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Credit trouble, one step at a time

Pick what happened. You get the first three steps, the deadline that matters, and the federal rule behind it. Every page lists its sources.

  • 29 guides
  • 3 free tools
  • 104 sources cited

Start with what happened

Pick the one closest to yours.

What happened?

A debt collector contacted me

The clock30 days from receiving the validation notice to dispute in writing and pause collection.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Find the validation notice and its dispute deadline.
  2. If you are not sure you owe it, dispute in writing before that date.
  3. Keep a log of every call.
Read the full steps

The guide: How to make a debt collector prove the debt

A medical bill went to collections

The clock365 days past the date of service before unpaid medical debt over $500 could appear on your report, the CFPB says.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Ask the provider for an itemized bill.
  2. Compare it with your insurer's explanation of benefits.
  3. Dispute in writing anything you do not owe.
Read the full steps

The guide: Medical bills and your credit report

A collector called about someone who died

The clock30 days from the validation notice to dispute in writing and pause collection.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Hold back personal and account details for now.
  2. Ask for the details of the debt in writing.
  3. Dispute in writing if it is not yours to pay.
Read the full steps

The guide: Debts after someone dies: who has to pay

I was denied credit

The clock60 days to ask for the reasons if the letter did not list them, and to claim the free report.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Read the reasons on the denial letter.
  2. Request the free report from the bureau it names.
  3. Dispute anything in it that is wrong.
Read the full steps

The guide: What a credit denial letter must tell you

I was turned down for an apartment

The clock60 days from the denial to claim a free copy of the screening report.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Find the screening company named in the notice.
  2. Request your free copy of the report.
  3. Dispute anything wrong with that company.
Read the full steps

The guide: Denied an apartment because of a screening report: your rights

My car was repossessed

The clockUntil the sale you can redeem the car by paying the balance and the costs.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Arrange to collect what was in the car.
  2. Keep the notice of sale; its date is your deadline.
  3. Ask in writing whether you can reinstate the loan.
Read the full steps

The guide: What happens after your car is repossessed

Someone used my identity

The clock4 business days for a bureau to block fraudulent items once it has your Identity Theft Report.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Place a fraud alert with one bureau.
  2. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
  3. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
Read the full steps

The guide: Identity theft recovery: the first steps, in order

My credit report has an error

The clock30 days for the bureau to investigate, then 5 business days to send you the results.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Pull your free reports from all three bureaus.
  2. Dispute in writing with each bureau that shows it.
  3. Dispute with the company that reported it too.
Read the full steps

The guide: How to dispute a credit report error

I was sued over a debt

The clock The date in the court papers. Missing it can mean a default judgment.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Find the response deadline in the court papers.
  2. Respond by that date, yourself or through a lawyer.
  3. Check whether the debt is past your state's limit.
Read the full steps

The guide: The statute of limitations on debt, and what to do if you are sued

My pay is being garnished

The clock For most debts, never more than 25 percent of disposable pay, and nothing below $217.50 a week.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Read the garnishment papers for the exemption deadline.
  2. Check the amount against the federal cap.
  3. Make sure federal benefits arrive by direct deposit.
Read the full steps

The guide: Wage garnishment limits: how much of a paycheck can be taken

My federal student loan is in default

The clock15 days after the garnishment notice is mailed to ask for a hearing before any order.

Your first 3 steps

  1. Find the garnishment notice and the date it was mailed.
  2. Ask for a hearing within those 15 days.
  3. Ask the collector about rehabilitation or consolidation.
Read the full steps

The guide: Federal student loans in default: what can happen and the ways out

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Guides by topic

Every guide, with a summary

How these pages are made

  1. Federal sources first. Each page cites the statute, the regulation or the agency answer it rests on, and links it.
  2. Signed before it is public. Jake Lawrence reads every page against those sources and signs it, with a date, before anyone can see it.
  3. No sign-up, nothing to buy. The tools run in your browser and send nothing anywhere. No paid product here promises to fix your credit.

Read the editorial policy or the corrections log.

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