Credit Reports & Repair
What you need to know
Credit Reports
You are entitled to a free credit report from each of the three national credit bureaus once every 12 months. You can also obtain a copy of your credit report from one of the major credit bureaus at any time for a small fee. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com for more information.
Credit Repair Companies
Many credit repair companies advertise the ability to erase negative information from your credit report. The truth, however, is that only time and effort can correct bad credit.
Credit repair companies, or credit services organizations, conducting business in Utah are generally required to register with the Division of Consumer Protection. You can check to see if a specific credit services organization is registered here using our Registered Entities Search.
Be aware that
Unscrupulous firms often exploit a portion of the Fair Credit Reporting Act which requires a credit bureau to omit some information from a credit report while conducting an investigation if a dispute is filed by a consumer. Thus, the services provided by a credit repair firm may just entail the firm filing multiple, unfounded disputes with a credit bureau. This may temporarily mask legitimate negative information, but accurate information cannot legally be removed from a credit report except by paying off a debt or waiting for it to expire.
