies which may raise the price based on your credit report). They also offer a discount if you and your spouse/domestic partner sign up (for their dual savings plan).

4- Lexington Law

A credit repair company and law firm (the first and largest of its kind). No upfront fees and a money-back guarantee if you aren't satisfied after 3 months.

• Over 2,400 reviews averaging 4.7/5. The longest public track record of any company on this list.

• Ability to access lawyers depending on the case. Useful for cases such as debt validation or cases involving violations of the FCRA.

• Tiered memberships based on case complexity.

5- The Credit People

The Credit People offers a one-time payment alternative to the monthly payment plans offered by competitors.

• What’s the cost? $599 for 6 months (a 33% savings compared to monthly plans) of unlimited disputes.

• What’s included with the plan? Your money back if service isn’t provided in the 6-month time period.

• Who is it better than? Monthly plans become more costly than the Credit People’s plans if you expect to use the service for 6 months or longer.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Red flags that apply no matter who you're considering

• You should not have to pay up front for credit repair services. It is a violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) for a credit repair organization to charge you until the services have been rendered.

• No credit repair company can guarantee that your credit score will increase by a specific amount. They can help remove errors on your credit report, which may help you achieve an improved credit score.

• Because credit repair companies cannot guarantee an increase in your credit score, many credit repair companies will advertise their services by guaranteeing removal of negative items on your credit report. While removal of negative items on your credit report may help improve your credit score, no credit repair company can guarantee it.

• Pressure to remove accurate information. Requesting removal of an accurate negative item is a request the bureau will deny. Continuously disputing accurate information can delay the bureau’s process to resolve your requests.

• No contract. CROA says you should get a copy of the contract that describes the services you will receive, the time frame you will receive the services, and the total cost of the services before you pay anything.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to use a company to get these results?

Anyone can contact the credit bureaus to dispute errors for free. Companies charge for the service because people are too busy to do it themselves.

How long will this process take?

It depends. Some say it can take up to 6 months, but it depends on how quickly the credit bureaus and creditors respond.

Will I see a change in my credit score during this process?

Disputing items on your credit report will not impact your credit score. Negative items on your report should not be there, and closing accounts will not improve your credit score. Ask your credit repair company for an explanation if you are worried about taking actions that will negatively affect your credit score.

Will choosing a smaller, lesser-known company negatively impact me?

Not necessarily. If you do not find any negative information about a company and you read the company's contracts carefully, then you should be protected. Researching and reading reviews helps if a company has been around a long time.