Credit Pilgrim

Navigate Your Credit Successfully

Neal Frankle
I’m Neal Frankle, Certified Financial Planner™. Credit problems are a serious business. In fact they changed my entire family life when I was 16. This site is here to help you repair your credit without getting ripped off. Read my story.
  • Credit Repair
    • Credit Repair And How To Fix My Credit Efficiently
    • Lexington Law Reviews
  • Credit Cards
    • Credit Cards for Bad Credit List and Best Practices
    • Secured Credit Cards to Rebuild Credit
    • Credit Cards that Offer Free Credit Scores Monthly
  • Student Loans
    • Private Student Loans Guide
    • Refinance Student Loans Guide
    • Federal vs. Private Student Loans Guide
  • Mortgage
    • First-time Homebuyers Mortgage Guide
  • Blog

About me - Neal Frankle

I’m Neal Frankle, Certified Financial Planner™. Credit problems are a serious business. In fact they changed my entire family life when I was 16. This site is here to help you repair your credit without getting ripped off. Read my story.

My Story

I have been a financial advisor since 1985 and I became a Certified Financial Planner™ in 1994. Since then, my business has been to help clients get their financial lives together although I don’t do credit repair work directly. And I can tell you that there is nothing more important in your financial world than having the best credit rating you can get. I know this from personal experience.

When I was 15 my mother died and when I was 17 my father was killed in an airplane crash. Before he died, my father was so distraught by my mother’s death that he ignored his financial life completely. As a result he ran it into the ground by not paying our bills.

The utility company shut off the power to our home and the water company shut off the water completely. We were visited regularly by the sheriff who served eviction notices and other payment demands. This was on top of the constant knocking on our door at all hours of the day and the non-stop calling by debt collectors.

And because my father completely trashed his credit, it was extremely difficult to find anyone who would rent us a place to live after we got thrown out of our house. It was frightening to say the least and made worse by the feeling of being completely powerless and at the mercy of my father’s creditors and bill collectors.

I am not in the credit repair business as I said. That’s not how I make my living. But I do know a lot about it because my profession demands it. And I created this site for three reasons:

  1. Education

    you need to know the real story of how credit repair works, how collectors, creditors and credit bureaus operate and how the law protects you. I took an in-depth look at all the components of the credit repair process and I break them down for you on this site. And I explain how they work in plain English so you can take your credit life back – really. There is a lot you can do yourself to vastly increase your credit history and score.

  2. No Rip Offs Please

    Credit repair is a huge industry. The companies in this business tell you that they can help you wipe your credit clean. I admit that there are some professionals out there who are for real. But mostly the field is cluttered with schemers and scammers guaranteed to waste you time and take your money.

    I’ll show you how to spot the legitimate pros from the make-believe players. Just working with the right people makes all the difference in credit repair if you decide you don’t want to do this by yourself.

  3. Credit Repair Service Sales

    As I said above, I’m not in the credit repair business but I need to know a lot about it because of the business I am in. I spent and spend hours researching this topic so you don’t suffer the same consequences I did growing up. From time to time, I may recommend using a credit repair firm if I feel they continue to be a good value for my readers. If you sign up with them, I will be paid a referral fee.

    To be frank, I think that’s fair. I spend a good chunk of time each updating this site and making sure you have the most effective credit repair tools possible. And while I honestly don’t think everyone needs professional help, what’s wrong with being paid if you decide you do want a professional on your side and I steer you in the direction of a reputable firm? Nothing.

Why not look around the site right now? There is a lot of good information that should answer many of your questions. You can also send me an email if that would be useful to you.

If you want to protect your family against the terror that I faced as a kid, I want to be part of your team. If you suffer from bad credit, you’ll find all the resources you need right here to turn that ship around. Here’s the best post to help you get a quick start on your road to fixing your credit.

All the best,
Neal

How Cosigning a Loan Can Destroy Your Credit

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Cosigning a loan can be a loving gesture, especially since it is usually done for a family member. But if you do choose to do this, keep in mind how dangerous this is. The reality is cosigning a loan can destroy your credit. Most people don’t think about that at the time that they cosign […]

Why You Need Your Credit Scores from All Three Credit Bureaus

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

There are dozens of credit monitoring services available, each offering its own unique level of service. But since credit monitoring companies are trying to operate profitably, they do cut corners. One way to do this is by providing your credit report and credit scores from just one of the three major credit bureaus. This may […]

How to Spot Credit Repair Scams

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Few people are as vulnerable to scams as people who have credit problems. After all, bad credit makes it hard to get a loan, an insurance policy, or even certain jobs. It’s only natural to want to do something – anything – that will improve both your credit report and your credit score. But the […]

Why You Need to Eliminate Credit Stress as Soon as Possible

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Credit problems usually start small. Over time, the same problem that you have with one creditor affects your standing with others. By then you’re almost certainly experiencing credit stress, and it is having an effect on virtually all areas of your life. If this sounds familiar, then you need to eliminate credit stress as soon […]

Why It’s So Hard to Eliminate Credit Card Debt

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

There are all kinds of strategies when it comes to eliminating credit card debt – entire books have even been written on the subject. But anyone who has tried to do it knows it’s much easier said than done. After all, that’s why so many people struggle with huge amounts of credit card debt. The […]

Creating a Debt Payment Priority When You Have Credit Problems

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

If you have too much debt, and are already experiencing credit problems, you will need to create a debt payment priority. That will help you determine which of several credit obligations needs to be paid first, and which you may be forced to delay if you don’t have the money to pay. And just as […]

Why You Must Repair Your Credit Before Buying a Home

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

The time to repair your credit for buying a home is well before you even apply for a mortgage. This is especially true if your credit report reveals multiple credit problems. It’s not always possible to get credit issues fixed quickly, and if you have more than a few, the task is that much more […]

Your Debt-to-Income Ratio and Its Effect on Your Credit

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Debt-to-income ratio – commonly known as “DTI” in the lending universe – is a major lending criteria any time you apply for a loan. And even if you are not applying for a loan, it is an important measure of how well you are doing in managing your credit, and whether or not you’ve taken […]

Are You the Best Person to Fix Your Credit Problems?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

There are books and blogs about how to fix your own credit problems. And while there’s some merit to the information they provide, the one issue that they dance away from is the fact that most people are not qualified to fix their own credit problems. This is usually the result of a complex mix […]

Why Using Payday Loans Signals Big Trouble

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Payday loans are loans for people who can’t get other types of loans. There are several reasons why that happens, but if you are using payday loans on a regular basis it’s time to get help. Because they are so expensive, payday loans put the borrower into a vicious cycle that is not easy to […]

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 8
  • Next Page »

Categories

  • Credit Cards
  • Debt
  • Mortgage
  • On Credit Reports & Scores
  • Outside Resources
  • Student Loans
  • Your Legal Rights

Need a better credit score?

Get a FREE credit repair consultation from Lexington Law, the leading firm in the industry by calling:
1-800-293-3672
or fill out the form below and they'll get back to you.

First Name:  
Last Name:  
Email:  
Zip:
By clicking SUBMIT I agree by electronic signature to: (1) be contacted by Lexington Law about credit repair or credit repair marketing by a live agent, artificial or prerecorded voice, and SMS text at my residential or cellular number, dialed manually or by autodialer, and by email (consent to be contacted is not a condition to purchase services); and (2) the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, we state that CreditPilgrim.com has financial relationships with some companies and may be compensated if consumers choose to buy, subscribe or take any action to a product or service thru the links on our website. We do NOT accept compensation in exchange of positive reviews. Views and reviews are strictly the opinions of the author.


SSL Secured

privacy policy · Terms of Use · contact us · rss feed

© All Rights Reserved to CreditPilgrim.com