Question 1

How much does credit repair cost in Charleston?

Accepted Answer

Credit repair with Permissible LLC costs $79, $99, or $129 per month depending on plan, with no setup fees, billed only after each month's work is performed. Nationally, reputable firms charge roughly $79 to $139 monthly. Treat large upfront fees as a red flag.

Question 2

How long does credit repair take?

Accepted Answer

Most clients work with us for several months, and each dispute cycle typically runs 30 to 45 days because that is how long bureaus have to investigate under the FCRA. No honest company can promise a completion date.

Question 3

Can I dispute my credit reports myself for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You have the legal right to dispute anything on your credit reports directly with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at no cost, and the bureaus must investigate, generally within 30 days.

Question 4

What can a credit repair company NOT do?

Accepted Answer

No credit repair company can remove accurate, current, verifiable information from your report, guarantee a score increase, promise specific outcomes, or get you approved for a loan. Federal law also bans charging fees before services are performed.

Question 5

What happens in the free credit analysis?

Accepted Answer

We review your Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion reports with you, line by line, and flag items that may be inaccurate, unverified, unfair, or outdated. It takes about 30 minutes, requires no credit card, and you keep the written summary either way.

Question 6

Is credit repair legal? How do I avoid scams?

Accepted Answer

Credit repair is legal and federally regulated under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, and South Carolina additionally requires a state license and a $25,000 bond. Avoid any company that demands upfront payment, guarantees results, or tells you to dispute accurate items.

Question 7

Can you fix my credit so I can buy a house?

Accepted Answer

We can review your reports and dispute items that may be inaccurate, unverified, unfair, or outdated, and many clients are working toward a mortgage application. No one can promise approval or a specific score: your lender decides.

Question 8

What credit score do I need to buy a house?

Accepted Answer

Many lenders look for roughly 620 for a conventional mortgage, while FHA loans can allow scores down to 580 with 3.5 percent down. Each lender sets its own overlays, and score is only one factor alongside income and debt-to-income ratio.

Question 9

I was denied a mortgage. What now?

Accepted Answer

Read your adverse action letter: lenders must tell you why you were denied and which credit report they used, and you get a free copy of that report. Then check it for errors, ask the loan officer what they need, and build a plan to close the gap.

Question 10

How long does it take to raise a credit score 100 points?

Accepted Answer

No one can honestly answer with a number, because it depends on what is driving your score down and no outcome can be promised. Scores respond over months to paid-down balances, on-time payments, and corrected errors.

Question 11

Does debt affect a security clearance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it can. Financial considerations, called Guideline F, appear in roughly half of DOHA denial cases. Reviewers look for a pattern: unaddressed delinquencies suggest risk, while documented good-faith efforts to resolve debts weigh in your favor.

Question 12

Will collections stop me from getting a clearance?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. Adjudicators apply a whole-person standard: the size and cause of the debt, how long it has been unresolved, and what you are doing about it. Documentation of your effort matters as much as the balance.

Question 13

Why did my credit score drop after divorce?

Accepted Answer

Usually because shared credit disappeared: you were removed as an authorized user, joint accounts closed or went delinquent, or household income changed. Research suggests a slight majority of women see scores fall after divorce. Building a file in your own name is the path forward.

Question 14

Can you remove my ex's debt from my credit report?

Accepted Answer

If it is a joint account or you cosigned, the debt is legally yours too, and your divorce decree does not change what creditors report. What can be challenged is anything inaccurate: accounts that were never yours, wrong balances, or authorized-user lines that should no longer report.

Question 15

How do I build credit in my own name?

Accepted Answer

Open accounts that report in your name alone: a secured card or credit-builder loan is the usual start, kept below 30 percent utilization and paid on time every month. Thin files typically show meaningful history within about six months of consistent reporting.

Question 16

Why was I denied an apartment?

Accepted Answer

Landlords use tenant screening reports drawing on credit, eviction, and criminal records. Under the FCRA, a denial based on such a report entitles you to a notice naming the screening company and a free copy of your file, which you can dispute if it contains errors.

Question 17

How do I remove collections from my credit report?

Accepted Answer

You can dispute a collection if it is inaccurate, unverifiable, duplicated, or past the 7-year reporting limit, and the bureau must investigate, generally within 30 days. If the collection is accurate and timely, no one can force its removal.

Question 18

Do 609 letters work?

Accepted Answer

Not the way social media claims. Section 609 of the FCRA covers your right to see your file; it is not a loophole that forces bureaus to remove verified debts. Disputes work when an item is genuinely inaccurate or unverifiable, whatever section number is on the letter.

Question 19

Can I get business funding with bad personal credit?

Accepted Answer

It is harder, because most lenders to young businesses check the owner's personal credit and often require a personal guarantee, but options exist: revenue-based products, SC CDFIs, and mission lenders weigh cash flow more heavily. Approval decisions always rest with the lender.

Question 20

Do net-30 vendor accounts really build business credit?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you pick vendors that actually report to the business bureaus and pay early. A handful of reporting net-30 accounts, paid ahead of terms for several months, builds the payment history behind scores like Paydex. Accounts that do not report build nothing.

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