credit trouble, anyone???

Ok, does anyone know of a good and reputable company that can help me pay my debt? I made a BIG mistake a few years ago and now my credit is bad and I have no idea what to do or where to start. Help me please if you can.

I made a mistake in college that hurt my credit...i looked into many options, including places that claimed to 'repair your credit'. Don't do it.....i met with someone who helped me out, and its true that anything they can do you can do yourself. If the information on your credit report that is hurting your credit is true, the only option is to negotiate with the agency and see if they can reduce the amount you owe...pay it off, and then it will show as being 'closed and paid'. It won't make your credit perfect but it helps.

In my case, i had a charge off in early college....it dropped off my report after 7 years and knock on wood, i became responsible and pay everything on time and in full now. It helped tremendously. If you have any other questions you can FM me. Good luck :)

I used an agency that was one of the big 'reputable' ones, and they were just closed down by the FCC and taken to court for stealing money - including mine!! I got about 80% of it back, but it has been a nightmare. I have heard that you can do it yourself, but if you are getting letters from law comapanies (not really law companies - its a collection comapny that 'bought' your debt from VISA or whomever and will now do ANYTHING to get some $$ from you) you should work with someone who can negotiate your debt down - if it has been a long time since you have made a payment, sometimes they will settle for half or less. FM me if you want the name of the lawyer in Long Island I am considering using...

Also...

If the debt is really old (5 years or more) i would strongly suggest leaving it on your report as is...one thing I read was that paying off a debt that old doesn't help! It just brings the information to the top of your credit report, and even though it will say 'paid' the fact remains it was closed years ago...after 7 years they MUST remove it. You can write to the bureaus to have them investigate and remove it. Its worth a try!! Even if you do owe $$ on a debt...and you send an inquiry..they have 30 days to let you know that yes, the debt is valid. If the bureaus do not respond within 30 days to you, they have to remove the negative item. I have read that this has worked for some people! Good luck :)

One more thing.....never pay someone for services ahead of time. If you are considering any type of legal service, pay AFTER they have come through, never before!!!

I'm with a debt agency. My debt will be paid off next month. It took me about 4 years. If you have any questions, FM me. Here's there website.

Green Path Debt Solutions