Credit · Education · Protection Kaironeekfinancial@gmail.com(857) 220-7818

Consumer Credit Protection Act: Congress passed these laws to protect you — the FCRA, FDCPA, CROA, ECOA and TILA are all part of it.
FCRA § 611: You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information, and the credit bureau generally must investigate within 30 days — free of charge.
FCRA § 605: Most negative information must come off your report after 7 years. Most bankruptcies: 10 years.
FCRA § 605B: Identity theft victims can have fraudulent accounts blocked from their credit reports.
FCRA § 612: You are entitled to free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
FCRA § 615: If you are denied credit because of your report, you must be told and told which bureau was used.
FDCPA § 809: Dispute a debt in writing within 30 days and the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
FDCPA § 805: You can tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you.
FDCPA § 806–807: Debt collectors may not harass you, threaten you or lie to you.
CROA § 404: No credit repair company may charge you before its services are fully performed.
CROA § 407: You have 3 business days to cancel a credit repair contract without penalty.
ECOA: Creditors may not discriminate against you for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or receiving public assistance.
TILA: Lenders must clearly disclose the true cost of credit — including the APR — before you sign.
SCRA: Active-duty servicemembers can cap interest at 6% on many debts taken on before service.

Consumer Credit Protection Act: Congress passed these laws to protect you — the FCRA, FDCPA, CROA, ECOA and TILA are all part of it.
FCRA § 611: You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information, and the credit bureau generally must investigate within 30 days — free of charge.
FCRA § 605: Most negative information must come off your report after 7 years. Most bankruptcies: 10 years.
FCRA § 605B: Identity theft victims can have fraudulent accounts blocked from their credit reports.
FCRA § 612: You are entitled to free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com.
FCRA § 615: If you are denied credit because of your report, you must be told and told which bureau was used.
FDCPA § 809: Dispute a debt in writing within 30 days and the collector must stop collecting until it verifies the debt.
FDCPA § 805: You can tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you.
FDCPA § 806–807: Debt collectors may not harass you, threaten you or lie to you.
CROA § 404: No credit repair company may charge you before its services are fully performed.
CROA § 407: You have 3 business days to cancel a credit repair contract without penalty.
ECOA: Creditors may not discriminate against you for race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or receiving public assistance.
TILA: Lenders must clearly disclose the true cost of credit — including the APR — before you sign.
SCRA: Active-duty servicemembers can cap interest at 6% on many debts taken on before service.

Consumer Law Library

Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA)

The CROA protects you when you hire help — and it is the law every honest credit repair company should be proud to follow.

By Richie Barrett · Published September 26, 2026

Why the CROA exists

Congress passed the Credit Repair Organizations Act in 1996 (15 U.S.C. § 1679 et seq.), as Title IV of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit repair practices. It applies to companies that, for money, offer to improve a consumer’s credit record, history or rating.

What credit repair companies may not do (§ 404)

Charge or receive any money for a service before the service is fully performed
Make, or advise you to make, untrue or misleading statements to a credit bureau or creditor about your creditworthiness
Advise you to alter your identity — for example, with a new identification number — to hide your credit record
Make untrue or misleading representations about their services
Commit fraud or deception in connection with the sale of their services

What they must do

Disclosure first (§ 405): before you sign a contract, give you a separate written statement titled “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law.” Read it here.
A written contract (§ 406): including the total payment and terms, a full description of the services, how long they will take, any guarantees, and the company’s name and address.
A 3-day right to cancel (§ 407): you may cancel without penalty before midnight of the 3rd business day after signing, and the company must give you a cancellation form.

Any waiver of these rights is void (§ 408).

Remedies

A company that violates the CROA may be liable for the greater of your actual damages or the amount you paid, plus punitive damages and attorney’s fees (§ 409). The FTC and state attorneys general also enforce the CROA (§ 410). Separately, the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule restricts fees for credit repair services sold by telephone, and many states have their own credit services laws.

Sources: Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1679–1679j; Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(a)(2).

Put the law to work for your credit

Our free assessment shows you which of these protections apply to your reports.

Start My Credit Transformation Contact Us

Common questions

Can a credit repair company guarantee results?

It may not make untrue or misleading representations. No one can honestly guarantee that accurate information will be removed or that you will get a specific score.

How do I cancel within 3 days?

Send the cancellation form or a written notice before midnight of the third business day after you signed.

Know where to go — the credit bureaus and the agencies that protect you

Links go to each organization’s official website. Kaironeek Financial is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.