You may be one of tens of thousands of Americans have damaged their credit ratings. They've misused or abused their credit cards or prolonged periods of illness or nemployment have engulfed them in financial distress. Having been through a financial crisis, they may think they won't ever get credit again. Not true. Following some simple steps, you can rebuild your credit in just a couple of years.

1. Avoid overspending and create an honest and realistic budget.

To avoid getting into financial problems in the future, you must understand your flow of income and expenses.

A realistic budget is your best weapon against overspending.

2. Clean up your credit report.

Get a copy of your credit report.
You need to know what the credit-reporting agencies are saying about you.
Analyze your credit report and look for incorrect or misleading information.
Make a list of all items considered to be questionable or negative.
Request for correction by writing a dispute letter to credit bureaus.
Wait for the credit bureaus to investigate your claims..
Make sure the fix has been made

3. Add positive information to your credit report.

The one type of positive information creditors like to see in credit reports is credit payment history.

If you have a credit card, use it every month. Make small purchases and pay them off to avoid interest charges.
If you don't have a credit card, apply for a secured credit card.
Pay all bills on time.

4. How long does it take to rebuild credit?

If you follow the steps outlined above, it will take about two years to rebuild your credit so that you won't be turned down for a major credit card or loan. After around four years, you should be able to qualify for a mortgage.

You can get help from the following services:

Academy Credit & Law
Let an Attorney Repair your Bad Credit! The experts at Academy Credit & Law understand your rights. By utilizing their time tested strategies you will soon get back the Credit you Deserve. Talk with a credit consultant today for free to see if you qualify.

Lexington Law Firm
Lexington Law Firm's attorneys pursue effective credit report repair strategies. They claim they have helped over 80,000 Americans improve their credit standing by removing inaccurate, misleading, and unverifiable info.

Pure Credit
If you are looking to clean up your credit report, make sure you have a choice about what gets disputed. You decide which items you want disputed on your credit report.

Credit Repair Kit
Do-it-yourself repair kit