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.
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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 Rich People Get Into Debt And How To Avoid It

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

This may be difficult for you to believe but over the course of my 30 year career as a financial advisor, I’ve seen plenty of rich people who suffer from ruinous spending. This can often create large accumulated debts which many find unable to pay. As a result, many wealthy folks find themselves broke and […]

How Long Does It Take to Re-establish Credit After a Bankruptcy?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

If you’ve ever had a bankruptcy, your one overpowering thought, almost as soon as you’ve filed, is “how soon can I get this off my credit report?” That’s because a bankruptcy turns your entire world upside down – and not just your finances. Obviously since employers, landlords, insurance companies, creditors and potential business partners review […]

Credit Utilization – How It Can Help You, How It Can Hurt You

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

If you are working on boosting your credit score, you’ve undoubtedly heard the term “credit utilization”. But what is it, why is it so important, and how should you use it? Let’s take a look. What is a Credit Utilization Ratio? Credit utilization is expressed as a percentage – or ratio – of the amount […]

What Are the Risks of Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

For the right person Do-It-Yourself credit repair is smart. Of course the cost savings is sweet but that’s just the beginning. You also learn a lot and it’s empowering to see the positive results of your own action. On top of all this, when you work on your own credit repair, you completely avoid the […]

How Not To Hire A Credit Repair Company

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

When you get into a credit mess, there’s usually a strong temptation to turn the whole problem over to someone else hoping they can fix it fast. After all, how much do any of us know about the intricacies of credit repair? And who needs the headache? So if you find the right credit repair […]

Lexington Law Review – Should You Trust Them?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

A deep dive into Lexington Law, the credit repair firm. You'll find if it's worth using their services, what you should avoid and much more. Click to read the detailed review.

If you need to repair your credit you want results and you want them fast. You might be willing to pay a small amount to get those results but you don’t want to waste your time or money. I get it. There are hundreds of companies out there that make big credit repair promises but […]

What is bad credit and what does it cost? How to fix it

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

If you have bad credit, you probably already know it because: When you apply for credit cards you usually get denied. No landlord will accept your application. You get turned down for jobs as soon as the boss reviews your credit score. Debt collectors won’t stop bothering you. Even the utility company won’t open an […]

What Kinds of Credit Problems Can Be Fixed?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

If you’ve ever seen a credit report, you’d have to agree it looks formidable. It’s a document that runs for pages and pages full of numbers and dates going back decades. And it lists every financial relationship you have ever had and records every little mistake and oversight you ever made. On the face of […]

How Is Your Credit Score Calculated?

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

Your credit score tells the world a lot about you. It tells creditors if it’s worth it or not to lend you money and at what rate. And like it or not, employers use your score and based on that number alone often decide if you are trustworthy, responsible and ethical or not. And this […]

How credit bureaus, creditors and credit collectors work

by Neal Frankle, CFP®

When you enter the wonderful world of credit repair, you have to contend with jargon, lots of numbers and other mumbo jumbo. While this can be intimidating at first glance, it’s actually not that complicated. Just the same, it is important to understand the main components of credit reporting and repair. By doing so, you […]

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