In today's economic climate, credit repair is no longer the exception, but the rule. Whether you need to raise your credit score 50 points or 500 points, you can get the process rolling by following the advice in this article.

You should check your credit report first. Many sites are available to help you get a free credit score. You can take action to improve your credit and get mistakes removed from your record after you familiarize yourself with your credit score.

Contact all of your creditors and determine who should be paid first to prevent incurring penalties and interest. You'll be able to save money if you pay off bills that will charge you interest penalties first. If some of your accounts can offer you a grace period or a payment plan, focus on the accounts that won't.

Write down or highlight any negative information that you find on your credit report. If you find mistakes in your report, contact the credit bureau for instructions on how to correct the information. For those things that were your fault, write an explanation down that you can submit to anyone reviewing your credit in the future.

Know your rights when it comes to being handled by a collection agency. You don't have to talk to them on the telephone, and they are not allowed to harass you. You will not be jailed for non-payment of a bill. Each state has its own laws, so you must be aware of your specific rights. If you are frustrated, ask the collector to discuss things through writing.

Focus on 30 percent as the magic number for credit card balances. Keeping your balance at or below 30 percent of your credit limit makes financial control much easier. You will find payments less onerous this way. Racking up too much debt on your card not only makes it costly, it can also have a negative effect on your credit report.

There are still plenty of ways to work on your debts once they have gone to collection agencies. If you can, make arrangements to lower your debt. Collection agencies are willing to work with most customers because getting some of the debt paid is better than none. If you avoid them, it does nothing to lower your debt, and you may not get another chance to work with them. Give them a forthright appraisal of your situation. If you are struggling, but are committed to making installment payments, they might be willing to decrease the total amount to a lesser sum.

These techniques can help you get back on the road to good credit. Start rebuilding your bad credit today to achieve a better credit score.