I’d like to mention something I see around Southern California that may show up in other parts of the country:  Ads on telephone poles promising to repair your credit in two weeks.  Are these ads legitimate?  The answer to another question will answer this question.

Suppose the ads were legit.  Do you believe that any creditors would take credit reports seriously if they knew you could repristinate your credit reports in two weeks?  Clearly the answer is a resounding ”No.”  But creditors do take credit reports very seriously.  Therefore, the ads are advertising a scam.  (Really?  I thought all ads on telephone poles were on the up-and-up.  Don’t the phone company  and the FCC vet them?)

You need to monitor your own credit reports and take any steps necessary to correct any errors in the reports.  The credit bureaus will not remove negative–but true–items, but they will correct erroneous items.

Image courtesy of Flickr (Licensed) by hobvias sudoneighm