Credit Repair Secrets

Exposed
By
Conleth C. Onu

NOTICE
Conleth C. Onu. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means
without the written permission of the author.
http://www.ConlethOnuPublishing.com

DISCLAIMER
This book is sold with the understanding that the author is not in the business of giving legal or
accounting or any other professional advice. If legal advice, or advice in any other field is
needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
The author has endeavored to ensure the accuracy of all information in this book. It is believed
that all material is accurate as of the date of publication. However, the author specifically
disclaims any personal liability, loss or risk, incurred as a consequence directly or indirectly of
the use or application of any information presented in this book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOTICE............................................................................................................................................................ 2
DISCLAIMER .................................................................................................................................................. 2
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................. 5
CREDIT BUREAUS ......................................................................................................................................... 6
YOUR CONSUMER CREDIT RIGHTS ........................................................................................................... 7
CREDIT REPORT ............................................................................................................................................ 8
OBTAINING A COPY OF YOUR CREDIT REPORT ..................................................................................... 9
REVIEWING YOUR CREDIT REPORT........................................................................................................ 10
HOW TO REMOVE NEGATIVE ITEMS....................................................................................................... 11
ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT ........................................................................................................................ 11
ERASING NEGATIVE INFORMATION ....................................................................................................... 13
Statute Of Limitations Has Expired.............................................................................................................. 13
Incorrect Information ................................................................................................................................... 13
Reasonable Period Of Time ......................................................................................................................... 13
Credit Bureau Fails To Investigate ............................................................................................................... 14
Creditor Cannot Be Contacted By The Credit Bureau .................................................................................. 14
Disputing Directly With The Creditor .......................................................................................................... 14
Negotiating A Settlement ............................................................................................................................. 14
ERASING INQUIRIES ................................................................................................................................... 16
ENTER A CONSUMER STATEMENT AND SMASH NEGATIVE ENTRIES ............................................. 17
FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CREDIT BUREAU ...................................................................... 18
DEBT VALIDATION A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE TO REMOVE COLLECTIONS FROM YOUR
CREDIT REPORT .......................................................................................................................................... 18
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS - AN EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE TO GET COLLECTION AGENCIES TO
GO AWAY...................................................................................................................................................... 20
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS REGARDING COLLECTION AGENCIES ............................................................ 21
BUILDING GOOD CREDIT .......................................................................................................................... 22
Borrow Someone Elses Credit Listings....................................................................................................... 22
Secured Credit Cards ................................................................................................................................... 23
Get A Cosigner ............................................................................................................................................ 24
Instant Credit ............................................................................................................................................... 24
Bank Loan ................................................................................................................................................... 24
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 25
HOW CREDIT REPAIR CONSULTANTS REPAIR BAD CREDIT .............................................................. 26
PRE-WRITTEN CREDIT REPAIR LETTERS ............................................................................................... 27
Letter Requesting A Copy Of Your Credit Report (Within 60 Days Of Credit Denial) ................................. 28
Letter For Requesting A Copy of Your Credit Report (Not In Response To A Credit Denial) ...................... 29
Request For Deletion Of Negative Item That Has Been On your Credit Record After The Statute Of
Limitations Period Has Expired ................................................................................................................... 30
Disputing Accuracy Of Negative Information .............................................................................................. 31

Follow-Up Dispute Letter ............................................................................................................................ 32

Notice To File An FTC Complaint ............................................................................................................... 33
Request For Correction Of Personal Statistics .............................................................................................. 35
Request For Deletion Of Inquiry.................................................................................................................. 36
Disputing Directly With The Creditor .......................................................................................................... 37
Disputing Directly With The Creditor .......................................................................................................... 38
Negotiating A Settlement With The Creditor ............................................................................................... 39
Request For Inclusion Of Consumer Statement In Your Credit File.............................................................. 40
Request To Have Positive Items Added To Your Credit Report ................................................................... 41
Request For The Credit Bureau To Distribute Corrected Credit Report ........................................................ 42
DIRECTORY OF BANKS THAT OFFER VISA AND MASTERCARD........................................................ 43
SECURED CREDIT CARD SOURCES.......................................................................................................... 64

INTRODUCTION
Every day thousands upon thousands of people are rejected for credit. Bad credit is a
serious problem. People who have bad credit will most certainly immediately begin to
feel like social outcasts.
In todays world, good credit is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Good credit allows
you to obtain goods and services today and make payment at some time in the future. It
can help you improve the quality of your life.
Without good credit, its difficult to enjoy the finer things in life immediately. Good
credit can allow you to obtain everyday existence items that are needed.
Most people who have bad credit dont have a clue how to go about repairing their own
credit. This book is written to show you how to improve and repair your credit yourself.
It is written in a step-by-step format, and is designed to help you legally rebuild your
credit rating. It tells you how creditors obtain information on you, how to review your
credit file, and how to erase negative entries from your report. It also shows you how to
add positive items in your credit file.
Youll also discover the amazing secrets of Credit Repair Consultants. Also included in
this book are sample dispute letters to help you in the credit repair process.
Please read the entire book very carefully before you begin. If you apply the information
presented in this book, you should be able to repair your credit yourself.

CREDIT BUREAUS
Credit bureaus, also called credit reporting agencies, are companies that collect
information on credit users and sell it to other credit grantors, such as banks, retailers,
finance companies, and other lenders. The information is sold in the form of credit
reports and it contains the payment habits of credit users.
Creditors report payment data to credit bureaus, on a monthly basis, showing each
account holders payment habits. If you make a late payment, the information is quickly
sent to the credit bureaus and is added to your credit history.
Credit bureaus do not make any judgment on your ability to repay a loan. They simply
keep on file information supplied over time by your creditors and then sell it to inquiring
creditors. The creditor requesting your report decides whether or not to grant you credit.
There are three major credit bureaus in the United States. Here are their names and
addresses:
Experian (Formally TRW)
P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
(888)397-3742
www.experian.com

Trans Union
P.O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
(800)916-8800
www.transunion.com

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374
(800)685-1111
www.equifax.com
There are numerous smaller regional credit reporting agencies.

YOUR CONSUMER CREDIT RIGHTS

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is a Federal Law which attempts to ensure that credit
bureaus and organizations that provide information to them exercise their responsibilities
fairly. This law helps you ensure that the information contained in your credit report is
correct.
You can delete damaging entries on your credit report using the rights given to you by the
Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Here is a summary of your legal rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
You have the right to know whats contained in your credit file.
You have the right to obtain a copy of your credit file at any time for a small fee. If
you have been denied credit because of the information on your report, it is free if
you request it within 60 days.
You have the right to be told the name and address of the credit bureau which
supplied a report that was used to deny you credit.
You have the right to request that outdated negative information be deleted from
your file.
You have the right to have information on your report that you dispute,
reinvestigated, and corrected or deleted if inaccurate or unverified.
You have the right to include a statement of dispute to your file, explaining why a
negative item on your record is misleading or should be deleted.
You have the right to have a revised copy of your credit report sent to any credit
grantor who received a credit report on you within the previous six months or two
years if it involved employment.

CREDIT REPORT
Your credit report is a history of everything you are doing with your credit now, and
everything you have done in the past. It includes the following information:
Your full name
Current address
Previous address
Birth date
Social Security Number
Occupation
Employer
Marital History
Repayment history on credit cards, loans and other credit accounts.
Court judgments, bankruptcies, tax liens.
Finally, there is the inquiry section. The inquiry section shows a list of creditors who
have requested your credit report in the last two years. When you apply for credit, the
credit grantor checks your credit record, and that will be listed as an inquiry.

OBTAINING A COPY OF YOUR CREDIT REPORT

You need to know what the credit reporting agencies are saying about you. Youve
learned that the law allows you to obtain a copy of your credit report. There may be a
small fee for this report. However, if you have been denied credit within the past 60 days,
and one of the reasons for the denial was due to unfavorable information in your credit
report, you have the right to see the contents of your credit report.
You can get your report by contacting the credit bureau that keeps your report. Check in
the yellow pages of your telephone directory, under Credit Reporting Agencies. Or, if
youve been denied credit, then the creditor who has refused you credit can provide you
with the name of the credit bureau that issued the report.
When you request your credit report, be sure to include the following information:
Your full name
Address
Date of birth
Spouses name (if applicable)
Signature
For contact information, see section on Credit Bureaus. You may reach them by calling
them, writing them, or contacting them through their websites. You should request your
report from all three credit bureaus, since they do not all contain the same information.

REVIEWING YOUR CREDIT REPORT

When you receive your credit report, examine it carefully. Damaging information may
appear in your file without your knowledge. Make sure all information is current and
accurate.
Credit bureau reports are sometimes difficult to understand. The information is presented
in such a way that is not immediately readable by the average consumer.
Take your time and study the report until you understand what each number and code
means. You can get help from the credit bureau that has furnished you with report.
Identify any incorrect or inaccurate information that has been entered into your file.
Mistakes happen all the time. Think about how often your mail has a misspelling of your
name or a mistake in your street address. Then, imagine the possibility for error in a
report that contains much more information about you. Make sure you havent become
the victim of computer error.
With the massive volume of information maintained by the credit bureaus, it is possible
that your report may list false or incorrect information. Cases of mistaken identity, outof-date information, and outright errors can easily occur.
If your report lists accounts that you didnt open, it is possible someone could have
gained access to your credit file and opened credit accounts in your name.
Look for mistakes, such as an account that isnt yours or incorrect balance or payment
record.

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HOW TO REMOVE NEGATIVE ITEMS

ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT
Credit bureaus are like any other business. They are for-profit organizations. Credit
bureaus must adhere to the laws overseeing their operations.
You can have negative credit information removed from your file by becoming familiar
with your federally given rights and laws and how to enforce them.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that items be deleted if they are not 100%
accurate or cannot be verified within 30 days. Also, outdated information must be
deleted.
Be sure to include the following information in your dispute letter:
Your name
Address
Social Security Number
Name of the creditor
Account number of the disputed item
The reason for your dispute
Keep good record of all your correspondence. Make copies of letters you mailed out.
Send all your dispute letters and other correspondence via Certified Mail, Return Receipt
Requested. That will provide you with a paper trail and help remind you of when to
follow up.
Fill out the Dispute Form that you received with your credit report and return it to the
credit bureau. Enclose documents that support your claim, if any.
Once the credit bureau receives your dispute letter, they will then contact the creditor
who reported that information in order to verify it. The credit bureau must complete their
reinvestigation of the disputed item within 30 days or delete the item from your credit
report.
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If the item is incorrect or cannot be reverified, it must be removed from your credit
report.
Do not dispute many items at a time. It is extremely important to only dispute one item at
a time (except personal information).
If your first dispute does not resolve the matter, wait for some weeks and repeat the
process. There is no limit to the number of times you can dispute the same item.
If you follow this procedure, you will be able to erase all or most of the negative
information on your credit report.
If there is any derogatory item remaining on your credit report, you should file a
Consumer Statement stating why this information is misleading or should be updated.

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ERASING NEGATIVE INFORMATION

The following techniques can help you erase bad credit from your report. They are all
based on your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Statute Of Limitations Has Expired

Credit bureaus are required to ensure that they do not allow outdated negative
information to remain on a credit file after seven years, except for bankruptcy which can
remain for up to ten years and in some places up to fourteen years.
So when you are ready to start the deletion process, you should first take a look at how
long the negative items have been on your record.
If you find items that have been reported past the prescribed time periods on your credit
report, you should contact the credit bureau and demand that the negative information be
removed immediately.

Incorrect Information
The credit bureaus are required to remove or correct errors on your credit report and to do
so within the prescribed time period.
So if you dispute an item in your credit report and the credit bureau cannot verify the
information within 30 days, the item must come be deleted.

Reasonable Period Of Time

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that items be deleted if they cannot be verified
within 30 days. If you dispute any negative entry on your report, the credit bureau must
reinvestigate it within a reasonable period of time.
If the credit bureau fails to reconfirm the information in a timely manner, the disputed
item must be deleted from your file.

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Credit Bureau Fails To Investigate

When you start firing off numerous verification requests and paperwork start piling up,
mistakes can occur. The dispute letter might get lost, which should result in a nonresponse. These items must be removed.
Always use Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, so that you would have proof that
they received it.

Creditor Cannot Be Contacted By The Credit Bureau

Disputed item that cannot be verified must be removed from your credit file. When you
dispute a negative entry in your file, the credit bureau will contact the creditor in order to
verify the disputed item.
If the creditor cannot be contacted by the credit bureau, the disputed item must be
deleted.

Disputing Directly With The Creditor

If the credit bureau were able to verify any disputed item as correct, it would remain on
your credit report. Dispute the information with the creditor if the credit bureau's
investigation results in no change to your report. If you dispute an item with a creditor,
they may not report the information without including a notice of your dispute.
Simply write a letter to the creditor with whom you have a dispute, and tell them why the
item should be removed from your record. Ask them to send you written proof and
documentation that supports their claim, since you do not believe they are correct.
Many times the creditor has lost records of the original, signed contracts and other
original documents, and therefore cannot reverify it. It must then be deleted.

Negotiating A Settlement

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If you see that the remaining creditors are not ready to give up, its time to negotiate.
Creditors are in business to make a profit. And they make their profits by collecting from
their customers, not by reporting negative items.
If there is money still owed, then its time to negotiate a settlement. Contact the creditor
and offer to pay off your debt at a reduced amount. In other words, offer to pay them a
percentage of the debt to settle the account.
If the creditor demands payment in full, keep negotiating. Dont give up. Most creditors
routinely accept reduced settlements from debtors in financial trouble. Negotiating with
the creditor creates a win-win situation whereby the creditor recovers some money, and
you get an improved credit rating.
Your next goal is to negotiate how the account will be reported to the credit bureaus. If
you reach a payment agreement with any creditor, it's extremely important that you do so
only under one condition. The condition is that before you send them any money, the
creditor must sign a written agreement that they will report the account to the credit
bureaus as current, paid off and never late. Ratings such as Paid Collection Account or
Paid Charge-off are not positive ratings.. These will have a negative effect on your
credit report.
You should always push for a positive rating, such as Paid As Agreed, Account
Closed-Paid As Agreed or Paid Satisfactorily.
If the creditor refuses to change your account status to a positive rating, then settle for a
non-rating. Ask them to delete the entire transaction from your credit report.
Before you send the money, prepare a Settlement Agreement letter and have the
creditor sign and date it and return it to you. Once you receive the letter indicating that
the creditor has agreed to your offer, send the money as agreed.
After paying off in full, contact the creditor and be sure that they update your credit
report.

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ERASING INQUIRIES
An inquiry is a listing of everyone who has "pulled" a copy of your report. Credit
grantors dont like to see a lot of inquiries on a credit report. Too many inquiries can
result in a credit denial as easily as bad credit. A multitude of credit inquiries on your
credit report can make creditors feel reluctant to grant you credit.
They may assume that youre being denied credit repeatedly. Worse yet, the credit
grantor may think that youre up to something embarking on a fraudulent activity.
Inquiries remain on a credit report for 2 years, with those in the last 6 months usually
given the most consideration.
Its your credit record, dont let them mess it up. Get the inquiries removed. You can get
inquiries removed by disputing with the credit bureaus. The Fair Credit Reporting Act
(FCRA) allows only authorized inquiries to be recorded on your credit report.
Another way to accomplish this is to write to the inquiring creditor and try to have them
remove the inquiry. To do this, you must challenge whether they had your authorization
to pull your credit report.
If they cannot verify that you authorized them to access your file, then the inquiry must
be deleted. Or, if they fail to respond within 30 days, you demand that they delete it from
your report.

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ENTER A CONSUMER STATEMENT AND SMASH NEGATIVE

ENTRIES
You can challenge and neutralize damaging entries that are listed on your report by
entering a 100-word Consumer Statement. If a reinvestigation does not resolve your
dispute, you have the right to file a statement of dispute for inclusion in your credit file,
explaining your side of the dispute.
Including your side of the dispute in your report may be all it takes to convince a
potential credit grantor that a derogatory information that is listed in your report, was
nothing more than an unfortunate incident that couldnt be prevented at the time.
You can use this method to explain the circumstances or tell potential creditors why this
information is misleading or should be updated.
The credit bureau must by law make sure your Consumer Statement is made available to
anyone that requests your credit report in the future.

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FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CREDIT BUREAU

You can contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and file a complaint if the credit
bureau refuses or fails to comply with the law.
If there are negative items on your report that you do not agree with, you have the right to
dispute them. When you dispute adverse information on your credit report, the credit
bureau must reverify the item in question.
If the credit bureau fails to respond within the allotted time, then the negative item must
be removed from your report. If the credit bureau fails to do so, you can file a complaint
with the FTC, located at:
Federal Trade Commission
Pennsylvania Avenue at Sixth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20580
www.ftc.com

DEBT VALIDATION A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE TO REMOVE

COLLECTIONS FROM YOUR CREDIT REPORT
Are collection agencies calling trying to collect money they claim you owe? Are you sure
they're legally entitled to collect the debt? Before you make a payment, try finding out if
the agencies have the right to collect your debt. One of the best ways to deal with a
collection agency is the debt validation method.
A validation letter is used when the original creditor has sold or assigned the debt to a
collection agency. If they cant prove they possess the legal right then the debtor doesnt
pay.
You have the right to "debt validation". This is demanding that the collection prove to
you that the debt really belongs to you and that they have legal right to collect the debt.
They must stop all collection activity, including reporting and verifying, until they
supply proper validation to you after a written request.
Send a letter to the collection agency requesting debt validation. In your letter tell the
collection agency that you dispute the debt. You are not required to tell them why you
dispute the debt and are requesting debt validation. Do not provide them any additional

18

information about the debt and never acknowledge you owe the debt. It is their job to
prove you owe the debt, not yours.
It is most always a good idea to send validation demands via Certified Mail Return
Receipt Requested as this gives you proof, in the form of a receipt that your demand was
received, and on what date.
Allow the collection agency 30 days from their receipt of the letter to respond. Their
failure to respond within the 30 days is a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices
Act.
Collection agencies must provide proof you owe the debt to the original creditor, not to
them. Therefore, the validation must be in the form of documentation from the original
creditor, not the debt collector. Many times debt collectors do not have any proof from
the original creditor.
Most collections activity is performed by third-party collection agencies, which are
separate from the original creditors, and "work" debts on behalf of various lenders. They
may also buy bad debts which have been designated as charge-offs by the original
creditor. These people deal in what are known as junk debt. These debts have been
written off because the original creditor thinks the chances of collecting are slim.
When a creditor sells off bad debts, they place them in million dollar packages of debt to
be sold on the market to junk debt buyers. No documentation regarding the original debt
is included with this debt when a junk debt buyer purchases the paper.
Many collection agencies and junk debt buyers will simply send you a piece of paper
entitled Validation of Debt or or even a computer generated form made to look like a
billing statement from the original creditor. The reason for this is they have no original
proof.
Information that is not properly validated under the law must be removed regardless as to
whether it is accurate or not. This is actually a very effective technique, especially since
the collection agencies will not have any documentation to back up their reporting.
If a collection agency fails to remove the collection from your report you can bring that
matter to the attention of the credit bureaus and ask for reinvestigations. Make sure that
you let the credit bureaus know that this is not a repeat of your earlier request but rather
make it clear to them that you are contacting them because the collector did not comply.
If the collection account is not removed at this point you have both the credit bureau and
the collection agency on the hook for credit reporting violations and can pursue a lawsuit.

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STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS - AN EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE TO GET

COLLECTION AGENCIES TO GO AWAY
Before you attempt to settle a debt, check the Statute of Limitations. Debt collectors only
have a certain amount of time to sue you for payments.
The Statute of Limitations is a time limit, measured in years, after which a debt can no
longer be legally collected in court. If the Statute of Limitations has run out, you no
longer have a legal obligation to pay this debt.
If you find the debt is older than the Statute of Limitations, tell any bill collector calling
you they are wasting their time by harassing you for an uncollectable debt. Tell them that
you cannot be legally sued for the debt.
If a collection agency sues for a debt when the Statute of Limitations has expired, dont
ignore the lawsuit. You can have the suit dismissed. Make sure you appear in court and
let the court or judge know the debt is, indeed, time-barred and the Statute of Limitations
has expired.
When does the Statute of Limitations start? Generally, the statute of limitations begins
ticking the day you make your very last payment on a debt. So check your states Statute
of Limitations on written contracts.
Important Note: While the Statute of Limitations is running or even after it's expired,
making a specific promise to pay, or a partial payment can reset or restart (depends on
your state law) the Statute of Limitations clock and open the door for the collector to seek
a judgment against you.
Sometimes the collection agency will try to get you to pay a small portion of the debt. If
you make a payment, they have reaffirmed the debt and started the Statute of Limitations
over again. It is very important that you be aware of your rights and the laws that protect
you as a huge number of these debt collectors will use any trick to get you to pay what
they claim you owe.
Warning: Collection agencies will always encourage the debtor to call the collection
agency on the phone. They prefer to hassle you on the phone because they want to
intimidate and upset. They know many people are not aware the Federal Debt Collection
Practices (FDCPS) has laws to protect you from them.
It's always a good idea to deal with collection agencies in written communication only.
Always send the letter via certified mail, return receipt requested. And be sure to state in

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the letter this is not an acknowledgment of the debt and the Statute of Limitations has
expired.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS REGARDING COLLECTION AGENCIES

Are debt collectors calling and harassing you? Have they been calling at all hours of the
day and demanding money and you just want the calls to stop?
In case you don't know, many of these collection agencies don't play by the rules and
they're not about to tell you what the rules are, even if they're supposed to.
They know most consumers don't know their rights and take advantage of it. Collectors
tend to focus on fear and intimidation, since those things can work much more quickly,
cheaply, and efficiently than legal action.
You don't have to take harassment from a creditor or debt collector. If you're being
hounded by bill collectors, don't be intimidated. Consumers do have rights.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects you if your creditor has given your
account to a third-party collection agency. Knowing your rights as a debtor can help you
stop this abuse and harassment from collection agencies.
Collection agencies are not allowed to do the following:
Call you at work, if they know your employer disapproves. Since bill collectors
usually don't know your work rules, you should advise them of this.
Call your home before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and if you put your request to stop
calling in writing, they have to stop. In that case they can only contact you in
writing to say theyre taking you to court (which they wont bother doing).
Address you in an abusive manner.
Threaten to sue unless they are actually taking legal action. In some states, thirdparty collection agencies may not sue.
Falsely claim to be an attorney, a representative from a credit bureau or a member
of law enforcement.
Threaten you with arrest or jail.

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 Call family or friends in an attempt to collect your debt. The debt collector may
not contact anyone other than your attorney. If you do not have an attorney, a
collector may contact other people, but only to ask for your phone number or
address; they are not allowed to discuss the debt. Debt collectors usually are
prohibited from contacting such permissible third parties more than once. .
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), debt collectors cannot harass
you. If any of the above is happening to you, tell the collection agency to stop harassing
you. If it continues, find out their name and address and file a complaint with the Better
Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission or your state's attorney general's office.
You dont have to put up with harassment and abuse. Remember that Federal Laws are
on your side. Don't be intimidated by collection agencies. Make them understand that you
know your rights, and they will leave you alone and look for easier targets.
You can sue a debt collector for violation of the FDCPA.. You have up to one year after
the alleged violation to sue. Check out the laws in your state, and The Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act.

BUILDING GOOD CREDIT

Once youve finished erasing bad credit items, its time to build a glowing credit report.
You can build a positive credit history quickly and cheaply. Here are proven techniques
you can use to stack your credit report with positive credit items.

Borrow Someone Elses Credit Listings

Borrowing someone elses good credit is a proven way to add positive items on your
report. If you know someone who has good credit, you can have this person add you on
to an account as an authorized user.
Just have this person contact his credit card issuer and request that you be added on his
account as an authorized user. The credit card issuer will send you a copy of the card.
When you receive the card, just return it to this person.
Once youre added as an authorized user on this persons account your credit report will
show an open account with all of the positive history of that account.
Before using this strategy, make sure the card issuer will agree to show your friends
good payment history on your credit report.

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Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards can help you build or rebuild credit. Having a secured credit card
and using it wisely helps you establish a record that makes it easier for you to obtain
other types of credit in the future.
A secured credit card looks and works like any other credit card. To the rest of the world,
they are just credit cards.
To obtain a secured credit card, you are required to deposit money in a savings account to
guarantee the charges. The deposit is left untouched you are seriously delinquent. Your
security deposit is given back to you when you graduate to an unsecured card.
Credit card issuers have different requirements. Shop around to find a secured card that
fits your needs. Some issuers have minimum income requirements. Other issuers do not
have minimum income requirements.
Make sure that your card issuer reports payment history to credit bureaus. All your efforts
to build good credit will be wasted if your card issuer does not report your payment
history to the credit bureaus. Be sure to deal with issuers that dont report your card as
secured.
Always read the fine print carefully before applying for a card. Interest rates and fees
vary widely.
Most issuers grant a credit line equal to 100% of the amount you have on deposit. A few
issuers offer credit limit equal to 150% your security deposit.
To build credit with your secured card, you must use it with make purchases. Just having
the card but not using it does not help you build credit. Make purchases with your card
and make on-time payments.
A missed or a late payment will hurt your credit badly. So make sure you make payments
on your card by the due date. Be certain not to exceed your credit limit.
By making on-time payments and staying within your credit limit, youll establish a god
credit rating. This will enable you to obtain more credit from other credit grantors.

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Get A Cosigner
You can improve your chances of obtaining credit by providing a cosigner. A cosigner is
someone who promises to repay your indebtedness if you should default. Credit activity
on the loan or credit card will be reported on the cosigners credit report, as well as yours.
If your cosigner has a good credit history, creditors will be satisfied that the loan will be
repaid and will grant your credit request.
Having a co-signer with good credit is a great way to increase your chances for approval,
but be especially careful with this type of arrangement. Any late payments you make will
not only reflect poorly on your credit report but your co-signer's as well.

Instant Credit
Another proven way to build a good credit record is to apply for instant credit. Once
you have a Visa or MasterCard, you can get approved for instant credit at many
Department Stores.
You simply go to the credit department of the store and complete an instant credit
application. Once your application is approved, a charge account will be opened for you
instantly.

Bank Loan
You can also take out a small installment loan from a bank and pay it back promptly.
This will also improve your chances of getting other lines of credit in the future.
You can secure the loan with funds in your savings account. When you pay off the loan,
your security deposit will be released to you.

24

CONCLUSION
I have given you the information you need to repair your credit report. Now that you have
the knowledge of how to erase bad credit and establish good credit profile, you must put
it into action. Without action on your part, your credit rating will never change.
A good credit record can help you enjoy the finer things in life. It will make your life
easier and more enjoyable. If you apply the information presented in this book, youll be
able to rebuild your credit history.
Once youve rebuilt your credit rating, you will have access to the financial safety net
that good credit provides.
When the doors to the world of credit open for you, do everything in your power to
maintain an excellent credit profile.
I recommend that you visit the following websites:
http://www.ConlethOnu.com
http://www.ResellRightsMarketing.com
http://www.ConlethOnuPublishing.com
Youll discover proven money making and money saving opportunities, high-quality
ebooks and software products, home business opportunities and ideas, and much more.
What youll discover will help improve your financial situation.

25

HOW CREDIT REPAIR CONSULTANTS REPAIR BAD CREDIT

Credit repair companies say they can erase bad credit from your credit record. They say
they use little known strategies to rid your credit report of negative entries.
Despite their claims and promises, credit repair companies do not have a magic wand to
make your bad credit disappear. They cannot do anything you cant do yourself for little
or no cost. They simply use loopholes in the FCRA to remove negative information.
FCRA stands for Federal Credit Reporting Act. Under the terms of the FCRA, you have
the right to dispute any credit information in your credit report. If the item cannot be
verified, it must be deleted from your credit report.
They know that by deluging the credit bureaus with dispute letters, sooner or later some
creditors would not respond. They also know that if the credit bureaus dont receive a
response from the creditor they sent a reverification request to, on their clients behalf,
within the allotted time, the negative item by law had to be deleted.
You dont need to spend a lot of money to accomplish this. You can do it yourself. In
fact, by following this process you can delete many negative items on your credit report
regardless of whether or not they are accurate.
By becoming familiar with your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and how to
enforce them, you can have negative entries removed from your credit report.

26

PRE-WRITTEN CREDIT REPAIR LETTERS

The following letters are for illustration purposes only. They are meant to give you an
idea of how to write successful credit repair letters. Study them carefully and use them as
guidelines to help you as you get started on the road to a new life of positive credit.

27

Letter Requesting A Copy Of Your Credit Report (Within 60 Days Of Credit

Denial)
Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please send me a free copy of my credit report. On July 12, 2010 I was refused credit due
to information you supplied. Enclosed please find a copy of the credit denial letter I
received from the creditor.
Your full name
Your date of birth
Your social security number
Your current address
Your previous address
I look forward to receiving the credit report soon. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name

28

Letter For Requesting A Copy of Your Credit Report (Not In Response To A

Credit Denial)
Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address

Dear Sir/Madam,
Please send me a copy of my credit report. Enclosed please find a check of $__.
Your full name
Your date of birth
Your social security number
Your current address
Your previous address
Please send the credit report as soon as possible. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name

29

Request For Deletion Of Negative Item That Has Been On your Credit
Record After The Statute Of Limitations Period Has Expired
Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
While reviewing my credit report, I noticed that the following account has been reported
on my credit report for more than seven years (or ten years as the case may be).
Name of creditor
Account number
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), negative information must be deleted from
a credit report after the statute of limitations has expired.
I hereby request that you immediately remove this account from my credit file, and send
me a corrected copy of my file.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your social security number
Your date of birth

30

Disputing Accuracy Of Negative Information

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
This letter is a formal complaint that you are reporting inaccurate and injurious credit
information. As you are no doubt aware, credit reporting laws ensure that credit bureaus
report only accurate credit information.
I request your investigation of the following:
Name of creditor
Account number
The listed account number is not mine. I have never had an account with this creditor.
Please delete this misleading information in order to show my true credit history.
Furthermore, I request that you send a corrected copy of my credit report to me and all
creditors who have received a copy within the last six months, or the last two years for
employment purposes.
Under Federal law, you have 30 days to complete your re-investigation.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Your social security number
Your date of birth

31

Follow-Up Dispute Letter

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
RE: Dispute Letter of 2-10-2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
On February 10, 2010 I sent you a letter by registered mail, requesting an item be
investigated on my credit report. Enclosed here is a copy of the dispute letter that I
mailed to you.
As you are aware, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires you to investigate and respond
to any dispute within 30 days. As of yet I have not received a response from you.
I am sending this letter certified so I will have proof you did receive it. In this way, I will
have no option but to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if I do
not receive a response.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Your social security number

32

Notice To File An FTC Complaint

Date
Name of Creditor
Address
RE: Dispute Letter of (date of initial dispute letter), and Follow-up Letter of (date of
follow-up letter)
NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE COMPLAINT
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am hereby sending you this letter as formal notice of my intent to file a complaint with
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
I notified you on two separate occasions, that the following account is not mine and needs
to be deleted immediately.
Name of creditor
Account number
You have ignored my two previous letters requesting deletion of this account. And it
continues to remain in my credit report. The enclosed copies of letters and mailing
receipts are proof that you have been delivered by registered mail both a dispute letter,
dated March 15, 2010, as well as a follow-up letter, dated May 2, 2010.
By law, you are required to respond to consumers credit report dispute letters within 30
days. Be advised that you are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and that the
Federal Trade Commission investigates complaints for failure to respond, yet you have
failed to comply with these Federal regulations.
I hereby demand that you immediately remove this account from my report. If you fail to
do so, I will file a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Furthermore, I
intend to file a lawsuit in civil court for damages, costs and attorney fees, should you
continue in your deliberate disregard for the law.
I hope that we will be able to resolve this problem, so that no further action will be
required.

33

Please send me an updated copy of my credit report. Also, send a copy of the revised
report to each creditor that has received my credit report within the past six months, or
the past two years for employment purposes.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Your social security number

34

Request For Correction Of Personal Statistics

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
While reviewing my credit report I discovered that it shows a checkpoint that my Social
Security Number is 123-45-7689. This must have been a clerical error from a creditor
requesting my credit report.
Please remove this checkpoint. My Social Security Number is 123-45-6789. Please
remove this inaccurate data from my credit file, and send me a copy of the corrected
report.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your social security number
Your date of birth

35

Request For Deletion Of Inquiry

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have recently reviewed my credit report. The following inquiry, which is listed on my
report, was not authorized by me.
Name of Creditor
Date of Inquiry
Please investigate and delete this misleading information, and send me a corrected copy
of my credit file.
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have 30 days to complete your reinvestigation.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your social security number

36

Disputing Directly With The Creditor

Date
Name of Creditor
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
I recently received my credit report and it shows an inquiry made by your bank on May
10, 2010. I have never applied for credit at your bank, so this inquiry was not authorized
by me.
Be advised that you are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and have made
illegal inquiry into my credit history.
I demand that you immediately delete this inquiry from my credit file, or face legal
action. Additionally, send me a written confirmation immediately following deletion of
this inquiry.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Your social security number

37

Disputing Directly With The Creditor

Date
Name of Creditor
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have recently reviewed my credit report, and it shows a negative item, which was
reported by your company. I have never had an account with your company. This
erroneous information is highly injurious to my credit history.
I have tried to have this adverse information removed from my credit file, by disputing
with the credit bureau. But this negative information continues to remain in my credit
report.
I hereby demand that you correct this error. If you fail to do so immediately, we will have
to resolve it in court.
Please respond to this letter by June 4th, 2010. Be advised that unless you correct this
error or respond by the above date, I will take legal action against you.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Your social security number

38

Negotiating A Settlement With The Creditor

Date
Name of Creditor
Address
RE: Account #______________
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to settle this outstanding balance with you. I am also concerned about the
negative information now on my credit file.
Although I agree that I am responsible for the above referenced account, I wish to settle
this account for less than you claim I owe. I am willing to work out the following
compromise with you to settle this debt.
I am offering to pay a total of $___, as full settlement of this account. As soon as I
receive written confirmation from you of your acceptance of my offer, I will send you
$___ immediately, and will then make three monthly payments of $___. I will make each
payment before the first day of each month.
In return, I ask that you delete this account from my credit report when payment in full is
received.
I feel I have made a good effort to settle this debt. Your cooperation in this matter is
greatly appreciated, and if you agree with this proposal please sign and return it to me. As
soon as I receive this signed acknowledgement, I will immediately send you a cashiers
check or money order in the amount of $___.
Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this matter and an expedient favorable
resolution.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address
Agreed To By_________________________On__________
(Date)

39

Request For Inclusion Of Consumer Statement In Your Credit File

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
Dear Sir/Madam,
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I am entitled to add a Consumer
Statement of no more than 100 words to my credit file.
On Aril 23, 2010 , I was in an accident, and unable to work. I was on disability for
eighteen months. During this time my disability pay was significantly less than my
regular pay. Due to this reduction in pay, I suffered a great deal of financial hardship and
was unable to pay all of my debts. Please note that within a very short period of time (90
days) of my return to work I brought this account current. The problem is now resolved
and will not affect my finances.
Please send me a written confirmation within 30 days that you have included the
statement in my credit file. Thank you for your prompt cooperation.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your social security number

40

Request To Have Positive Items Added To Your Credit Report

Date
Name of Creditor
Address
RE: Account #_______________
Dear Sir/Madam
While reviewing my credit report, I noticed that this account is not listed on my report.
Please report my good credit record to the following credit bureaus.
Experian
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
(888)397-3742
www.experian.com
Trans Union
P.O. Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
(800)916-8800
www.transunion.com
Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
(800)685-1111
www.equifax.com
Please provide me with written confirmation that you have reported it. Thanks for your
cooperation.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address

41

Request For The Credit Bureau To Distribute Corrected Credit Report

Date
Name of Credit Bureau
Address
RE: File #_____________________

Dear Sir/Madam,
I recently received a corrected copy of my credit report from you, and it shows my true
credit history. Please supply a copy of the corrected credit report to all creditors who have
received a copy within the last six months, or the last two years for employment
purposes.
Thank you very much for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Your signature
Your name
Your address

42

DIRECTORY OF BANKS THAT OFFER VISA AND MASTERCARD

Heres a directory of banks that have Visa and Mastercard credit card programs. Before
you apply, be sure to contact the bank to find out about their requirements.
AMSouth Bank
P.O. Box 628327, Orlando, FL 32862
(800)267-6884
Ballston Spa National Bank
87 Front Street, P.O. Box 70, Ballston Spa, NY 12020
(518)885-6781
Bankcorp South
2910 West Jackson Street, Tupelo, MS 38802
(800)844-2723
(662)680-2123
BankNorth Vermont
500 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201
(802)447-7533
(800)722-3439
Bank Independent
710 South Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, AL 65660
(256)386-5000
Bank of America
P.O. Box 53132, Phoenix, AZ 85072
(800)732-9194
Bank of Arkansas
3500 N. College, Fayetteville, AR 72703
(479)973-2660
Bank of Benton
10th and Main Street, Benton, KY 42025
(270)527-4600
Bank of Brewton
103 Belleville Avenue, Brewton, AL 36426
43

(251)867-5431
Bank of Clark County
1400 Washington St., Suite 200, Vancouver, WA 98660
(360)993-2265
Bank of Coweta
36 South Court Square, Newman, GA 30263
(770)253-9400
Bank Independent
P.O. Box 5000, Sheffield, AL 35660
or
710 South Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, AL 35660
(256)386-5000
Bank of LaFayette
101 West Patton Street, P.O. Box 1149, LaFayette, GA 30728
(706)638-2520
Bank of Lenawee
135 East Maumee Street, Adrian, MI 49221
(517)265-5144
Bank of Louisiana
300 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(800)288-9811
Bank of North Carolina
831 Julian Avenue, Thomasville, NC 27360
(336)476-9200
Bank of North Georgia
12355 Arnold Mill Road, Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770)664-7861
Bank of Yazoo
104 North Main Street, Yazoo City, MS 39194
(662)746-5421
Bank One
1 Bank One Plaza, Chicago, IL 60670
(877)226-5663
44

(800)482-3675
Bankers Trust
665 Locust, Des Moines, IA 50304
(800)362-1688
Bank United
7815 NW 148th Street, Miami Lakes, FL 33016
(877)779-2265
First Federal
2440 Mall Drive, Suite 100, Charleston, SC 29406
(800)768-3248
(842)529-5963
Bank of Smithtown
One East Main Street, Smithtown, NY 11787
(631)360-9300
Bank of Stockton
301 East Miner Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202
(209)929-1271
Bank of the West
1450 Treat Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94597
(800)488-2265
Bank of Tuscaloosa
6501 University Boulevard East, Cottondale, AL 35453
(205)391-1064
Bank of Washtenaw
2180 West Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734)302-9165
Bank of Wilmington
3702 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28412
(910)793-4600
First Federal Bank
1300 McFarland Boulevard NE, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
(205)291-6700
(800)239-6929
45

First Federal Savings Bank

100 Frontage Road, Huntington, IN 46750
(260)358-4680
First Federal Savings Bank of Twin Falls
383 Shoshone St. N, Twin Falls, ID 83301
(208)733-4222
First Financial Bank
P.O. Box 384, Harrodsburg, KY 40330
(859)734-5452
First Home Bank
9190 Seminole Boulevard, Seminole, FL 33772
(727)394-2265
First Interstate Bank
602 North Broadway, P.O. Box 910, Red Lodge, MT 59068
(406)446-1422
First Metrobank
406 West Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
(256)386-0600
First National Bank Alaska
P.O. Box 100720, Anchorage, Alaska 99510
(800)856-4362
Adams Bank & Trust
315 North Spruce Street, P.O. Box 720, Ogalla, NE 69153
(308)284-4071
(800)422-3488
AFBA Industrial
909 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
(800)776-2322
Alliance Bank of Arizona
4703 E. Camp Lowell Drive, Tucson, AZ 85712
(520)784-6000
Amalgamated Bank of Chicago
46

One West Monroe, Chicago, IL 60603

(312)822-3000
Amarillo National Bank
P.O. Box 1, Amarillo, TX 79105
(806)378-8000
American Bank and Trust Company
4301 East 53rd Street, Davenport, IA 52807
(563)344-9500
American Gateway Bank
320 N. Alexander Avenue, Port Allen, LA 70767
(225)387-0011
American National Bank
1891 Palmer Avenue, Suite 403, Larchmont, NY 10538
(914)833-0560
American Savings Bank
P.O. Box 2300, Honolulu, HI 96804
(800)627-6900
First National Bank of Ashford
520 Broadway Street, Ashford, AL 36312
(334)899-3316
(334)794-8182
First National Bank of Jasper
31748 NE 1st Avenue, Carbon Hill, AL 35549
(205)924-4431
First National Bank of Omaha
P.O. Box 2490, Omaha, NE 68172
(877)932-3626
First National Bank of Scottsboro
402 South Broad Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768
(256)259-6000
First National Bank of St. Louis
9645 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO 63124
(314)746-4645
47

First Niagara
P.O. Box 514, 6950 S. Transit Rd., Lockport, NY 14095
(800)439-8230
(716)625-7700
First Security Bank
P.O. Box 1009, Searcy, AR 72145
(501)279-3400
First Security State Bank
1150 S. Main St., P.O. Box 1526, Sikeston, MO 63801
(800)530-5327
(573)472-2002
First State Bank
6380 East Avenue, Hornell, NY 14843
(607)324-4081
First State Bank
P.O. Box 15414, Wilmington, DE 19850
(302)322-9111
First State Bank
P.O. Box 3686, Albuquerque, NM 87190
(505)241-7500
(888)699-7500
First USA
P.O. Box 8865, Wilmington, DE 19850
(800)FIRSTUSA
First Western Bank
41 5th Avenue, Belle Fourche, SD 57717
(605)892-2041
Fleet
260 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113
(800)833-6980
(800)841-4000
Frontenac Bank
3330 Rider Trail, South Drive, Earth City, MO 63045
48

(314)298-8200
Gateway Bank and Trust Co.
1145 N. Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27009
(252)334-1511
(800)597-0162
Glacier Bank
3091 Pine Dr #2, P.O. Box 160489, Big Sky, Montana 59716
(406)995-7566
(800)735-4371
Glenwood State Bank
5 East Minnesota Avenue, P.O. Box 197, Glenwood, MN 56334
(320)634-5111
(800)207-7333
Ohio Savings Bank
Ohio Savings Plaza, 1801 E. 9th St., Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44114
Ohio Valley Bank
420 Third Avenue, P.O. Box 240, Gallipolis, OH 45631
Old National Bank
609 West Temperance Street, Elletsville, IN 47429
(812)876-6584
(800)731-BANK
Omni Bank
2900 RidgeLake Dr, Metairie, LA 70002
(504)833-2900
Pacific Premier Bank
1600 Sunflower Avenue, 2nd Floor, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(888)388-5433
(714)431-4000
Park National Bank
50 North Third Street, Newark, OH 43058
(740)349-3738
Peoples Bank
850 Main Street, 11th Floor, Bridgeport, CT 06604
49

(800)772-1090
Plains Capital Bank
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd, Suite 1300, Dallas, TX 75219
(214)252-4000
Plains Commerce Bank
220 Main Street, P.O. Box 38, Hoven, SD 57450
(605)948-2278
Pioneer Bank
1900 Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 846, Baker City, OR 97814
(541)523-5884
Pulaski Bank and Trust
5800 R Street, Little Rock, AR 72207
(501)661-7700
Rayne State Bank
P.O. Box 129, Rayne, Louisiana 70578
(888)625-3660
(337)334-3191
Reliance Bank
1000 South Highway Drive, Fenton, MO 63026
(636)717-0040
Riggs Bank
3806 12th St., NE, Brookland, DC 20017
(800)368-5800
(301)887-6000
Rocky Mountain Bank
2615 King Avenue West, P.O. Box 80450, Billings, MT 59108
(406)656-3140
Security Bank of Hurst Texas
1845 Previnct Rd, Suite 100, Hurst, TX 76054
(800)624-6472
Security National Bank & Trust
40 South Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502
(937)324-6800
50

Security State Bank

506 Main Street, Scott City, KS 67871
(800)770-7207
Security State Bank
6 South 8th Street, New Rockford, ND 58356
(701)947-2421
Shelby State Bank
242 North Michigan Avenue, Shelby, MI 49455
(231)861-2123
Simmons First National Bank
14220 Arkansas Hwy 10, Little Rock, AR 72223
(501)225-6644
(800)530-2205
Southwest Missouri Bank
101 E. Grand, Jasper, MO 64755
(417)394-2546
Sprint Visa
19590 E. Main Street, Parker, CO 80134
(800)779-8472

Star Bank
P.O. Box 956, Cincinnati, OH 45273
(800)999-0619
Starion Financial
333 N. 4th St., Bismarck, ND 58501
(701)223-6050
Sterling Bank
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106
(334)244-4437
Sterling National Bank
425 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
(212)935-1440

51

Stockbridge State Bank

122 W. Main Street, P.O. Box 427, Stockbridge, MI 49285
(517)851-7733
Sumter Bank and Trust
1404 East Forsyth Street, Americus, GA 31709
(229)928-3745
Sun Trust Bank
P.O. Box 85024, Richmond, VA 23285
(800)635-0581
Team Bank
1515 Baptiste Dr., Paola, KS 66071
(800)880-6262
(913)294-3344
Texas Bank
2601 North Lar Mar Boulevard, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78705
(877)276-5554
The Bank of Delmarva
12 E. State Street, Delmar, MD 21875
(410)896-9041
The Bank of New York
One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286
(212)495-1784
(800)449-7838
The Columbia Bank
7900 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
(301)654-2200
(888)822-2265
The F&M Bank and Trust Company
P.O. Box 4500, Tulsa, OK 74159
(877)744-1330
(918)748-4000
The First National Bank
13 North Street, Lichfield, CT 06759
(860)567-8752
52

The Legacy Bank

2600 Commerce Drive, P.O. Box 60947, Harrisburg, PA 17106
(800)436-2124
(717)441-3400
The Savings Bank of Manchester
923 Main Street, Manchester, CT 06040
(800)646-1700
Troy Bank & Trust
1000 Hwy 231 South, P.O. Box 967, Troy, AL 36081
(334)566-4000
(334)807-5138
Troy Savings Bank
120 State Street, Albany, NY 12207
(518)433-2000
Trustmark National Bank
P.O. Box 291, 248 E. Capitol Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39201
(800)844-2000
Two Rivers State Bank
P.O. Box 550, 310 Eastgate Drive, Blair, Nebraska 68008
(402)426-9500

UMB Bank
5910 East Galley Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
(800)821-5184
(800)821-2171
Umpqua Bank
333 SW Ellsworth St., P.O. Box 809, Albany, OR 97321
(541)967-7000
(866)486-7782
Union Bank & Trust Co.
1300 N. 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68504
(402)323-1296
(800)297-2837

53

Union Planters Bank

1451 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
(901)722-7900
(800)585-5361
Union State Bank
P.O. Box 518, Clay Center, KS 67432
(785)632-3122
United Bank of Philadelphia
714 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(800)262-3610
United Kingfield Bank
145 Exchange Street, Bangor, Maine 04401
(877)816-2988
USAA Federal Savings Bank
P.O. Box 6998, Newark, DE 19725
(800)922-9092
US Bank
US Bancorp Center, 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612)872-2657
Valley National Bank
1455 Valley Road, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
(800)522-4100
Wachovia Bank
100 North Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(800)716-3000
(800)275-3862
Wainwright Bank
63 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
(617)478-4000
(888)428-BANK
Washington Mutual
214 S. Highland Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562
(914)944-0039

54

Webster Bank
1177 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT 06430
(203)319-3580
(800)325-2424
Wells Fargo Bank
333 South Grand Avenue, 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213)253-6121
(213)687-3501
Wells Fargo Bank
420 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
(415)396-3068
(415)421-1352
(800)642-4720
WesBanco
109 North Hamilton Road, Gahanna, OH 43230
(614)475-6162
Western Security Bank
2929 3rd Avenue North, Billings, Nontana 59101
(406)238-8100
(800)815-1444
Wilmington Savings Fund Security Bank
838 Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
(888)WSFSBANK
(302)792-6000
Witney National Bank
P.O. Box 61260, New Orleans, LA 70161
(800)383-6538
(877)611-9448
Zions First National Bank
120 E. Main, Santaquin, UT 84655
(800)789-8800
(801)754-5842
Gorham Savings Bank
10 Wentworth Drive, Gorham, ME 04038
(207)839-3342
55

(800)924-2948
Great Basin Bank of Nevada
487 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada 89801
(775)753-3800
Gulf Coast Bank
200 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504)581-4561
Heartland Bank
12503 Village Circle Dr., St. Louis, MO 63127
(314)842-4144
Heritage Bank
310 SW 1st Street, P.O. Box 1124, Wilmar, MN 56201
(320)235-5720
(800)344-7048
High Point Bank and Trust Company
300 North Main Street, High Point, NC 27261
(336)881-3300
or
P.O. Box 2270, High Point, NC 27261
(800)991-4243
Home National Bank
7615 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd, Suite 1, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480)538-1020
HSBC Bank USA
63 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021
(800)975-4722
Humboldt Bank
2440 Sixth Street, P.O. Box 1007, Eureka, CA 95501
(707)445-3233
Huntington Bank
P.O. Box 2059, Columbus, OH 43216
(800)237-7400
(800)480-2265

56

Independence Federal Savings

1229 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
(202)628-5500
Intrust Bank
P.O. Box One, Wichita, KS 67201
(800)895-2265
(800)222-7458
Jefferson Bank
700 Southwest Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573)634-0800
Juniper Bank
P.O. Box 8802, Wilmington, DE 19899
(877)523-0478
Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust Company
1110 North Kansas Avenue, P.O. Box 8009, Topeka, KS 66608
(785)232-6062
(888)232-5872
Key Bank
127 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44114
(800)539-1539
Lake Shore Savings
115 E. 4th St., Jamestown, NY 14701
(716)664-1103
Liberty Bank
1414 E. Primrose, Springfield, MO 65804
(417)875-5200
Linn State Bank
1217 E. Main, Linn, MO 65051
(573)897-2919
Macon Bank
1580 Asheville Highway, Brevard, NC 28712
(828)883-8700
Madison Bank
57

35388 U.S. 19 North at Alderman Rd., Palm Harbor, FL 34684

(727)786-3888
MBNA
1000 Samoset Drive, Wilmington,DE 19884
(800)932-2775
(800)789-6701
Mellon Bank Delaware
One Mellon Center, Pittsburg, PA 15258
(412)234-5000
Merchants Bank
54 Pearl Street, Essex Junction, VT 05402
(800)852-5969
(802)865-1652
Metropolitan Bank & Trust
22901 Mill Creek Blvd., Highland Hills, OH 44122
(800)876-9119
Mountain West Bank
101 Ironwood Drive, Coeur dAlene, ID 83814
(800)641-5401
M&I Bank
2120 Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 153233
(414)345-3280
M&T Bank
P.O. Box 188, Buffalo, NY 14240
(800)545-7899
M&T Bank
P.O. Box 15019, Wilmington, DE 19850
(800)724-2440
NBT Bank
81 Main Street, Lake Placid, NY 12946
(518)523-9544
(800)-NBT-BANK
National City Corporation
58

National City Center, 1900 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44114

(216)222-2000
New Era Bank
675 Franklin Blvd., Somerset, NJ 08873
(908)937-4600
New York Community Bank
1720 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461
(718)822-8691
Nodaway Valley Bank
Third & Main Street, P.O. Box 700, Maryville, MO 64468
(660)562-3232
Oak Brook Bank
1400 Sixteenth Street, Oak Brook, IL 60523
(630)990-BANK
Central Pacific Bank
220 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
(808)544-0500
Centura Bank
P.O. Box 2857, Rocky Mount, NC 27802
(254)454-4400
(800)236-8872
Century Bank and Trust
300 W. Chicago St., Sturgis, MI 49091
(269)651-5491
Central National Bank
24 Church Street, Canajoharie, NY 13317
(800)449-6842
Charlevoix State Bank
111 State Street, P.O. Box 217, Charlevoix, MI 49720
(231)547-4411
Chase Manhattan Bank
P.O. Box 15650, Wilmington, DE 19886
(888)692-4273
59

Chemical Bank
3015 E. Saginaw, Lansing, MI 48912
(517)351-1111
Citibank
P.O. Box 6500, Sioux Falls, SD 57117
(888)766-2484
City National Bank of Taylor
P.O. Box 1099, Taylor, TX 76574
(800)848-8472
(512)352-2265
Citizens Bank &Trust
3110 Alma Highway, Van Buren, Arkansas 72956
(479)474-1201
Citizens Bank of Las Cruces
P.O. Box 2108, Las Cruces, NM 88004
(505)647-4100
Citizens South Bank
245 West Main Avenue, P.O. Box 2249, Gastonia, NC 28053
(704)868-5200
(800)218-8619
Columbia River Bank
1701 N.E. Third Street, Bend, OR 97701
(541)330-1701
Commercial Trust Company
119 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 471, Fayette, MO 65248
(660)248-2222
Community Bank & Trust
141 North Daleville Avenue, Daleville, AL 36322
(334)598-4426
Compass Bank
120 N. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
(520)620-3270

60

Concordia Bank
547 Main Street, P.O. Box 909, Concordia, MO 64020
(660)463-7911
(888)828-7911
Crescent State Bank
1005 High House Road, Cary, NC 27513
(919)460-7770
Damariscotta Bank & Trust Company
25 Main Street, P.O. Box 999, Damariscotta, ME 04543
(207)563-8121
(800)639-8381
Direct Merchants Bank
P.O. Box 21550, Tulsa, OK 74121
(800)379-7999
Evans National Bank
14-16 North Main Street, Angola, NY 14006
(716)549-1000
Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust
205 Datura Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561)514-9222
(800)607-4646
1st National Bank of Gaylord
501 West Main Street, Gaylord, MI 49735
(989)732-3502
First Bank
P.O. Box 7920, 331 Dock Street, Ketchikan, AK 99901
(907)228-4474
(800)764-2265
First Commercial Bank
215 Richard Arrington, Jr Blvd., North, Birmingham, AL 35203
(205)868-4850
First Commercial Bank of Tampa Bay
4600 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609
(813)287-0500
61

(800)815-3996
First Deposit National Bank
P.O. Box 800, Tilton, NH 03276
(800)356-0107
BankUSA
3636 N. Central Avenue, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85012
(602)222-4600
(800)705-9204
Bank VI, United Bank
P.O. Box 178, Wichita, KS 67202
(800)456-2273
BankWest of Nevada
2700 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702)248-4200
Bath Savings Institution
105 Front Street, P.O. Box 548, Bath, ME 04530
(800)447-4559
(207)442-7711
Beacon Federal
6311 Court Street Rd., P.O. Box 186, East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315)433-0111
(888)256-3800
Black Mountain Community Bank
1700 West Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 101,
Henderson, NV 89012
(702)990-5900
BNC National Bank
103 1st Avenue SE, Kenmore, ND 58746
(701)385-4011
Byron Center State Bank
2445 84th Street SW, Byron Center, MI 49315
(616)878-1591
Cambridge Trust Company
62

1336 Massachusettes Avenue at Holyoke Center,

Cambridge, MA 02138
(617)876-5500
Capital City Bank
375 Fob James Dr., Valley, AL 36854
(888)671-0400
(334)756-8550
Capital City State Bank & Trust Co.
P.O. Box 900, Tallahassee, FL 32302
Or
350 N. Temple Avenue, Starke, FL 32091
(904)964-7050
Capital One
P.O. Box 85015, Richmond, VA 23285
(800)955-7070
(804)747-7200
Carolina First Bank
201 Wren Drive, Henderson-Four Seasons, Henderson, NC 28792
(800)476-6400
Carrollton Bank
427 Crain Highway, NE, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061
(410)761-0968
CB&T Bank of Russell County
910 13th Street, Phoenix City, AL 36867
(334)297-7000
CenBank
113 NW 1st Street, Ortonville, MN 56278
(320)839-6123
Centinel Bank of Taos
P.O. Box 828, 512 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571
(505)758-6700

63

SECURED CREDIT CARD SOURCES

The following is a list of financial institutions that issue secured Visa and Mastercard
credit cards. Before you apply, be sure to find out about their fees and other requirements.
Bank of America
P.O. Box 53144, Phoenix, AZ 85072
(800)732-9194
Evans National Bank
14-16 North Main Street, Angola, NY 14006
(716)549-1000
First National Bank in Brookings
P.O. Box 6000, Brookings, SD 57006
(800)658-3660
Cross Country Bank
P.O. Box 15188, Wilmington, DE 19885
(800)252-1159
First National Bank of Marin
P.O. Box 98873, Las Vegas, NV 89193
(800)752-5493
Direct Merchants Bank
P.O. Box 21550, Tulsa, OK 74121
(800)379-7999
Trustco Bank
1900 Altamont Avenue, Rotterdam, NY
(518)355-1900
(518)377-3311
Merrick Bank
P.O. Box 5000, Draper, UT 84020
(801)545-6400
or P.O. Box 9201, Old Bethpage, NY 11804
Plains Commerce Bank
220 Main Street, P.O. Box 38, Hoven, SD 57450
64

(605)948-2278
(605)948-2344
Providian Financial
P.O. Box 660490, Dallas, TX 75266
(800)647-8641
First Consumers National Bank
9300 S.W. Gemni Drive, Beaverton, OR 97005
(800)876-3262
(800)937-3795
Capital One
P.O. Box 85015, Richmond, VA 23285
(800)445-4413
(800)333-7116
Heritage Oaks Bank
545 12th St, Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805)239-5200
First Premier Bank
900 W. Delaware, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(800)825-8472
(605)357-3440
First State Bank
P.O. Box 15414, Wilmington, DE 19850
(302)322-9111
Farrington Bank
9305 N. 56th St., #197, Tempe Terrace, FL 33617
(609)488-6206
Ocean Independent Bank
P.O. Box 15414, Wilmington, DE 19850
(800)262-3610
(302)322-4305
Home Trust Savings
P.O. Box 37, Brookings, SD 57006
(605)692-9555

65

Pioneer Federal Savings Bank

P.O. Box M, Lynwood, WA 98046
(206)771-2525
Treasure-Land Savings and Loan Association
P.O. Box 19268, Portland, OR 97280
(800)873-7307
Union Bank
P.O. Box 80069, Portland, OR 97280
(800)456-3064
Wells Fargo Bank
P.O. Box 23380, Oakland, CA 94623
(800)642-4720
The Associates
P.O. Box 15704, Wilmington, DE 19850
(800)533-5600
Best Bank
2618 E. 120TH Ave., Denver, CO 80233
(303)450-8080
First Deposit National Bank
P.O. Box 800, Tilton, NH 03276
(800)356-0107
Peoples Bank
P.O. Box 637, Bridgeport, CT 06601
(800)443-0164
Orchard Bank
P.O. Box 19268, Portland, OR 97280
(800)771-7339
United Savings Bank
711 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415)928-0700
Central National Bank
Broadway and Charleston at 14th, Mattoon, IL 61938
66

(800)876-9119
Bank of Hoven
P.O. Box 5117, Sioux Falls, SD 57117
(800)777-7735
American Pacific Bank
P.O. Box 19360, Portland, OR 97280
(800)879-8745
Community Bank of Parker
19590 E. Mainstreet, Parker, CO 80134
(800)779-8472
Citibank (South Dakota)
P.O. Box 6101, Sioux Falls, SD 57117
(800)676-5520
(800)743-1332
Bank One
P.O. Box 450, Lafayette, IN 47902
(800)395-2522
(800)544-4110
United Bank of Philadelphia
714 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215)829-BANK
or
15th Street & JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215)751-9321
American Pacific Bank
P.O. Box 350, 112 Main Street, Aumsville, OR 97325
(800)610-1201
or
315 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
(503)221-5801
Sterling Bank & Trust
Union Planters Bank
Elancard

800-603-0600
800-628-8946

800-558-3424
67

Washington Mutual Bank

800-382-3334, 800-649-4090

Union Plus/Household Bank

United Trust Bank

800-651-5108

732-448-4075

HSBC Bank USA 800-975-4722

US Bank 800-285-8585
Plains Commerce Bank
Bank of Smithtown
Sovereign Bank

605-948-2344

631-360-9300

800-768-2265

Fox Knox National Bank

Key Bank & Trust

800-333-8472

800-539-5398

Marine Midland Bank

800-962-7463, 800-850-3114

Amalgamated Bank of Chicago

California Commerce Bank
Chase (USA)
Citicorp

800-365-6464

800-610-1201

800-482-4273

800-743-1332

http://www.ConlethOnu.com
http://www.ResellRightsMarketing.com
http://www.ConlethOnuPublishing.com

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