When you’re new to the credit repair industry, you may feel intimidated when it comes to challenging the credit bureaus. Luckily, many credit repair specialists have paved the path before you, and there are tried-and-true methods for going head-to-head with credit bureaus and succeeding.
Credit repair business owner Joshua Latimer spoke at the 2019 Credit Repair Expo, teaching credit repair business owners how to grow their businesses through tactics like using dispute letters.
The number one thing you need to know is that credit dispute letters are kryptonite, and you as the credit hero have the power to use the tools to take down the giant credit bureaus looming over your clients.
This blog details what it’s like to submit dispute letters to the credit bureaus, and offers unique techniques from one of the top credit repair specialists in the industry to help you find success.
1. Arm Yourself With Knowledge
Disputing negative marks on your client’s credit report can be a tedious process unless you know what you’re doing. As a new credit repair specialist, you might be tempted to shoot out dispute letters without rhyme or reason which will yield low results. With a bit of research on the front end can save you time and energy when working with your clients.
Each client you work with will need a customized plan of attack, and not all clients will need dispute letters sent immediately. Derrick Harper, an inductee of the Millionaires Club, recommends leveraging the Credit Repair Cloud’s Simple Audit tool to analyze a client’s credit score at your first plan of attack.
From there, Derrick recommends determining which red flags are weighing your client down the most, and how you can make an immediate and visible impact on your client’s score.
Use these key questions to discern areas you should target on a client’s credit report:
- Has your client exceeded their credit card limit? Can he or she make an immediate payment to reduce their utilization rate?
- Is there an error on your client’s credit report?
- What key derogatory marks need priority?
Identifying small wins can help you earn the trust of your clients quickly, and gives you knowledge about your client’s financial background so when it comes time to submit a credit dispute letter you can enter the process with confidence.
2. Learn to Automate and Replicate
Effective credit repair specialists know it’s vital to send well-written, custom letters for maximum impact on the credit bureaus. However, when dealing with a full Rolodex of clients, it can be time-consuming and challenging to customize and provide the same level of attention and detail in each letter, for each client.
That’s why it’s critical to build an automated system that can be easily replicated, especially once you’ve found a style that works.
Derrick says that he’s systematized his dispute process through a mixture of:
- Taking advantage of Credit Repair Cloud’s Simple Audit tool
- Leveraging Credit Repair Cloud’s library of credit dispute letters
- Adding his unique wisdom to the process
By using automation in his process his method is easily replicated, which helps him extend his reach, help more members in his community, and scale his business because a systematic process is easier to replicate for success.
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder
One tip Derrick gave the Credit Repair Cloud community in a recent Facebook Live conversation is approaching credit bureaus with an investigation request letter to before sending a dispute letter.
Derrick says that without back-up documentation, dispute letters might be pushed off by the bureaus, making them less effective. Ineffective processes will require more work from you.
Instead, if you’re able to find a violation before sending a dispute letter you’re setting yourself up for success. Pinpointing the errors before sending a dispute letter means you’re forcing the bureaus to investigate your dispute beyond comparing it with their existing inaccurate information. This process also makes it easier to hold the bureaus responsible for responding on a strict timeline. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives bureaus 30 days to investigate each request. And credit repair specialists should follow up every 35-40 days to ensure that their disputes are answered.
If the bureau still does not adhere to your dispute letter within this timeframe, they are violating the FCRA, which means you’re legally able to file a lawsuit against the bureau.
4. Have an Attorney on Speed Dial
If you’re new to the industry — or even as a grizzled veteran — it’s OK to admit that you don’t know every single trick of the trade. The best practices of credit repair change all the time, especially as legislation changes.
Whenever you’re in doubt, reach out to an expert for help. Attorneys are a great resource if you need to get a second opinion about your mode of operation, specifically if you need to know about adhering to The Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA), which is the primary piece of legislation governing the credit repair industry by:
- Prohibiting organizations from misrepresenting their services
- Requiring an organization to provide a written contract with the consumer
- Allowing the consumer three days to cancel the contract
- Preventing an organization from charging for services until they are rendered
Not only will a lawyer licensed in your state be familiar with CROA, but they should also know state or local laws you’re required to abide by to combat the credit bureaus effectively.
5. Repair Credit with Confidence
Armed with knowledge, support, and continued practice in the industry, you can work in the credit repair space with confidence and effectiveness.
The more fine-tuned your credit repair business, the more people within your community you can help. And, as you become more confident in your abilities you can do more than fix credit scores, you can educate your community on the industry and teach them about protecting themselves from falling into the system which currently works to keep people in debt.
Remember, the systems won’t save people, but you — acting as the credit hero — can.
