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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.

Learning Center

How Credit Scores Work

Your score is a summary of your report. Understand the ingredients and you can improve the recipe.

By Richie Barrett · Published September 26, 2026

Many scores, one report

There isn’t just one credit score. FICO® and VantageScore® each publish several versions, and lenders choose which to use. But they all read the same thing: your credit reports. That’s why accurate reports matter so much.

What goes into a FICO® Score

Factor	Approximate weight	What helps
Payment history	35%	Paying every account on time, every month
Amounts owed	30%	Low balances relative to limits (utilization)
Length of credit history	15%	Keeping older accounts open and in good standing
Credit mix	10%	A healthy blend of revolving and installment credit
New credit	10%	Applying for new credit only when you need it

Weights are FICO’s published general guidance for the population; how they apply to any one person varies.

Utilization: the fastest lever

Utilization is your revolving balances divided by your limits. Lower is better — many people aim for under 30%, and under 10% is excellent. Because it’s based on current balances, paying down cards can help quickly. Try our utilization calculator.

Building positive history

Automatic payments for at least the minimum due
A secured credit card or credit-builder loan if you’re starting over
Keeping old accounts open when they have no annual fee
Being added as an authorized user by someone with excellent habits

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Start your credit transformation today. We will review your situation and show you your options — honestly.

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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.