If you have bad credit, it can seem like exhaustive work to improve it on your own. Understanding how to read a credit report isn’t a straightforward process and that’s a necessity to know when you’re trying to improve your credit score.
Credit Saint is a credit repair company that helps people restore their credit. They do this by helping to remove the negative items that are listed on your credit reports which are not supposed to be there.
The credit repair service industry often gets a bad rap because many companies have been involved in scams in the past. However, Credit Saint looks to be one of the credit repair companies that you can trust.
We’ll break down everything you should know about this credit repair company in this Credit Saint review.
What is Credit Saint?
Founded in 2004 and based in New Jersey, Credit Saint’s mission is to educate people about credit and how they can achieve and maintain a healthy credit score.
Since its accreditation in 2007, the company has maintained an A rating with the Better Business Bureau. They have a good reputation in an industry that has received much negative press from other less-savory competitors.
Credit Saint’s services are backed with a 90-day money-back guarantee and they are known for their great customer service. Credit Saint’s specialists are known for being compassionate, caring, and knowledgeable.
The company also touts being the only credit repair company that provides custom challenges.
What is a Credit Repair Company?
Credit repair companies will help consumers with bad credit, improve their situation. The primary way that they do this is by reviewing your credit reports and disputing negative items.
The credit repair services that are offered by these companies are things that for the most part you can do yourself. For example, you can request your credit report from all three credit bureaus and submit disputes on items you believe are inaccurate.
The advantage of working with a credit repair company is that they do all the legwork for you. The credit repair process can also be confusing, so having an expert handle it for you is another potential benefit.
Credit repair services are different from credit counseling agencies. These organizations are nonprofits that offer free resources such as a review of your finances, debt and credit reports. The main goal of credit counseling agencies is to teach you to improve and manage your financial situation.
How to Find Reputable Credit Repair Companies
The credit repair industry is fraught with scams. Therefore if you are considering working with a credit repair company or using a credit repair software, you should do your research.
Some ways to “vet” a credit repair business include:
- Reading reviews found on the Better Business Bureau’s website
- Review the complaint database found on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Search for other review sites that have feedback from users
You should also steer away from any repair company that makes claims that seem too good to be true. Some red flags that a company might be a scam include:
- Guaranteeing to improve your credit
- Telling you that they will create a new credit identity for you
- Requests that you pay before they provide services
- Claim that they will remove accurate negative information from your credit reports
Credit Saint Credit Repair Services
Fixing your credit score looks different for each person. Credit Saint offers three different credit repair service packages that you can choose based on your situation.
Clean Slate
Credit Saint’s most aggressive plan is for those who need the most work to fix their credit score. It runs $119.99 per month with an initial work fee of $195. You get their 90-day money-back guarantee too.
The Clean Slate plan includes:
- Unlimited challenges to the three major credit bureaus
- Score analysis
- Creditor interventions
- Score tracker
- Inquiry targeting
- Experian Monitoring
The work that’s included with this place allows them to challenge unlimited inaccurate reporting items per dispute cycle.
Credit Remodel
This credit repair plan is their next tier down which still has a high level of aggressiveness. It costs $99.99 per month with an initial work fee of $99. The 90 day money-back guarantee is also included.
The Credit Remodel plan includes:
- Challenges to the three credit bureaus
- Score analysis
- Creditor interventions
- Score tracker
- Inquiry Targeting
- Experian monitoring
You get the ability to challenge up to 10 inaccurate reporting items per dispute cycle with this plan.
Credit Polish
Credit Saint’s lowest-tier plan has what they call a “medium” level of aggressiveness. It is the least expensive plan at $79.99 per month with an initial work fee of $99. As with the other plans, you get a 90-day money-back guarantee with this plan.
The Credit Polish plan includes:
- Challenges to the three credit bureaus
- Score analysis
- Creditor interventions
- Score tracker
With this plan, you can challenge up to 5 inaccurate reporting items per dispute cycle.
Negative Items that Credit Saint can Help Remove from your Credit Report
Any negative items that appear on your credit report can be removed by Credit Saint. These negative items include:
- Late payments
- Charge offs
- Collections
- Judgments
- Foreclosure
- Repossessions
- Inquires
- Bankruptcies
- Liens
Credit Saint has custom arguments for each item. They use a mail-based disputing system and has a user portal that allows you to verify progress and talk to the Credit Saint team. Using its online account page, you can submit any feedback that’s forwarded by the credit bureuas.
It’s important to remember that Credit Saint only has the ability to remove items that shouldn’t be on your credit report. For example, if you’ve had late payments on your credit card that are legitimate, those can’t be removed.
The company makes this fact very clear. Credit Saint will work as your advocate to remove items that could be misleading, biased, incomplete, unverifiable, or inaccurate.
Credit Saint Pricing
You can choose from three different plans and prices with Credit Saint. There is a monthly fee and a one-time setup fee on all three plans. Each plan has a money-back guarantee during the first 90 days.
Credit Saint costs:
- Credit Polish – lowest tier plan that charges an initial $99 work fee and $79.99 a month
- Credit Remodel – mid tier plan that charges an initial $99 work fee and $99.99 a month
- Clean Slate – highest tier plan that charges an initial $195 work fee and $119.99 a month
There are no add-on services like identity theft protection that you can tack on to any of these plans.
Credit Saint Pros
90 Day Money Back Guarantee
If you enter into an agreement with Credit Saint, you have their assurance that they’ll be able to deliver. Every credit repair plan is backed with a 90-day money-back guarantee.
If Credit Saint can’t remove questionable items from your credit report within 90 days, you are entitled to a full refund.
Their money-back guarantee will give you the confidence that you’ll get results and an improved credit score by working with them. And if you don’t, you can get a full refund within 90 days or cancel anytime.
While Credit Saint’s services are at work, you’ll also have to do things on your end to help repair your credit. For example, you’ll need to establish a positive payment history by not having late payments on your accounts.
Free Credit Consultation
Another sign of Credit Saint’s integrity is that they offer a free credit consultation prior to signing up for any of their plans. During this consultation, an advisor will evaluate your credit to see if your situation is a good fit for what they offer.
In addition to this evaluation, you’ll also receive information on what you can do to start fixing your credit yourself.
A Rating from the Better Business Bureau
Many other credit repair companies can’t add maintaining an A Rating on the BBB to their toolbelt. It is simply not an easy feat in this industry.
A lot of these companies are not yet BBB accredited even though many have been around the same time as Credit Saint has. Many that are listed in the BBB have ratings that range from C to F. Their customer reviews are often very bad.
Flexible Credit Repair Service Plans
Credit Saint doesn’t charge everyone the same monthly fee regardless of how much or little help they need. They offer three credit repair plans based on the level of service you may need.
Its Credit Slate package, Credit Polish package, and Credit Remodel package all have varying monthly fees and an initial work fee. You gt a 90-day money-back period, customer support, challenges to all three credit bureaus, credit intervention, a score tracker, and score analysis on all three plans.
Online Account Dashboard allows Easy Monitoring
You don’t have to call a phone number or send an email to find out how you’re doing. Credit Saint offers an online dashboard where you can progress at any time.
As Credit Saint’s reps work on rebuilding your credit, you can keep informed with your credit repair journey.
Credit Monitoring Included with most Plans
Credit Saint offers a credit monitoring account for their two higher-tier plans. The Experian credit monitoring allows you to monitor and track your credit score as it changes over time.
No contract
You don’t sign an agreement with Credit Saint to render their services for a period of time. Thus, you can request to cancel your service plan at any time.
Credit Saint does not have prorated refunds so your services will run through the month that you have paid.
Credit Saint Cons
No Mobile App
Other credit repair companies offer iOS and Android apps with their services. However, with Credit Saint, you only have an online account. For those that prefer using their mobile device to manage their credit repair, Credit Saint may not work.
Limited Online Resources
Credit Saint doesn’t offer much when it comes to educational information on their website. Other professional credit repair services offer much more robust, free content.
No Discounts Available
If you have a spouse that signs up for credit repair services, many companies will offer a break on the monthly fees. Credit Saint does not offer such as a break on the pricing.
Therefore if you have two family members sign up for services with Credit Saint, you’ll be paying two monthly fees in full.
Initial Work Fee is a High
You’ll be paying either $99 or $195 as a one-time initial work fee to sign up with a plan with Credit Saint. This is pretty high, especially when compared to competitors in this space.
Low-Tier Plan has Limited Monthly Disputes
Credit Saint’s Credit Polish plan only has included five disputes within each billing cycle. For some customers, this might not be enough and result in having to upgrade to a higher-cost plan.
Not Available in all States
You’ll have to make sure that you can use Credit Saint in your state. There are 11 states that Credit Saint is unable to serve.
How Does Credit Saint Work?
The way that Credit Saint works is that it works on repairing the inaccurate or incomplete items that are damaging your credit report. Credit Saint can also challenge claims that are biased or misleading. This can help them raise your credit score.
The credit repair process with Credit Saint is simple and easy. Below are the three steps to getting started with their credit repair services.
Step 1: Call to set up a Free Consultation
Before signing up for credit repair services with Credit Saint, you can speak with one of their advisors. They will review your credit history and find the negative items that are found on your credit report.
During the free consultation, the advisor will run an analysis of your credit history. Based on the results, they will tell you whether you’re a candidate for their credit repair services.
Step 2: Pick a Plan
Many credit repair companies only offer one credit repair package that you must purchase. This one-size-fits-all approach means you could end up paying for more or less of the repair credit services that you need.
Credit Saint clients can choose from three different credit repair packages: Clean Slate, Credit Remodel, and Credit Polish. Each of these plans has its own features and price points.
You can select the level of credit repair service that you need. Each plan has a one-time first work fee and a monthly fee.
Credit Saint offers a 90-day money-back guarantee during the credit repair process on all three plans.
Step 3: Work with Credit Saint to Fix Your Credit Score
After selecting a plan that works for your needs, Credit Saint will get to work immediately. While they’re working on repairing your credit, they will also set you up with a plan so you can also increase your credit score on your own.
Credit Saint’s system runs in 45-day cycles. At the end of each cycle, you’ll receive a progress report. This report will show you what negative items have been removed from your credit report.
If you aren’t satisfied, you can cancel anytime within the first 90 day period and get a full refund.
You can access an online account page that will provide you with a dashboard to show your progress so far. This online account can be accessed 24/7.
Credit Saint’s credit repair specialists and customer service team are also available anytime to help answer any question that you have.
How Long does Credit Saint Take to Fix your Credit?
Credit Saint will work fast to fix your credit, but it is not an overnight process. They work on 45-day cycles and offer a 90-day money-back guarantee, or you can get a full refund.
You can expect to have many of your negative items removed from your credit reports within 90 days. The company updates your credit repair progress after each cycle so you can track how you’re doing.
Is Credit Saint Legit?
With so many scams and identity theft concerns out there, it is normal to be wary of companies that guarantee to boost your credit score. However, Credit Saint is a reputable credit repair company.
It is accredited with the BBB and has an A rating so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.
Credit Saint Competitors
Credit Saint is among the best credit repair organizations in the business. But they’re not the only reputable credit repair company.
There are some alternatives in the credit repair industry that can provide effective credit restoration services in a budget-friendly manner.
Sky Blue Credit Repair
Another credit repair company worth mentioning is Sky Blue. With an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau, despite not being accredited, this is a strong showing in this industry.
The company offers one single plan, however, it is more flexible than others. It includes a professional credit analysis of your credit history and credit scores by a seasoned rep. They might be able to spot items that would have otherwise gone missing.
Sky Blue will send up to 15 disputes, or five per credit bureau every 35 days. Also included with their service are some personalized tips on how you can work on a positive credit score. This may include suggestions like paying off certain balances, setting up autopay so you avoid late payment, or opening up a secured credit card.
SkyBlue charges a one-time $79 setup fee and $79 per month. You can also receive some optional services like debt settlement and mortgage preparation consultations.
Like Credit Saint, they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee to try out their services.
Lexington Law
Lexington Law is one of the largest credit repair companies around. Since its founding in 2004, the company has removed over 56 million negative items.
Similar to Credit Saint, the company offers three different service packages. Their plans are structured so that customers are only paying for what they need.
Lexington Law’s entry plan, called the Concord Standard offers credit disputes and creditor interventions. The company will identify and request corrects they find on your credit history with its credit disputes service. The creditor interventions are various types of correspondence that they will send on your behalf.
The Concord Premier is Lexington Law’s mid-tier plan and includes all the services offered in the Concord Standard plus some extras. You’ll receive a credit score analysis and ongoing credit monitoring with alerts any time that there’s a change in your score. With this plan, you’ll also get the ability to have the company dispute hard inquires that shouldn’t be on your report.
The final plan that Lexington Law offers is PremierPlus that includes all the services in the lower-tier plans. It also includes cease and desist letters, access to a FICO score tracker, and financial planning tools.
The tracker and planning tools are both available through its mobile app. Identify theft protection is also included with this plan.
The Credit Pros
The Credit Pros launched a few years after Credit Saint and has been featured on the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for five years in a row. Like Credit Saint, The Credit Pros is BBB accredited. However, Credit Pros has a current rating of B+.
The company doesn’t have any money-back guarantees on using its service. The Credit Pros has three different packages at various price points. The Money Management plan has all the basics you might need to address with bad credit including unlimited monthly disputes, access to financial planning tools (i.e. budgeting system that syncs with your open credit accounts), and credit and identity theft monitoring.
The Credit Pro’s debt management services are also available with this tier. This allows for debt validation letters to be sent on your behalf when appropriate. The company will help you address debt using the snowball or avalanche repayment method if you have a negative item that’s affecting your credit.
The Prosperity package includes everything from the Money Management plan. The difference is you can have more than one debt repayment account. A subscription to SlashRX, a discount program that can save you up to 80% on prescription medications is also included.
Finally, there is the Success Package that has everything that’s included with the Prosperity Package. You will also get access to the National Credit Direct. This is a financing program designed for customers with bad or no credit that allows them to purchase items like household goods and contribute to a positive credit history.
FAQ: Credit Saint Review
Ok, now let’s get to our Credit Saint review FAQ with answers to some of the questions you may have.
How is Credit Saint’s customer service?
In this industry, customer service is huge and Credit Saint delivers. You can contact Credit Saint at 1-877-637-2673 by phone. They don’t have their hours of operations posted.
If you’re interested in receiving a free credit consultation, you can submit a request online. This is Credit Saint’s alternative solution to not having an online chat service like some competitors.
A team of professional credit advisors will be assigned to you and send you monthly updates and will analyze your credit profile. Credit Saint works by not only fixing the errors in your credit report but also teaching you how to build a positive credit history. They educate their customers on the impacts of habits like late payments on a person’s credit.
Financial education like educating you on the impact of late payments is essential to maintaining a healthy credit score.
Does Credit Saint have a good reputation?
The number of Credit Saint complaints found on the BBB site is negligible. Some of the reviews were negative because customers didn’t see an improvement in their scores. There are also many positive remarks about Credit Saint’s customer service.
Credit Saint has an A rating and is accredited by the BBB.
What are Credit Saint’s customer reviews like?
As mentioned, some of the negative reviews about Credit Saint were due to customers not seeing an increase in their credit. But credit repair companies can’t guarantee an improvement in credit score.
You arent’ tied in a long-term contract with Credit Saint either. If you don’t feel like you need their services anymore, you can cancel your account.
Credit Saint promises a 90-day money-back guarantee credit on its services that should serve as a way that unsatisfied customers can get refunded. Therefore Credit Saint customers can at least get their money back if the service didn’t live up to expectations.
Is Credit Saint a good value?
The first work fee charged on all of Credit Saint’s plans are above average. They range from $99 to $195. The lowest tier does not have a credit score tracker, which is helpful for someone with bad credit to have access to.
Your monthly fee will range from $79.99 to $119.99. The level of services that you receive for your monthly fee is otherwise reasonable. It would be nice if Credit Saint offered additional services that could be added on such as identity theft protection.
Final Thoughts: Credit Saint Review
Inaccurate late payments or other negative remarks can really hurt your credit. A bad score can make it difficult to get approved for a loan. If you dream of owning your own house, your credit can really stand as an obstacle.
Even if you can get approved, a poor score will mean paying more for your loan because of higher interest rates. Credit Saint can help improve your situation by fixing inaccurate information that’s on your report. The company offers free consultations to make sure you’re a fit for their services before you can even start a plan.
Credit Saint reviews online are overwhelming positive which means their customers have good experiences working with them. If you’re struggling with poor credit and don’t want to take on the challenge by yourself, Credit Saint could be worth it.
