Frequently Asked Questions You've got questions. We've got answers.
Credit can be a tricky subject, and while we do our best, we can only answer so many questions on one page. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out.
Credit
Credit is when you receive money, a good or a service, and you agree to pay for it in the future—usually with added interest. Nowadays, we use credit to buy lots of things, from houses and cars to groceries and clothing.
If you use it responsibly, credit can be a useful tool. But if you don’t, you’ll have to face some negative consequences that will make your life harder.
Your credit score is a 3-digit number on a scale of 300 to 850 that suggests how creditworthy you are—meaning, how good you are with credit and how much you can be trusted to pay back what you borrow. Potential lenders will use this number to decide what kinds of credit cards and loans to offer you. Generally, the higher the score, the better the offers.
There are a few different types of scores, but the two best-known are your FICO Score and your VantageScore. They’re calculated based on the information that shows up on your credit report.
Generally speaking, there are five tiers of credit score. A good credit score is anything above 670.
Anything below 670 is considered poor or only fair credit.
Your credit can be brought down a lot faster than it can be brought up, so it might help to review these things that can hurt your credit:
– Not paying bills on time
– Filing for bankruptcy or foreclosure
– Applying for too many credit accounts
– Carrying high balances on your credit cards
– Ignoring questionable negative items on your report
There are five main contributors to your credit score–payment history, amount of debt, length of credit history, credit mix and new credit. Managing your credit wisely by paying your bills on time, paying debt down and maintaining your current accounts could improve your score.
Beyond these five factors, your credit could contain negative items that are unfair or inaccurate, which can stay on your reports for up to seven to 10 years. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can try repairing your credit.
We often refer to credit scores as a single number, but that’s not actually the case. Each of the three credit bureaus gives you a customized credit score based on the information on your credit report, and you have a FICO® Score as well
Credit scores range from 300 – 850.
The three main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. When lenders want to see your credit report, they will request it from one or more of these reporting agencies.
Your report and score can differ from bureau to bureau because they don’t always have the same information, so we recommend you check each report separately to confirm that everything is on the up-and-up.
Essentially, a credit bureau is a company that tracks your ability to pay. They collect information relating to your financial habits, then make this information available to lending institutions and credit card companies. There are three credit bureaus–Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
There are plenty of services that will provide you with your credit score for a small fee, but at ZumaZip.com, includes this in our basic service for no additional cost.
No, your credit score is just one piece of your credit report. Your credit report also includes identifying information, trade lines, credit history, credit inquiries, public records, collections and other late payment information.
There are five main factors to your credit score–payment history, credit usage, credit age, credit mix and recent credit. Your payment history is the biggest contributor on the list, and can be directly affected by credit repair.
Your credit report contains things like your identifying information, trade lines, credit limits, account names, credit history, credit inquiries, public records, collections, late payment information, and of course, and your credit score.
Short answer? Maybe. Employers are allowed by federal law to see a modified version of your credit report for purposes of hiring and promotion, meaning it could cost you a job or promotion.
How long you’ve had access to credit can affect your credit score, but there’s no specific amount of time required. Generally, the longer you’ve had a trade line, the better.
There are many factors that go into being approved for a mortgage, but you’ll need at least a score of 620 to be approved for a traditional home loan.
The minimum accepted score for a car loan will depend on the amount of money being requested, but some lenders will approve scores as low as 500–assuming you don’t mind paying extra money in interest.
While that depends on the amount you’re asking for, you can get a personal loan with a score as low 500–assuming you don’t mind paying extra money in interest.
Your credit report is generally only looked at by those who are considering loaning you money, like a bank, car dealership or credit card issuer.
Your FICO® Score is a three-digit number determined by the information on your credit report. While FICO® doesn’t collect the data themselves, it’s their algorithm that determines your score. Considering their score is used in 90% of all lending decisions, it’s very helpful to know where you stand.
The credit bureaus have to provide you with a free credit report every 12 months–it’s the law. You can claim this free credit report from http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. You will need to provide your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth to verify your identity.
Outside of this official source, there are many other services that will provide you with your credit score for FREE (including us). We’ll provide you with your score and a credit summary, all for free.
Credit Repair
Credit repair is the process of addressing any questionable negative items that could be hurting your credit profile. If the bureaus and your creditors can’t verify these items are fair and accurate, they are required to remove them. Also, it’s our name.
The law entitles you to an accurate, fair and substantiated credit profile. If something on your credit isn’t right, you can correct or repair it with the credit bureaus and your creditors.
The law entitles you to an accurate, fair and substantiated credit profile. If something on your credit isn’t right, you can correct or repair it with the credit bureaus and your creditors.
Honestly, we can’t say. There’s no way to predict in advance how long it will take to repair your credit, as every credit situation is different. That being said, past members have seen an average increase of 40 points in just four months*, and have typically stayed with us for six months.
Also, ZumaZip.com offers a variety of service levels, and the strength and amount of credit repair increases with each upgrade. If you’re interested in a product with more credit repair baked in.
*Your results will vary and are not guaranteed.
ZumaZip.com offers several service levels to match your particular needs. Some of these are even free.
Yep. You just need to contact the bureaus and your creditors to address any errors on your credit. That being said, this process is time consuming and confusing. Working with a reputable credit repair company like CreditRepair.com can help you remove these items from your reports quickly and efficiently.
Think of credit repair like an investment. A little effort today could save you thousands of dollars (and a headache) tomorrow. We offer a variety of service levels to support every budget. Give us a call today and we’ll help you find the right service for your unique circumstance.
Of course. You have a right to a fair, accurate and substantiated credit profile. Credit repair is simply one of the ways to help you get there.
The credit bureaus and your creditors are required by law to remove any negative items on your report that they can’t prove are accurate, fair and substantiated. When these items are deleted from your payment history, we call that a removal
.
Anything inaccurate, unfair or unverified can be challenged with the bureaus and your creditors. This includes collections, late payments, charge-offs, liens, bankruptcies, repossessions and more.
Anything in your credit history that could lower your score is a negative item. Things like collections, late payments, charge-offs, liens, bankruptcies, repossessions and more. Especially if these negative items came as a result of identity theft, divorce, medical debt, student debt or military leave, you may be able to remove them through credit repair.
No, but it might feel like it. Most negative items will fall off of your report after seven years, though it could take as long as 10. If you’d rather not wait that long, credit repair is a great alternative.
Yes, your creditors may report an item again, even after it’s been removed or deleted. That’s why it’s important to contact both the credit bureaus and your creditors. This will increase the likelihood that inaccurate or unfair negative items will not reappear on your credit.
According to CreditCards.com and CNNMoney, even a single negative item on your credit could cost you over 100 points.
| Negative Item | Credit Score Decrease |
|---|---|
| Late Payment | Up to 110 points |
| Debt Settlement | Up to 125 points |
| Foreclosure | Up to 160 points |
| Bankruptcy | Up to 240 points |
| Collection | Up to 110 points |
| Hard Inquiry | Up to 15 points |
Sources:
Indirectly, yes. While filing for divorce won’t hurt your score, some of the symptoms of divorce could create credit problems. For example, many people miss a payment on their credit during the frenzy of divorce. Or in the aftermath, it may be unclear who is responsible to pay a debt, and payments may be missed. These missed or late payments could adversely impact your score.
Yes. When someone uses your name to obtain credit, that trade line, and any missed payments or collections associated with it, will show up on your credit reports. Even after you’ve recovered your identity, these issues could still be lurking on your credit report. Credit repair is essential to true identity theft restoration.
Yes, past-due medical bills can affect your credit. The good news is, there are laws to protect against certain practices in medical debt reporting. If your credit is being negatively affected by medical bills, credit repair may be a solution for you.
Yes, but they can also help your credit. Paying your student loans back on time will benefit your score. Alternatively, missing these payments can cause some significant damage to your credit profile. If that sounds like you, or if you’ve missed other payments as a result of your student loans, it may be time to look into credit repair.
While there are many laws that apply to your credit, the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) are the two laws we utilize the most.
Our average client uses our services for six months, so the sooner the better. Especially if you have plans to buy a home or car soon, getting started today can save you a big headache tomorrow.
No. Even after a questionable negative item is removed from your credit, the actual debt is still owed (assuming it was valid to begin with). If you don’t pay the debt, the creditor or collection agency may re-report the listing. Removing a negative item without addressing the debt is only a temporary solution. In fact, if you feel a negative credit listing is 100% accurate, timely and verifiable, we recommend you don’t dispute it.
Unless the collection is being falsely attributed to you, pay it. The collection is likely already hurting your credit score, and leaving it unpaid will only make the damage worse.
If the debt is one that you do not owe, our service levels offer debt validation procedures that can help you get the collection removed from your credit profile.
You might think so, but unfortunately it does not. When you pay an old debt, the negative credit item doesn’t disappear, but is typically listed as a paid delinquency, charge-off or collection. If your goal is to repair your credit, just paying off your debts won’t get you there.
Our Services
The team at ZumaZip.com brings together over 50 years of experience in the financial world. We’ve worked in everything from auto and mortgage lending to home sales, real estate, RVs, leasing, finance, and even the stock market and crypto.
In 2024, we launched ZumaZip.com to provide a reliable and trustworthy solution that the industry truly needed.
Well on the World Wide Web of Course at https://ZumaZip.com
ZumaZip.com has an office located in 919 E Main St, Ste 1000, Richmond, VA 23219, United States
No, a credit repair company cannot guarantee results on your Credit Bureau or a specific Score.
The Credit Bureaus, Lenders, Furnishers and Creditors have the final say in what information appears on a credit report, and some negative items may be difficult or impossible to remove. However, we will do our best to help improve your credit score. We have a 90 day money back guarantee.
If you are not satisfied, just tell us why and we will refund your money.
This guarantee is effective for 90 days from date of enrollment and is not meant to imply a guarantee of a specific outcome. Refund policy expires 90 days from date of enrollment. Refund shall not exceed the amount you have paid to us during the first 90 days of your membership.
<\/p>\n
If you are not satisfied, just tell us why and we will refund your money.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This guarantee is effective for 90 days from date of enrollment and is not meant to imply a guarantee of a specific outcome. Refund policy expires 90 days from date of enrollment. Refund shall not exceed the amount you have paid to us during the first 90 days of your membership.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you feel that a misrepresentation was made by an employee of our company please immediately call our office.\u00a0 We will always be available during business hours to assist with your question and concerns.\u00a0 You also have the option to cancel at anytime.<\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Much Does ZumaZip.com Cost?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" We offer different products and services to match every budget. Currently, our most popular service level is also our most advanced, which costs $119.95\/month.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Do I cancel My Service if I no Longer Need it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" If we aren\u2019t meeting your expectations or you no longer need our service, you can cancel at any time. Just remember, credit repair isn\u2019t going to happen overnight. After you\u2019ve reached your credit goals, or when you\u2019re confident your credit report is fair, accurate and substantiated, that may mean you no longer need credit repair. If you no longer need credit repair, you can call\u00a01-480-409-4181<\/a>\u00a0to cancel your service at any time. Of course. We\u2019ve been\u00a0legitimate players in the credit and financial industry for a long time and have deep relationships with other players in this space.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Accordion Title","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" As we are working with your creditors and the credit bureaus, we\u2019ll notify you of updates to your credit profile via email. When you have items removed or improved, you will see them first on your credit report, which is updated regularly online. To access your account online, use the login information you created during the signup process. If you\u2019re having any problems logging in, or just need additional assistance, feel free to give us a call at 1-480-409-4181<\/a> or use the Contact Us Page<\/a> Yes, ZumaZip.com will cover 50% of the first-work fee for veterans and active military.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Credit Repair a Scam?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" For the most part, no. That being said, be wary of any company that provides guarantees of results, or charges you up-front for credit repair services. Not only is that illegal, it is a red flag that something suspicious may be going on.\u00a0<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I pay More for Better Results?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" ZumaZip.com offers several products at varying prices. While we can\u2019t guarantee better results, our more expensive service levels do offer additional monthly challenges and disputes, which may help you reach your credit goals sooner.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does Your Service Really Work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" As of 2021, data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau indicated that approximately 43 million Americans had low credit scores, defined as below 600. Furthermore, a study conducted by the Federal Reserve found that about one-third of Americans had credit scores below 670, which is considered subprime. These statistics highlight a substantial portion of the population that could potentially benefit from the services of a credit repair team to improve their credit profiles and financial stability.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What Happens if I don't Pay?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" We\u2019ll stop your service. We won\u2019t delete your account, but unfortunately, we can\u2019t provide our services for free. If you can\u2019t afford your current service level, however, we are more than happy to work with you to provide a different product more suited to your needs and budget.<\/p>"}}]}
To do so, you can cancel your engagement agreement at any time by calling 1-480-409-4181 or use the Contact Us Page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Will I Know My Credit is Repaired?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
Keep in mind, we also offer credit care products that can help you monitor and protect your credit moving forward. Before you cancel, you may want to consider transitioning to one of those services instead.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is ZumaZip.com Legitimate?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
You may also log into the ZumaZip.com Portal 24\/7\/365<\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is There a Veteran Discount?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
No, a credit repair company cannot guarantee results on your Credit Bureau or a specific Score.
The Credit Bureaus, Lenders, Furnishers and Creditors have the final say in what information appears on a credit report, and some negative items may be difficult or impossible to remove. However, we will do our best to help improve your credit score. We have a 90 day money back guarantee.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you are not satisfied, just tell us why and we will refund your money.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This guarantee is effective for 90 days from date of enrollment and is not meant to imply a guarantee of a specific outcome. Refund policy expires 90 days from date of enrollment. Refund shall not exceed the amount you have paid to us during the first 90 days of your membership.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you feel that a misrepresentation was made by an employee of our company please immediately call our office.\u00a0 We will always be available during business hours to assist with your question and concerns.\u00a0 You also have the option to cancel at anytime.<\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Much Does ZumaZip.com Cost?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" We offer different products and services to match every budget. Currently, our most popular service level is also our most advanced, which costs $119.95\/month.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Do I cancel My Service if I no Longer Need it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" If we aren\u2019t meeting your expectations or you no longer need our service, you can cancel at any time. Just remember, credit repair isn\u2019t going to happen overnight. After you\u2019ve reached your credit goals, or when you\u2019re confident your credit report is fair, accurate and substantiated, that may mean you no longer need credit repair. If you no longer need credit repair, you can call\u00a01-480-409-4181<\/a>\u00a0to cancel your service at any time. Of course. We\u2019ve been\u00a0legitimate players in the credit and financial industry for a long time and have deep relationships with other players in this space.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Accordion Title","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" As we are working with your creditors and the credit bureaus, we\u2019ll notify you of updates to your credit profile via email. When you have items removed or improved, you will see them first on your credit report, which is updated regularly online. To access your account online, use the login information you created during the signup process. If you\u2019re having any problems logging in, or just need additional assistance, feel free to give us a call at 1-480-409-4181<\/a> or use the Contact Us Page<\/a> Yes, ZumaZip.com will cover 50% of the first-work fee for veterans and active military.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is Credit Repair a Scam?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" For the most part, no. That being said, be wary of any company that provides guarantees of results, or charges you up-front for credit repair services. Not only is that illegal, it is a red flag that something suspicious may be going on.\u00a0<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I pay More for Better Results?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" ZumaZip.com offers several products at varying prices. While we can\u2019t guarantee better results, our more expensive service levels do offer additional monthly challenges and disputes, which may help you reach your credit goals sooner.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does Your Service Really Work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" As of 2021, data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau indicated that approximately 43 million Americans had low credit scores, defined as below 600. Furthermore, a study conducted by the Federal Reserve found that about one-third of Americans had credit scores below 670, which is considered subprime. These statistics highlight a substantial portion of the population that could potentially benefit from the services of a credit repair team to improve their credit profiles and financial stability.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What Happens if I don't Pay?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":" We\u2019ll stop your service. We won\u2019t delete your account, but unfortunately, we can\u2019t provide our services for free. If you can\u2019t afford your current service level, however, we are more than happy to work with you to provide a different product more suited to your needs and budget.<\/p>"}}]}
To do so, you can cancel your engagement agreement at any time by calling 1-480-409-4181 or use the Contact Us Page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How Will I Know My Credit is Repaired?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
Keep in mind, we also offer credit care products that can help you monitor and protect your credit moving forward. Before you cancel, you may want to consider transitioning to one of those services instead.<\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is ZumaZip.com Legitimate?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"
You may also log into the ZumaZip.com Portal 24\/7\/365<\/strong><\/p>"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is There a Veteran Discount?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"