Steve Bucci has been helping people decode and master personal credit and debt issues for the last 20+ years. His personal finance advice column can be seen on the financial mega-site Bankrate (www.bankrate.com). Steve was formerly president of the Money Management International Financial Education Foundation and president of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England. He is the author of Getting Out of Debt For Dummies and Back to Basics: Debt Management.

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• Foreword xvIntroduction 1Part 1: Getting Started with Credit Repair 7Chapter 1: Introducing Credit Repair, Credit Scores, and Your Life on Credit 9Chapter 2: Turning Your Credit Around 27Chapter 3: Cleaning Up Your Credit Reports 43Chapter 4: Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free 63Chapter 5: Coping with Debt Collection 77Chapter 6: Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations 103Part 2: Reducing Credit Damage From Major Setbacks 123Chapter 7: Reducing Credit Damage in a Crisis 125Chapter 8: Filing for and Recovering from Bankruptcy 151Chapter 9: Repairing Credit Damage in the Wake of Identity Theft. 171Part 3: Rebuilding Credit, No Matter Where Or When You Begin 183Chapter 10: Starting or Restarting Your Credit in Real Life. 185Chapter 11: Ending Life’s Negative Credit Surprises 207Chapter 12: Protecting Your Credit during Major Life Challenges 221Part 4: Making Sense of Credit Reporting And Scoring 253Chapter 13: Discovering How Credit Reporting Works 255Chapter 14: Understanding Credit Reports and Scores 271Chapter 15: Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores 305Part 5: Successfully Managing Your Credit for Life 317Chapter 16: Putting Yourself in Control of Your Credit 319Chapter 17: Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Credit 327Chapter 18: Safeguarding Your Credit with a Spending Plan 339Chapter 19: Fair Access to Credit 365Chapter 20: Knowing Your Rights to Protect Your Credit 377Chapter 21: Protecting Your Identity 397Part 6: the Part of Tens 417Chapter 22: Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know 419Chapter 23: Ten Strategies for Dealing with Student Loans 429Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Deal with a Mortgage Meltdown 439Index 449

Steve Bucci has been helping people decode and master personal credit and debt issues for the last 20+ years. His personal finance advice column can be seen on the financial mega-site Bankrate (www.bankrate.com). Steve was formerly president of the Money Management International Financial Education Foundation and president of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England. He is the author of Getting Out of Debt For Dummies and Back to Basics: Debt Management.

Select Guide Rating

• Foreword xvIntroduction 1Part 1: Getting Started with Credit Repair 7Chapter 1: Introducing Credit Repair, Credit Scores, and Your Life on Credit 9Chapter 2: Turning Your Credit Around 27Chapter 3: Cleaning Up Your Credit Reports 43Chapter 4: Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free 63Chapter 5: Coping with Debt Collection 77Chapter 6: Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations 103Part 2: Reducing Credit Damage From Major Setbacks 123Chapter 7: Reducing Credit Damage in a Crisis 125Chapter 8: Filing for and Recovering from Bankruptcy 151Chapter 9: Repairing Credit Damage in the Wake of Identity Theft. 171Part 3: Rebuilding Credit, No Matter Where Or When You Begin 183Chapter 10: Starting or Restarting Your Credit in Real Life. 185Chapter 11: Ending Life’s Negative Credit Surprises 207Chapter 12: Protecting Your Credit during Major Life Challenges 221Part 4: Making Sense of Credit Reporting And Scoring 253Chapter 13: Discovering How Credit Reporting Works 255Chapter 14: Understanding Credit Reports and Scores 271Chapter 15: Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores 305Part 5: Successfully Managing Your Credit for Life 317Chapter 16: Putting Yourself in Control of Your Credit 319Chapter 17: Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Credit 327Chapter 18: Safeguarding Your Credit with a Spending Plan 339Chapter 19: Fair Access to Credit 365Chapter 20: Knowing Your Rights to Protect Your Credit 377Chapter 21: Protecting Your Identity 397Part 6: the Part of Tens 417Chapter 22: Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know 419Chapter 23: Ten Strategies for Dealing with Student Loans 429Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Deal with a Mortgage Meltdown 439Index 449

Steve Bucci has been helping people decode and master personal credit and debt issues for the last 20+ years. His personal finance advice column can be seen on the financial mega-site Bankrate (www.bankrate.com). Steve was formerly president of the Money Management International Financial Education Foundation and president of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England. He is the author of Getting Out of Debt For Dummies and Back to Basics: Debt Management.

Select Guide Rating

• Foreword xvIntroduction 1Part 1: Getting Started with Credit Repair 7Chapter 1: Introducing Credit Repair, Credit Scores, and Your Life on Credit 9Chapter 2: Turning Your Credit Around 27Chapter 3: Cleaning Up Your Credit Reports 43Chapter 4: Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free 63Chapter 5: Coping with Debt Collection 77Chapter 6: Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations 103Part 2: Reducing Credit Damage From Major Setbacks 123Chapter 7: Reducing Credit Damage in a Crisis 125Chapter 8: Filing for and Recovering from Bankruptcy 151Chapter 9: Repairing Credit Damage in the Wake of Identity Theft. 171Part 3: Rebuilding Credit, No Matter Where Or When You Begin 183Chapter 10: Starting or Restarting Your Credit in Real Life. 185Chapter 11: Ending Life’s Negative Credit Surprises 207Chapter 12: Protecting Your Credit during Major Life Challenges 221Part 4: Making Sense of Credit Reporting And Scoring 253Chapter 13: Discovering How Credit Reporting Works 255Chapter 14: Understanding Credit Reports and Scores 271Chapter 15: Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores 305Part 5: Successfully Managing Your Credit for Life 317Chapter 16: Putting Yourself in Control of Your Credit 319Chapter 17: Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Credit 327Chapter 18: Safeguarding Your Credit with a Spending Plan 339Chapter 19: Fair Access to Credit 365Chapter 20: Knowing Your Rights to Protect Your Credit 377Chapter 21: Protecting Your Identity 397Part 6: the Part of Tens 417Chapter 22: Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know 419Chapter 23: Ten Strategies for Dealing with Student Loans 429Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Deal with a Mortgage Meltdown 439Index 449