You would be hard pressed to turn on the television, or visit a news website, without hearing about how you can repair your credit. In today's troubling financial times there are many people who are having trouble maintaining their credit score.

They find themselves falling farther behind in payments and before long there is significant damage that can no longer be ignored. Credit repair is vital in order to regain a credit score that is high enough that lenders will allow you to borrow money for a car, a new business or even a home.

It is important to know how credit repair works. This article may not answer all of your financial needs when it comes to credit repair but it can answer some.

What is credit repair?

Everyone has a credit score. It can be high or it can be low. Most individuals start building their credit when they turn eighteen. If you do not practice money management you can ruin your credit score quickly. That is where credit repair services come in.

These services or companies will work with you to reduce your overall debt and will often consolidate your outstanding debts into one, low monthly payment. Their job is to slowly build your credit up again until it is an acceptable level.

Your job is to make the payments on time and not continue taking out new lines of credit. It may be hard to do at first but it is certainly worth it in the end when you are able to buy a home or car of your own without a cosigner.

Is it true that some credit repair companies can completely clean up my credit score and make it perfect?

There are many false credit repair agencies that are operating in today's market. They deliberately prey on those not knowledgeable about how credit laws work. Some promise that with a certain amount of money they can completely erase your bad credit and give you a great score.

These are definitely scams. Some companies claim they can clear your credit score within a few weeks. This is not feasible unless you have an extremely low amount of debt and the payments have already been arranged. A real credit repair company will explain to you all of your debts and will work out arrangements with your creditors.

This takes time and it is definitely going to take money. You did not get yourself into credit troubles overnight and it will not take overnight to get rid of them.

How long does it take you to use a credit repair service?

The amount of time required to use a credit repair service is based entirely on individual problems. Some people may have a mountain of past due accounts whereas others may only have a few small ones. The length of time it takes you all depends on how your creditors react and if there are settlements that can be reached.

It will also depend on how much money you can pay back. Do not expect this to be a short time though. It takes time to pay back all of your delinquent accounts and begin building a better credit rating.

How do I know when to use a credit repair service and when to declare bankruptcy?

Making the decision between a credit repair service and bankruptcy is a long, hard thought process. You have to analyze all of your debts and then decide if you can pay them back without endangering your home, car or job.

The best advice anyone can give you is to speak to a credit counselor or a bankruptcy attorney. He or she can review your debt and your income and give you possible solutions. Most people honestly want to repay their debts but are just not able to make the payments.