Credit repair FAQs

More about the CCCS Debt Management Plan Debt Management Plan basics Dealing with creditors during your Debt Management Plan Making payments via the Debt Management Plan 24/ 7 365 days a year Free Counseling Service

Will creditors help me repair my credit?

Can CCCS repair my credit report or clean it up?

Will my credit rating be protected by using CCCS?

What can CCCS do for me?

Will creditors help me re-establish credit?
There is an increasing number of creditors who will consider granting credit to CCCS graduates who have successfully completed their Debt Management Plans. Upon satisfactory completion of your plan you may request the names of creditors who may be willing to re-establish your credit.

Can CCCS fix my credit report or clean it up?
No. If negative comments o­n your credit report are correct, they can remain in your file for up to seven years from the date of the last activity, except for bankruptcy, which can remain for up to 10 years. Avoid organizations offering “credit repair.”

Upon completion of the DMP, we suggest that you obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate. Georgia residents may do so at no charge. For your convenience, CCCS has credit report request forms available at all branch offices, or by calling Customer Service. CCCS Client Services representatives are available around the clock.

If you believe there are errors in your credit report, notify the credit bureau in writing. The bureau will follow up your request with the creditor. If the creditor agrees with your assessment, your report will be changed.

What can I do to ensure success in my Debt Management Plan?
Calling CCCS for a free counseling session will in no way affect your credit score or credit report.

Even if you enter a CCCS Debt Management Plan, CCCS does not report your participation in our Debt Management Plan to credit bureaus. However, each creditor deals with CCCS clients in a different way. Some creditors may report that your account is included o­n a DMP. Creditors may report your account as current when they receive our proposal, while some wait until they have received three consecutive payments through CCCS. They appreciate that you are honoring your debts rather than running from them through bankruptcy, and after seeing a consistent payment history through CCCS, may look at you as a better credit risk than the typical consumer.

Other creditors will consider your account delinquent and will continue to report these delinquencies even though you are working with CCCS. They will accept the payment and stop calling you, but they may still report negative information to credit bureaus. It is up to the individual creditor to make changes in the “History of Payment” column o­n your credit report. CCCS cannot remove information from your credit report but we can assist you in contacting your creditors for a review of your account.

What can CCCS do for me?
We can:

• Stop the calls
• Help you avoid foreclosure and bankruptcy
• Reduce your interest rates
• Wipe out late and over-the-limit fees
• Lower your monthly payment
• Give you peace of mind
• Empower you to pay off your debts within 3-5 years

We can't:

• Repair your credit. If your credit report and score is damaged because you've been delinquent in the past, the o­nly thing that can heal your credit is time. As you improve your payment history, consistently paying your bills o­n time and reducing your debt load, o­nly then will your credit improve.
• Settle your debts for pennies o­n the dollar. This is known as debt negotiation, and is listed as a charge-off o­n your credit report for seven years. Is is also very costly.