The Complete Guide to Credit Repair for the Homebuyer
This instructional tool provides step-by-step credit repair guidance for the potential home purchaser. The homeowner-to-be is advised not only how and where to locate his/her credit report, but also how to remove any blemishes from the report, whether they are the result of poor credit performance or due to credit reporting inaccuracies. The reader will also learn how mortgage lenders formulate their credit scoring systems to determine whether a prospect is creditworthy, and what his/her legal rights are under such scoring systems. A copy of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is included for the reader to review and use as a reference. The FCRA was designed to protect consumers against inaccurate and unfair descriptions of their credit history. Sample letters to credit bureaus and creditors are included also on a 3.5 floppy diskette for the reader to use as he/she follows the steps.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star WARNING: Here’s Another Credit Repair Rip-Off
“The Complete Guide to Credit Repair” would more accurately be titled: “A Complete Waste of Money.”
Of its 128 pages, only the first 14 pages of the book attempt to offer any advice (and very basic advice, at that). The remainder of the book is comprised of the bare text of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (68 pages), a glossary of common real estate terms (14 pages), and three sets of sample dispute letters that are also contained on the enclosed diskette.
For some reason (presumably to waste paper), the authors felt compelled to produce a different set of dispute letters for each of the three major credit bureaus, even though the ONLY difference among these sets is the name and address of the recipient. And, although the authors advise the reader to send those letters via registered mail, return receipt requested, two sets of letters are addressed to post office boxes, where nobody can sign for the letters! (Incredibly, the third set of letters doesn’t show ANY address; instead, the address lines are “X”ed out!)
Mortgage Originator Magazine, which publishes the book, ought to know something about the impact of negative credit on a borrower’s eligiblity for mortgage financing. While the book offers some insight into the mechanics of conventional loans, however, the authors say NOTHING about the less stringent credit requirements available with federally-insured mortgage loans, an appalling omission!
Moreover, the authors are completely silent about other credit repair options available outside of the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Nothing is said about any of the other federal consumer protection laws (e.g., the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, or the Fair Credit Billing Act). Nor do the authors offer any advice for negotiating with creditors or debt collectors.
While shamelessly purporting to be a “complete guide” offering “comprehensive solutions to credit problems,” this book is just a brief introduction to credit repair supplemented by information that is readily available elsewhere. The reader would be better off saving $18.00 and buying “The Fix Your Credit Workbook” by Todd Bierman and David Masten, which provides far more comprehensive information and much sounder advice.