Now that the economy has taken a downturn, even more people are struggling to maintain good credit. Repairing your credit will not happen overnight, though here are some tips to get you started.

The first thing you need to do is request copies of your credit report. There are many sites where you can pay for this and at least one that is completely free for one report a year. You can make a better assessment of your credit repair needs after you have reviewed your report.

Ask your creditors about the possibility of establishing payment plans. Avoid unnecessary fees to save money. Do your best to find at least two of your creditors that will give you flexibility of time payments so that you can focus the money saved to other accounts that will not offer this service.

Begin a journal or log of issues related to your credit report as you review. Contact the reporting agency any time you see mistakes in your report. Having the information on hand also makes it easier to address negative entries for which you are responsible.

You need to know what your rights are when talking to collection agencies. You cannot go to jail if you do not pay a bill, and the collection agencies are not allowed to threaten you about your unpaid bills. Statutes vary from one state to the next, so it is important for you to verify your local laws. Never let these collection agencies push you around.

If possible, get your credit card balances lower than 30 percent of your available credit. It will be easier to keep your payments under control, and you will feel safer knowing you always have access to cash. An amount higher than this can cause stress to your finances and life.

If your creditors have hired collection agencies to obtain payments from you, you should make an effort to work with the agencies. You will often be able to negotiate a payment plan that you can follow. Collection agencies will generally be willing to work with you as long as they feel they can get something. The worst thing you can do is ignore them, seeing as your debts will still be there. Let collectors know if you are having a really hard time paying off your debt and they may lower the overall amount that you have to pay off. If you have debts that have been forwarded to collections, contact them and work out a payment plan. Find out your rights, and ask the collection agency what they can do for you. Your debts are going to be there whether you try to ignore them or not. When you are experiencing economic hardship due to unforeseen circumstances, many agencies are willing to work with you in various ways to avoid scarring your credit rating with past due bills.

If you stick to the advice that you have read, you will be able to get your credit in good shape. These are all things you can do yourself to start repairing your credit as soon as possible.